Tokelauans

N.Z. Plan To

Resettle

The New Zealand Govern ment would like to see the 1,800 people of the over crowded Tokelau Islands

migrate to New Zealand.

THE New Zealand Minister for Island Territories, Mr. J. R.

Hanan, was to tell the Islanders this when he visited them in January.

The NZ proposal involves resettle ment of 1,000 of the Islanders in New Zealand over the next five years, with others to follow. The idea is not to depopulate the islands im mediately, but to relieve the popula tion pressure and ease economic problems.

The Tokelaus are a NZ dependency about 300 miles north of Samoa, and their people are NZ citizens. They are administered through the NZ High Commissioner in Apia.

There are three atolls in the group, Fakaofo, Nukunono and Atafu. Com munications between the islands are poor and copra-making is the only industry of any importance.

A number of Tokelauans have

already settled in NZ and there is always a community of about 100 of them in Apia, working or in transit. The Tokelauans have a culture of their own, and have turned down suggestions that they should unite with either Samoa or the Cook Islands.

First Record

An Apia report says that the music of the Tokelaus has only recently been put on record for the first time.

Tokelauans in Apia were rehearsed for two months by Samoa Records, and then taped in the studios of local radio station 2AP.

There were some technical pro blems because: • Some variation in presentation was necessary because nearly every Tokelau number starts off slowly and works up to a frantic climax.

Although this stirs the blood for two or three numbers, it becomes monoto nous for 14 numbers on end on an LP record. • The singers just could not stop swaying and dancing once a number started. This resulted in some narrow escapes for the studio microphones; and here and there an individual performer’s voice fades slightly as he dances away from them.

However, the record captures the carefree nature of a people whose future is in doubt.