Available information about the early history of Niue is limited and the origins of Niuean society are not well documented. Loeb (1926), Smith (1983) and Thomson (1984) suggest that Niuean social structures were greatly influenced by the immigration of people from both eastern and western Polynesian cultures (including Tonga and Samoa). Later, European influences such as the London Missionary Society, early traders and ‘blackbirders’ were also evident. The work of Loeb (1926) and Kumitau and Hekau (1982) suggests that all of these influences have played major roles in shaping the ideologies of contemporary faka Niue (the Niue way). In fact, many of Niue’s indigenous cultures and customs have been shaped by elements of the world view and lifestyles of the early Polynesian colonists, since even the most basic elements of Niuean society reflect influences and ideas similar to those present in societies such as Tonga and Samoa.

Niue is situated in Polynesia in the southwest Pacific Ocean and is the highest raised coral (makatea) island in the world. Niue is a single island housing 13 villages; the terrain is mainly steep limestone cliffs and a large proportion of the land is coral, much of it covered in indigenous forest and scrub.

In 1900 Niue became a British protectorate; by 1901 it was annexed to the New Zealand administration where the latter had a major role in governing the economy of Niue. In 1974 Niue became a self-governed state with free association with New Zealand, and Niueans became New Zealand citizens with free rights into New Zealand (Chapman 1976; Government of Niue 1982). By 1986 the population of Niueans in New Zealand was 12,501 and by 2001 it was 20,148 (Statistics New Zealand 2006). The 2006 New Zealand census states that 22,473 Niueans reside in New Zealand, comprising 8 per cent of the New Zealand Pacific population. There was an increase of 2,325, or 12 per cent, since the 2001 census. Over 79 per cent (17,667) of Niueans live in Auckland, which is an increase of 20 per cent since the 2001 census. Nearly three-quarters (16,275) of Niueans were born in New Zealand. The Niuean population in New Zealand has therefore doubled in size, while in Niue, it has dropped to only 1,788 people (Statistics New Zealand 2006).