Celebrate Wikin te Taetae ni Kiribati – Kiribati Language Week

‘Maiuakinan te katei ri nanon te tangira ma te ikarinerine bon wantongan te mwenga ibukin te rikirake – Living our valued cultural practices through love and respect upholds our dignity and growth for a successful future’ is this year’s theme celebrating Kiribati Language Week, 6–12 July.

Postgraduate student Jessica Tokanikai Vandermeer is among the 3000 diaspora in Aotearoa celebrating Kiribati Language Week. Studying toward a Masters in Disaster Management, she plans to explore the connection between I-Kiribati knowledge and culture, and global disaster management frameworks.

“Kam na bane ni Mauri n te wikin te taetae ni Kiribati. Arau bon Nei Jessica, ao arau n Kiribati bon Nei Tokanikai. My name is Jessica Tokanikai Vandermeer. My Kiribati name is Tokanikai - it’s a family name and also my grandma’s name. She’s my namesake.”

Her family hails from the islands of Nikunau and Onotoa, with many relatives living in Bikenibeu on the capital island of Tarawa, and others in Kiritimati (Christmas) Island. Jessica’s cultural identity has strongly influenced the purpose behind her research: giving back to her communities and contributing to the upliftment of her people.“

My positionality as a proud I-Kiribati consistently shapes the output of my research, with its objectives and purpose focused on serving the community first and foremost.”

Disaster Management and Engineering spaces typically do not have high I-Kiribati representation, particularly at the research level says Jessica.

“I hope to bridge this gap by centering my research within communities most impacted by potential disasters and climate change events - areas to which Kiribati is highly vulnerable. I aim to use indigenous Pacific research frameworks and methodologies to highlight important I-Kiribati views and perspectives.”

With end of semester assignments and exams completed, Jessica says there is a proverb that she lives by that also resonates with the theme for Kiribati Language Week:

“Karaoa ae raoiroi nakoia aomata ngkana ko tangira bwa ana karaoa ae raoiroi naba nakoim - respect and do well by others as you would also like to be treated in return."

This is derived from the proverb: Tangiria am kairiribai, Mataio 5:34 – Love your enemies, Matthew 5:43.