What we talk about when we talk about the weather : the impact of indigenous Fijian- and English-language terms for nature and natural events within the Fijian- and English-speaking community in Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Masters in Emergency Management at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract

This research project investigates the effect and meaning of Indigenous Fijian-language and English-language terms for nature and natural events (NNE) within the Fijian- and English-speaking community in Aotearoa New Zealand. There is minimal targeted messaging about NNE for this community, which increases vulnerability during disaster events and reduces opportunities for NNE education and preparedness. The goal and intent of this work is to identify avenues to improve the efficacy and quality of NNE related risk awareness messaging for the studied population. The Fijian diaspora represents a fairly close-knit community with many shared cultural and social values. This population encompasses a breadth of ages, backgrounds, and education levels, with significant variation in Fijian- and English-language skills. The hypothesis of this study was that due to differences in languages and cultural perspectives, current assumed linguistic parallels in NNE-related risk awareness messaging are not in fact interpreted or experienced as equivalent or identical to the identified audience. This project utilized Indigenous research methodologies for study design, data collection, and data analysis, combined with Western scientific methodologies for data collection and analysis. A modified approach to the Fijian Vanua Research Framework methodology was applied to study design, and data collection was undertaken via a combination of talanoa and semi-structured interviews with a total of 14 individuals from across the Lower North Island. Data were analyzed utilizing talanoa data analysis methodology combined with reflexive thematic analysis. The analysis noted key themes in six areas: Fijian identity and its relationship to language; Fijian-language terms’ connections to ways of learning about NNE; English-language terms’ connections to the same; relative familiarity of NNE in Fiji and Aotearoa New Zealand; desires and intentions for messaging; and participant-led linguistic discussion and analysis. Results revealed widespread desire for Fijian language messaging, and significant differences in the implications and associations of Fijian- and English-language terms for NNE. The research process also highlighted a strong degree of engagement and interest in language preservation and revitalization amongst the community. Potential avenues for improvement of NNE-related messaging include collaborative, community-led development of mixed Fijian- and English-language messaging; utilization of existing methods of learning about NNE, specifically storytelling or narrative education, in both Fijian and English; utilization of existing knowledge resources in the community especially regarding NNE common in Fiji; and familiarization of the community with Aotearoa New Zealand’s common NNE. The hope is that these learnings can be used to develop messaging which centers the community and their identified needs. This project highlights the importance and applicability of Indigenous frameworks and methodologies, and these results illustrate the willingness of the community to engage as well as the resources they offer. There is the opportunity for a connection of the important threads of preserving and passing down the language, of giving context to important information via narrative and storytelling, and of utilizing existing community knowledge. Together there is the potential for collaborative development of more effective, targeted messaging to improve emergency management risk awareness, preparedness, response, and recovery within the community.