Puaseiese A Pedro, Office of Prime Minister Tuvalu
“Our women are the keepers of Tokelau’s heart — they weave our history so it cannot be washed away.”
That’s what Romero Viane, Tokelau Representative at the Pacific Loss and Damage Dialogue held in Samoa told the meeting.
At the centre of Tokelau’s fight against loss and damage are the Fatupaepae, the aunties, mothers and grandmothers who refuse to let the sea take more than land. With hands that braid pandanus and voices that teach the children to speak Tokelauan, Fatupaepae are quietly, stubbornly preserving a nation’s identity while the ocean eats at its shores.
We know loss and damage not as a future word but as a present grief.
“The sound of the ocean is like our lullaby,” said Viane, “but today that same ocean carries a warning.”
King tides and saltwater intrusion have already eaten away at seawalls, gardens and cemeteries. In Atafu, graves once hallowed by generations now sit half-swallowed by sand and surf, proof that what we lose is not only land but memory.
“Our crops fail when salt seeps into the soil. Our grandparents’ fishing places are disappearing. When young people stop speaking Tokelauan at home, we lose more than language, we lose belonging.”
The Fatupaepae see these losses in the salt on their hands and the silence where song used to be. They see migration follow in the wake of climate disruption, a few leaving for work or safety, outsiders filling new roles, and a tiny nation’s cultural balance shifting with each family that goes.
But Fatupaepae are not waiting to be rescued. They are acting now, on the ground and in community halls by running weaving workshops that teach the patterns and meanings of mats so those stories cannot be lost and olding language classes so children can speak Tokelauan confidently at home and in school.
They are also organising song, dance and mentorship sessions that pass on ceremonial knowledge and leadership to youth and adapting agricultural techniques and sharing health and safety knowledge so families can stay nourished and safe.
“This is climate action,” Viane reminded the Dialogue. “When women keep the language alive, they keep the nation alive. Their work matters as much as seawalls and water tanks.”
Yet their reach is limited by resources.
Fatupaepae urgently need a dedicated community space for teaching, meeting and storing cultural materials, weaving and teaching equipment, language-learning resources and safe storage for family heirlooms.
They also need training in project management, advocacy and resilience-building so women can lead programs and secure longer-term funding as well as support to partner with projects like the RDCC so cultural resilience is funded alongside physical adaptation.
“This is not about buildings and supplies alone,” Viane said. “It is about investing in the heart of Tokelau’s resilience, our women, so that in fifty years’ time, God willing, Tokelau will still be Tokelau.”
The Pacific Regional Loss and Damage Dialogue 2025 is held from 11-12 August at Taumeasina Island Resort. It follows the inaugural Pacific Youth Dialogue on Loss and Damage, held from 7- 8 August, at the same venue in Samoa.
The Pacific Regional Loss and Damage Dialogue 2025 and the inaugural Pacific Youth Dialogue on Loss and Damage are made possible with funding support from the Loss and Damage Capability and Capacity (LDCC) Project with the Government of New Zealand.
Hosted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the dialogues bring together Pacific governments, youths, civil society, academia, NGOs, and the private sector to collectively advance the region’s priorities on Loss and damage.
This story was produced by the Pacific Media Team covering the meetings. Their attendance is made possible with funding support from the Loss and Damage Capability and Capacity (LDCC) Project with the Government of New Zealand.
For more information, please contact SPREP Climate Change Adaptation Adviser, Ms Filomena Nelson [email protected] , SPREP Climate Change Loss and Damage Officer, Ms Jessica Rodham [email protected] or Media and Public Relations Officer, Mr Keni Lesa [email protected]