![[Unofficial 1989 proposal (Tokelau)]](../images/t/tk!pro.gif)
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by Mark Sensen
Last modified: 2023-12-09 by ian macdonald
Keywords: tokelau | stars (white) | circles 3 (broken) | palm tree (green |
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by Mark Sensen
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The Flags
of Paradise 1996 chart shows the blue flag for
Tokelau with the broken yellow rings (a coral atoll with two
entrances?) and the caption, "Tokelau Islands NZ Territory
circa 1989-present (unofficial)". I suspect they are close
enough to the scene to know that the flag is in actual use.
John Ayer, 5 March 1998
Jos Poels told me some years ago he had
contacted the authorities on Tokelau, and they confirmed the flag is
not adopted officially.
Mark Sensen, 13 April 1999
Humberto Brumatti, a Tokelau-fan from Argentina visited FOTW and e-mailed me. I asked him for further information on the officialness of the flag (tk.gif) and its appearance or not on Tokelau stamps. This is his answer, abridged and translated:
Tokelau is undergoing an institutional change process where the UN plays a role. Its 1500 inhabitants, 10 sq.km. and no important income source (as is the case with Nauru) make impossible its independence from New Zealand, and the islanders are very comfortable with the current situation, with which they assume more self-determination rights in political issues, while New Zealand covers its broad economical deficit and absorbs constant immigration originating in a population excess.Santiago Dotor, 23 November 1999Up to the last Report of the Administrator of Tokelau for the year ended 30 June 1997 (published almost one [two?] and a half years [sic] later), no indication exists on the approval of a flag of their own.
Post stamps were issued up to the early nineties by the New Zealand Post, who in 1988 issued a series of stamps in one of which appeared the New Zealand flag. Later on, the issuing authority was assumed by the Office for the Tokelau Affairs, based up to recently at Apia (Western Samoa) and currently at Tokelau. I have even the most recently issued stamps, and none of them shows the flag in question.
Consulting the Office is useless. When it was managed by a New Zealand official, they kindly supplied any requested information and they even had an excellent periodical magazine, but since the islanders took over they have greatly neglected this important aspect of their [public] relations.
When I visited the atolls in 1983 that the only flag visible
was that of New Zealand.
Christopher Vance, 19 August 2000
I have seen the Tokelau flag used at New Zealand's national
museum (Te Papa Tongarewa, in Wellington), displayed
in their Pacific Hall, but I am very doubtful of whether it is used by
the islanders themselves.
James Dignan, 16 December 2003
A web page at
http://www.tokelau.org.nz/english/press/press3.htm implies
there is a desire to develop an identifying flag.
Paraskevas Renesis, 16 August 2004
I have never heard of the Tokelau flag actually being used in
the islands. When NZ's prime minister Helen Clark visited the islands
two weeks ago, only the NZ flag was visible in news reports (although
this unofficial flag was used during TVNZ coverage of the visit in its
in-studio captions). Tokelau is one of the territories that continually
worries the UN by overwhelmingly refusing independence. I think the
last poll on the issue found about 95% of the adult population wishing
to remain as an overseas territory of New Zealand.
James Dignan, 17 August 2004
At this
semi-official website for one of Tokelau's three atolls, the
flag is used as the link marker for the Tokelauan language page. The
fact that there is no text implies that the local webpage users would
recognize the flag (placed below the New Zealand flag that links to the
English language page).
Michael K. Renalds, 9 November 2004
According to the report of the 11th session (morning) of the
Decolonization Committee of the United Nations, published as press
release AG/COL/3125 on 24 June 2005, Tokelau and New Zealand progress
in the elaboration of a free association treaty. The Committee has
acknowledged that the people of Tokelau firmly want to gain autonomy
and the promulgation of a self-determination act. The Committee was
pleased about the progress achieved this year, especially the transfer
of power from the Administrator to the three Village Councils. The
Committee also noticed the progress towards the adoption of a
Constitution and national symbols for Tokelau and the elaboration of a
free-association treaty between Tokelau and New Zealand. Ulu-o-Tokelau
(Chief of Tokelau) Pio Tuia invited the Committee to visit Tokelau and
gave more details on the process leading to self-determination. The
design of a national anthem, flag and symbol is scheduled for November
2005. Pio Tuia stated that the people of Tokelau don't want
independence but a free-association. The Administrator of Tokelau, Neil
Walter, confirmed Pio Tuia's statements and gave more details to the
New Zealand contribution to the economical development of Tokelau.
Source:
http://www.un.org/News/fr-press/docs/2005/AGCOL3125.doc.htm
(French version; the report is probably available in other languages).
Ivan Sache, 2 July 2005
