Otago PhD candidate a voice for Vanuatu and the power of Bislama

By University of Otago | Posted: Monday Aug 18, 2025

Otago PhD candidate a voice for Vanuatu and the power of Bislama | University of Otago

For Leina Isno, a Ni Vanuatu PhD candidate at the University of Otago, this year’s Bislama Language Week (27 July – 2 August) carries a weight far deeper than words.

It is the first time the language of Vanuatu is being officially celebrated in Aotearoa New Zealand, fulfilling a deeply personal ambition for Leina.

From the Lawa village in Lumete, Leina’s journey has been shaped by her connection to land, sea, and community. Her family farmed coconuts, cocoa, vanilla and coffee beans – their subsistence and survival were rooted in climate and tradition.

“I grew up along the coast, where my parents own both the land and the sea waters, including the reefs,” she says.

Having lived in New Zealand for 25 years, Leina’s academic journey began in Health Sciences and has taken her from operating theatres to global humanitarian work, including deployments with the New Zealand Red Cross.

However, it was a return to her roots that led her to pursue a PhD in 2023, researching scrub typhus, a neglected bacterial disease affecting her home country.

Her advocacy has also played a key role in the wider Pacific community.

As Chair of the national Melanesian Steering Committee, Leina led a formal complaint against the Ministry for Pacific Peoples for the exclusion of Melanesians from the 2022 Pacific Languages Strategy.

“Since 2024, I have Co-Chaired the Committee with a representative from the Solomon Islands to represent us at the Government level,” she says.

Her voice is now not only being heard, but also helping to shape national policy. So, when it came time for the Bislama National Working Group to set the theme for the inaugural language week this year, Leina was ready.

The 2025 theme for Bislama Language Week is “Tokbaot Klaemet Jenj, hemi tru mo yumi mas lukaotem gud laef” – “Talk about Climate Change, it is real, and we must look after life”

Leina, alongside the Bislama National Working Group was part of shaping this theme – drawn from lived experience.

“The theme really highlights the constant frustrations my father, as a rural farmer and business owner, faced over the last 20 years. He has lost many of his cash crops, and reef replanting has been paused too because the sea waters are too muddy from the runoffs.”

Leina says the theme is more than just a climate issue, it’s also about cultural survival.

“Vanuatu had at least 130 dialects, now we are down to 110,” she shares.

“This language week is making me reflect a lot about how to pass these languages to our next generations.”

For Leina and the Ni Vanuatu community in New Zealand, Bislama is a bridge across oceans.

“We firmly believe in storytelling in Bislama to reconnect with Vanuatu, with our stories, songs and dances. The official recognition of the language week is a step toward restoring balance,” she says.

“For the first time I feel seen and heard. That I matter. I have a voice, and I can speak too.”

Leina points to the vital role Ni Vanuatu seasonal workers play in the New Zealand economy, especially in vineyards, and the lack of cultural support they’ve historically received.

“Since 2007, we did not have the right support to give to them so they can be comfortable doing their jobs, so achieving Bislama Language Week is the biggest win.”

In the academic world, Leina often walks between cultures. “It is a love and hate relationship. Most days it is challenging,” she admits.

From navigating multilingual spaces to feeling isolated as often the only Ni Vanuatu student at Otago, the road hasn’t always been easy. But she finds strength in the community and in the purpose of her work.

She sees herself as a bridge - between communities, academia, and government - advocating for Pacific voices that are too often overlooked.

“We need firm and confident voices with action. We need our youths to step up and lead too.”

Her message to young Ni Vanuatu in Aotearoa is clear, “Be proud of who you are even if you cannot speak Bislama. Do not be afraid to take that first step, you are just as important as someone who has lived in Vanuatu all their life.”

Universities, she believes, also have a critical role to play.

“Culture is a critical part of succeeding in academia,” she says. “If we can provide support and resources to students to make them feel valued, we have won!”

In many ways, Bislama Language Week is a long overdue recognition. But for Leina, it’s also a beginning, a platform for visibility, for justice, and for the language that connects a nation across 83 islands and thousands of miles.

“We want the world to listen and what better way to start than here in New Zealand,” she says.

~ Kōrero by Pacific Communications Adviser Viena Faiva