Saving the Samoan language starts with a simple mindset shift, former New Zealand Rugby Sevens player Jason Tiatia said, as new census data shows the language is under pressure among Samoans in New Zealand.

Jason Tiatia said that one of the biggest lessons about the language came not from a classroom, but from his time of professional rugby in France and Italy.

The former sevens player said Samoans in both countries continued speaking their own language in everyday life, even when talking to foreigners.

“I thought, how arrogant,” Tiatia told Pacific Huddle. 

“But then, no, you're arrogant with the ego that you have. It's their country.”

For Tiatia, the experience changed the way he viewed gagana Sāmoa and the need to protect it.

He believes preserving the language requires the same habits used in elite sports: consistency, discipline, and patience.

“It takes one generation to lose it, and three, maybe four generations to try and revive it again,” he said.

Figures from the 2023 New Zealand Census show 48.4 per cent of Sāmoan New Zealanders can speak gagana Sāmoa, down from 55.6 per cent in 2013.

The number of speakers has increased to more than 103,000, but the overall Sāmoan population in New Zealand has grown faster, reaching more than 213,000 people.

Nearly 68 per cent of Sāmoan New Zealanders were born in New Zealand, while only nine per cent of Sāmoan children under 15 were born overseas.

Tiatia recently released “Sāmoan Made Simple”, a book aimed at helping New Zealand-born Sāmoans reconnect with the language.

He said many people are discouraged by the term “plastic”, often used to criticise Sāmoans who are not fluent.

“I’m a big champion for our people, especially our young people. I don’t like this word ‘plastic’. And then they start believing it,” he said.

Instead, he encourages people to start with what they know and improve gradually.

“Be patient with it, have fun, and be courageous,” he said.

Tiatia also believes workplaces, schools, and sports organisations should create spaces where Pacific people can see and hear their own cultures and languages reflected.

“If you're going to involve a lot of our Pacific people in your organisations, they need to see themselves even more,” he said.

At home, Tiatia and his wife are raising their children in both Te Reo Māori and gagana Sāmoa.

“Our mums and dads are our first teachers, and I think we underestimate the power of home,” he said.

For Tiatia, saving the language comes down to simple habits.

“Show up, repeat it, build it into a habit, stay consistent, and pass it on,” he said.