By Kireni Sparks-Ngenge

Halo, nem blong mi em i Kireni Sparks-Ngenge.

Papa blong mi kamaut long Lou Ailan long Manus Province, Papua New Guinea (PNG). Mi bon lo PNG na bikpla long Madang, PNG, na long Vanuatu.

Mi save visitim ples blong mi olgeta taim tu na dispela vidio mi wokim blong wanem mi wari lo tokples blong Lou em I wok long go daun – planti mama papa no wok long tokples gen long ol pikinini blong ol.

Holim Pas Tok Ples i laik kirapim tingting blong yumi long Lou Ailan na long ol narapla hap long PNG na Melenisia blong yumi mas lukautim tokples na givim gen long ol pikinini blong yumi.

Insait long dispela vidio bai yumi harim stori blong ol Cowichan, wanpla traib blong ol asples long Canada we klostu tokples blong ol i laik dai. Wanem toktok bai ol Cowichan oli laik givim long yumi long sait blong tokples?

Dispela vidio i lukluk long ol tingting raunim tokples: blong wanem ol tok ples blong yumi oli impoten, olsem wanem tokples em i konekt wantaim tumbuna graun blong yumi na halivim yumi blong holim pas graun blong yumi, olsem wanem wanpla tokples i ken dai, na olsem wanem bai yumi holim pas tokples.

Olsem bai yu lukim long vidio, em i no hadpla samting blong holim pas tok ples blong yumi: rot blong en em long toktok tasol long tok ples blong yumi.

Mi hop olsem dispela vidio bai halivim yumi olgeta we yumi lukim blong Holim Pas Tok Ples.

English translation

Hello, my name is Kireni Sparks-Ngenge. 

My father is from Lou Island in Manus Province, Papua New Guinea (PNG).  I was born in PNG and grew up living between Madang, PNG, and Vanuatu. 

I also always visited Lou Island and I have made this video because I am concerned that my island’s indigenous language is on the dangerous path towards becoming endangered – many parents are no longer speaking the language to their children. 

Holim Pas Tok Ples wants to motivate the people of Lou Island and other parts of PNG and Melanesia to protect our languages and continue to pass them on to our children. 

In this video, you will learn the story of the Cowichan people, a First Nations tribe in Canada, whose indigenous language is seriously endangered. What message will the Cowichan people give to us about the importance of our indigenous languages? 

This video discusses various issues concerning our languages: why our languages are important, how our languages connect us with our customary lands and help us to hold on to our land, how a language can die, and how we can keep our languages alive.

As you will learn from this video, it is not hard to keep our languages alive: we only need to continue to speak our languages. 

I hope this video helps inspire all who watch it to keep our languages alive.