National president Galumalemana Hunkin, a senior lecturer at Victoria University, said those attending the two-day conference would explore the importance of their communities using the language regularly.
"It is a vital connection, for all of us. It identifies us."
They would also look at research which had shown a bilingual, English-Samoan approach to education would go a "long way to solving some of our huge failure rates".
However, there was a gap in primary schools for this approach.
Fagasa is a voluntary organisation dedicated to the care and continuity of the Samoan language in New Zealand. It had about 100 members in six branches around the country.
About 30 people, including Maungakiekie MP Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, were attending the conference.
