Fakafetuiaga

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Image: Haircutting ceremony, Otara, 1971. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections Footprints 08563.

Reminisce and celebrate our beautiful Niue! Niue celebrates its 50th anniversary of self-governing, highlighting its relationship with Aotearoa. The island is commonly referred to as 'The Rock of Polynesia.' Through historical imagery, we explore Niue’s timeless stories, memories and identity which ground our Niuean communities here in Aotearoa and abroad.

Ngā Pātaka Korero o Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland Libraries house nearly 25,000 materials related to Niue. Over 400 of those materials are of heritage significance, many of which are featured in our online, lending and research catalogues. Within our collections, Niue materials are embedded across various formats and categories. On our Kura Heritage Collections Online, Niuean-themed materials can be found amongst our photographs, maps, ephemera, journals, and manuscripts (to name a few). Additionally, our library catalogue includes various visual, digital, and audio formats.

The selection and acquisition of Niue materials are steadily increasing in our collections. The vast collection benefits researchers not only locally, nationally, and internationally but also contributes to the growth of indigenous knowledge and sees the identity of Niueans being affirmed and celebrated in Aotearoa. Therefore, we are proud to serve Niue's knowledge in all its glory and ensure its survival through and through.

As we dive into Niue’s cultural gems, it is important to establish that most records are from the 19th and 20th centuries, a time of the increasing European presence in all of Moana Oceania and the poignant era of colonization. Therefore, imagery and descriptions reflect the context of that time and are not indictive of a lack of cultural sensitivity by Ngā Pātaka Korero o Tāmaki Makaurau. 

Where Niuean customs have been lost, written text and imagery have served us well to revive that knowledge. However, written texts should not always be considered more accurate or authoritative than oral histories, which have carried the customs of Niue through generations.

Image: Native Church, Niue. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections NZG-19030718-0170-01

Niue

Image: Native and native village, Niue. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19000824-04-11

“Probably nowhere in the world is there a people like the Polynesians. They are a beautiful people because of their simple, unrelenting love ---- love of life, love of each other and of all people of goodwill, love of nature and all things beautiful, love of God, who provides so abundantly” 

 - Robert Maurice Goodman

Niue is often referred to as 'The Rock' or 'The Rock of Polynesia,’ a phrase that originates from the solid rock foundation of the entire island. One of the largest coral islands, with 14 villages, Niue has a population of just under 2,000 people. While the population numbers may seem small, the dual citizenship has allowed Niue to create a home across the ocean in Aotearoa, extending the prowess of ‘The Rock of Polynesia.’ 

Vagahau Niue and English are the predominant languages spoken in Niue. Although dual citizenship presents its challenges with migration patterns and assimilation, Vagahau Niue has endured, revealing the tenacity of Niuean communities both within and outside of Niue. 

‘Savage Island’ is another phrase Niue is known by, coined by explorer Captain James Cook in the 1700s. Recorded narratives indicate that the Niuean people, smeared in black paint and armed with spears, stones, and slings, attacked Captain Cook and his crew when they attempted to dock on the island. This attack was a defence by Niuean Warriors seeking to protect their families and homes. Cook’s crew, armed with muskets, swords, and body armour may have sparked the hostile reaction from the Niuean people. Thomson (1902) writes that a launched spear narrowly missed Cook’s shoulder, which could have ended his exploration journey before ever seeing Hawaii. Several subsequent docking attempts by Cook, were also met with resistance. As a result, Cook labelled Niue as ‘savage’ before navigating through the other islands. The expression 'Savage Island' has persisted as a dominant motif of Niue's image, serving not as a characterization of the Niuean people themselves, but rather as a reminder of Cook's unsuccessful attempt to subjugate Niue. 

Goodman asserts that “Cook’s expedition was obviously more for conquest than just for exploration. It is ironic that simple island people who fought against the captain’s savagery would, themselves, be known as a savages for more than 200 years” (2002, pg 13).  

The Niue Flag

Image: The two Kings: 'Dick' and Togia under the grand old flag. 1900. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19000824-04-06

The Niuean flag has the colour yellow, symbolizing the warm sentiments of the Niuean people towards the inhabitants of Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as the region's radiant sunshine. The Union Flag, or Union Jack, in the upper canton symbolizes the decision made by the Niuean kings and chiefs to recognise Niue as a British Protectorate in October 1900. The stars represent the connection between the two countries and the Southern Cross of Aotearoa, where Niue was first placed under British protection. The larger star in the canton symbolises Niue as an autonomous nation, standing tall and proud in Oceania. 

Image: Native dancers, Savage Island. 1903. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections NZG-19030704-0037-01

Niue royal family 

Image: The King and Queen of the Savage (Niue) Island and members of the royal family. 1900. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19000713-02-05

Much like their neighbours Tonga and Samoa, Niue had royal leaders with honorific titles. While other Pacific Islands typically followed a hereditary line of kingship, Niue’s form of ancient government had a unique system of electing their kings, and at times remained vacant for several years. The open selection process made it difficult to establish exact dates for the reigns of certain kings. According to Thomson (1902), in pre-Christianity times, kings were chosen based on their control of the war party. Village warfare was common in Niue, and kings were often primary targets of assassination, contributing to the irregularity of royal succession. Thomson (1902) records Niue’s kings from pre-Christianity through to the most recent king before annexation:

1) Punimata of Halafualangi, who reigned at Fatuaua

2) Galiaga of Pulaki 

3) Patuavalu of Puato

4) Pakieto of Utavavau

Interregnum of eighty years

5) Tuitonga (succeeded 1876)

6) Fataaiki (succeeded 1888)

Interregnum of nearly two years

7) Tongia (succeeded 1898)

Image: [Plates from] Savage island : an account of a sojourn in Niue and Tonga. King Tongia. 1902. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 

King Fataaiki was known to have written eagerly to the British Empire to bring Niue under their protectorate. Although several pleas were made, it wasn’t until the third letter that it was accepted. Niue’s decision to have British Sovereignty was heavily influenced by the works of the London Missionary Society, which played a major role in spreading Christianity in the mid-1800’s. Niue came under the British Protectorate in 1900 and almost immediately was annexed by Aotearoa in 1901. The influence of Christianity in the mid-1800s, conversion of many Niueans, and the rising European presence, led to the gradual decline of the indigenous royalty. The passing of the last King Tongia in 1917 left complete control to the missionaries.

Image: [Plates from] Savage island : an account of a sojourn in Niue and Tonga. The Queen of Niue. 1902. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections

Ear piercing 

Ear piercing, known as huki teliga, is one of the many customs of Niue. This ceremony celebrates the ‘coming of age’ of a young girl, where her family and community uplift and shower her with blessings. Girls aged five to seventeen can participate in huki teliga. Women, men, and children help prepare for this ceremony and tasks such as fishing, harvesting and food preparation are shared between the family and the wider village community. The ceremony is adorned with lavish décor and a throne-like chair is created for the young girl. Once the ear piercings are completed, the girl is showered with blessings. The event is followed by tufa-e-galue (sharing of the food), a process that marks the end of huki teliga and at the same time acknowledging the love of the village family.

In the past, huki teliga piercing tools involved using foto tipolo (lime thorn) or foto-moli (orange thorn), making the process painful. With the development of medicine and medical technologies such as hypodermic needles and numbing procedures, the practices of huki teliga have evolved. In the 20th and 21st centuries, financial strain has influenced how this custom is celebrated, particularly within the diaspora. Nevertheless, huki teliga continues to celebrate the communal worldview of Niuean people and acknowledges their distinctive ways of knowing and being.

Image: Celebrating Niue, Māngere East, 1993. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections Footprints 03587 

The 50th celebration of Niue's self-government reflects their lifelong friendship with Aotearoa where the arts, culture, and customs of the ‘The Rock of Polynesia’ continue to flourish, embodying the essence of fakafetuiaga (relationships).

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