Tokelauan people

Tokelauan people are native to Tokelau, an island group in Polynesia, in the Pacific Ocean. In Tokelau, 87.5% of the population are ethnic Tokelauans while the rest of the population are of mixed ethnicity. The native language of the Tokelauans is Tokelauan.

Tokelauan people
Tokelauan youth participating in water quality testing, 2012.
Total population
4,600
Regions with significant populations
 Tokelau

 New Zealand

 Samoa
Languages
Tokelauan, English
Religion
Congregationalism, Roman Catholic
Related ethnic groups
Polynesians, Samoans, Tuvaluans

In New Zealand Tokelauans are a minority population among other Pacific Islanders, with a population of about 1500 people.

Language

The Tokelauan language is part of the Polynesian language family. Most Tokelauans are fluent in both English and Tokelauan.[1]

Culture

Religion

As of 2011, 58.5% of people belong to Congregational Christian Church while 36.8% belong to Catholic church. The rest of the population adhere to various Christian denomination such as Presbyterian and New Age. Roman Catholic is mostly practiced in the capital Nukunonu whereas inhabitants of the islands of Atafu and Fakaofo adhere to the Congregationalism. Prior to the arrival of Christianity, Tokelauans worshiped a god named Tui Tokelau.

Sports

Netball, rugby, football and cricket are popular in Tokelau. Tokelau Games are held yearly.

References
  1. Hunstman, Judith. "Culture of Tokelau". World Culture Encyclopedia. Advameg.


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