PĀNUI
NEWS
Sāmoan Made Simple: A New Resource for a Language Worth Protecting.
03 / 06 / 2026
E afua mai i mauga tetele manuia o le nu'u. From the high mountains are the blessings of the village.
This year's theme asks something of us. It asks us to look to where we come from, to the people, the knowledge, and the language that sustains us, and to consider what we are doing to carry those things forward.
One of those people is Jason Tiatia.
A former NZ Rugby Sevens player, Ministry of Education staff member, and father of three, Jason has spent years working to make gagana Samoa accessible to everyone. He understands something that the data increasingly confirms: language is not just communication. It is wellbeing. It is identity. It is belonging.
According to the 2023 New Zealand Census, 213,069 people identified as Samoan. Yet just under half of that number can hold a conversation in gagana Samoa. Research from the Ministry for Pacific Peoples found that 94 percent of respondents say using their heritage language is important to their wellbeing, and 97 percent believe it is important for children and future generations to speak Pacific languages. The desire is there. The access has not always kept up.
The closure of Aoga Amata, the Samoan language nests that once gave tamaiti their earliest connection to gagana Samoa, has left a gap that is hard to fill. The strong foundations that once supported the language in Aotearoa have weakened, even as demand among secondary and tertiary students continues to grow.
"As he wrote for The Spinoff this week: keeping gagana Samoa alive is not about being perfect. It is about using what you know, as often as you can."
Jason's response to that gap is Sāmoan Made Simple, a first-of-its-kind, accessible guide to learning the basics of gagana Samoa. Modelled on the best-selling Māori Made Easy formula, it is fun, approachable, and built for modern readers. The book works through the alphabet, pronunciation, greetings, family, meals, school, sport, and much more, in short, buildable exercises designed for everyday life.
For Jason, the link between language, community and wellbeing has always been personal. His work in mental health sits alongside his language revitalisation efforts because, in his view, the two are inseparable. When people lose connection to their language, they can lose connection to themselves. And when they find their way back to it, even through small everyday phrases, something shifts.
As he wrote for The Spinoff this week: keeping gagana Samoa alive is not about being perfect. It is about using what you know, as often as you can.
That spirit sits at the heart of what Samoan Language Week is about, and it is the spirit He Waka Tapu is celebrating this week alongside our Pasifika whānau, our au faigaluega, and our wider community here in Otautahi.
Sāmoan Made Simple by Jason Tiatia ($35, Penguin) is available to purchase from Unity Books. You can also read his piece on ten everyday Samoan phrases to start using now over at The Spinoff.
