Issue 16 - Wan Solwara

16

26.07.21

Wan Solwara One Ocean Different Currents

1

03

Editorial

04

News Recap

05

What Pasi Kids Say...

07

19 - 21

Centrefold

22

Pasifika at University

It’s too late for your apology

23

History and Identity

08

Your privilege is not mine

24

From Vic to the Universe

10

Ethnicity Tickbox

28

Q+A with our Pasifika Politicians

11

Marshall Islands

12

A Fresh Perspective

30

Challenges of Fa’asamoa with depresion

13

Broken Native

14

Our identity, our sexuality, should not confine us to a box

35

Associations

16

Sex Chat

24

Entertainment

19

Dear Pacific Soul

32 - 34

Poems

About Us Salient is published by, but remains editorially independent from, the Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association (VUWSA). Salient is funded in part by VUWSA through the Student Services Levy. Salient is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA).

Complaints Complaints regarding the material published in Salient should first be brought to the Editors in writing (editor@salient.org.nz).

If not satisfied with the response, complaints should be directed to the Media Council (info@mediacouncil.org.nz).

The views expressed in Salient do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, VUWSA, or the University.

Sink your teeth into it!

2

Editorial “You can’ can’t paint the Pacific with just one brush stroke” stroke” -Teresia Teaiwa All the living cultures that breathe life into waves of the Pacific are so vast and diverse that there will never be a single book that could capture even 1% of the Pacific’s essence. The following 40 pages will also never be able to represent even 1% of our Pasifika students here at Uni. Our theme is Wan Solwara: One Ocean, different currents. Highlighting that even students who share the same kin hold different opinions. Spilled into these pages are the works of students who took that brave leap of putting themselves out there.

The editorial process includes a vigorous step that flags grammatical and spelling errors which was faigatā (hua-ee-ngah-dah)—Tokelauan for difficult— because I couldn’t explain exactly what I meant in a non-Pacific context. Some things just get lost in translation. For example, where western writers might say “being at University”, a Pasifika writer might say “being in University”. You might think this is a mistake, but it shows the way that we experience places. Being “in” a place as opposed to at a place includes the physical, and the link you don’t see. It’s not just a place to visit, to go—but a place you are part of.

You may look at the structure and format and be confused, and see no connection and clean flow between each piece. Not all connections in life are salient, but they still exist.

student. It is difficult to explain how beautiful and full we feel when we see you, hug you, advocate for you.

We apologise if we have not done you all justice in this edition.

Wan Solwara 2021 guides you on a journey through the Pacific. You are welcome to have your very own opinion on anything mentioned—I encourage it. I encourage you criticise and ask: “Who is missing?”

Then ask yourself, “Why?” “Was it deliberate?” or “Did they submit their piece too late? ” Then I encourage you to look at the world, and ask similar questions.

👀

Who do we not see, why do we not see them, but most importantly, what can I do to change this?

“To be born Indigenous is to be born into a political reality. How we are brought into this world, the way we are named, the language we speak, the security of our family, the means of education, everything around us is a site that speaks to us of our Indigenous survival or Colonial conquest.”—Tina Ngata To progress, and encourage true equity, we need to start somewhere.The ripples we make now will hopefully encourage new currents that promote inclusivity through the connection that is our One Ocean.

Signed, The Pasifika Students’ Council 2021 acknowledges that though we are diverse, we ourselves are not experts in all aspects of what it means to be a Pasifika PSC 2021 “Who are we? … PSC”

Brought to you by Peoples Coffee

www.salient.org.nz

3

Pacific

NewsRecap: Fiji in the midst of COVID crisis

15,291 cases have been recorded since March 2020, with 3,218 recoveries. Health secretary Dr James Fong reported to RNZ that “The 7-day average of new cases per day is 824 cases per day [...] Average daily case numbers are increasing, together with cases of severe disease and deaths.” As of 15 July, 384,480 adults have received one dose of the vaccine and 75,448 have received two.

nickel, copper, and manganese which are valuable for the production of electric vehicle batteries. Questions have been raised about the environmental impacts. In an interview with 1 News, Malcolm Clark (NIWA scientist) said that “Society or economics might dictate that yes we want to go deep sea mining, but that has to be balanced with environmental sustainability and ensuring those deep sea ecological systems are maintained.”

Dawn Raids apology date set

Samoa facing third by-election

In the 1950s-70s, migration from the Pacific to Aotearoa was encouraged in order to support NZ’s production industries.

Pacific peoples were later targeted during an economic downturn, from 1974-1976 raids were carried out in the early hours of the morning by officials rigorously enforcing immigration policy. A ceremony will be held on August 1, 2021 at Auckland Town Hall hosted by the Minister of Pacific People, Aupito William Sio. Advocate Lisa Meto Fox told Stuff: “All Pacific people and many Māori people were living in that fear and I think there should be either a royal commission of inquiry or a listening service, something where Government officials and members of Government go around the country and face up to all the people that want to be heard”.

Cook Island mineral use raising environmental concerns

Mining companies are looking to extract polymetallic nodules reserved in the floor of the Pacific Ocean. Areas of the Cook Islands have been identified as having cobalt,

WEBSITE NOW LIVE

SHOP.DANGERFIELD.CO.NZ

4

Letters and Notices

Samoa is facing another by-election. Samoa has been in the midst of a constitutional crisis since May. Tuila’epa Sailele Malielegaoi and Fiame Naomi Mata’afa have both asserted themselves as Prime Minister. Tuila’epa Sailele Malielegaoi has been Prime Minister of Samoa since 1998 and is leader of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP). Fiame Naomi Mata’afa is the Prime Minister-elect and leader of the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) Party.

Looking for location to build a local Fale Malae

The Fale Malae Trust is looking for a location to build a fale in Wellington, with various setbacks including uncertainty around building consent. “It’s about time New Zealand owns its Pacific identity. This will be a fale for New Zealand,” Dame Winnie Laban, a member of the Falae Malae Trust told Stuff.

The project has $10 million in funding confirmed from the Government. It is also believed a further $10 million has been committed by VUW.

WHAT PASI KIDS SAY We asked people their opinions on a bunch of stuff and here’s what they said...

Are we all hypocrites?

If you have not been living under a rock, then it is no secret that Climate Change is a global issue that sits on the horizon awaiting it’s time to fully engulf the world. We push this narrative, both Pasifika and non-Pasifika, about doing our part to reduce plastic waste and our carbon footprint. Except, all we seem to do is take small steps and it all feels almost tokenistic. We can all shout we want climate action, but we still have so much room for improvement in our lives. Don’t just change your cup, change your mindset.

COVID In the Islands Our Islands have done so well to maintain the COVID19. I’m so proud of them. DW Fiji; we got this.

Gods always got us no matter what.

Tokelau should open to NZ

😢

The islands are having to close borders and in doing so their economies are declining Is there really cases or are our Pasefika being feared again

NCEA Changes to include Pacific Studies Long time coming is beyond me and seems really stupid Aoteroa is literally in the Pacific, why they won’t add Pasi Studies to the curriculum All for it Incredible and well needed I WISH I HAD THIS AT SCHOOL

Samoa Elections Petty

🤦 Complete and utter joke! You have one who is just high on power & one who wants change Like this is the most frustrating elections EVER

They don’t need Pasifika Studies; they need Wellbeing classes, Health Classes should be compulsory. They don’t need Pasifika Studies; that’s encouragement for Parents to teach their kids their history. Every nation, village and family is different. To continue their family identity they should teach their kids how their communities see the Pasifika. It shouldn’t be a necessity in NZ Education System. Make Māori compulsory then they should start talking about Pasifika Studies in NCEA. I need this. I have zero connections to the mainland, and needed this.

It needs to be done right, otherwise you just have another opportunity for the colonisers to rewrite Not really the business of anyone outside of the histories and cultures that are already fighting to Samoan heritage. Unless you are called in and directly survive. asked, leave the Samoan elections, to the Samoan people.

Tuilaepa just needs to relax and just let FAST lead the nation, This is a change Samoa’s needed for so long. Who better to hand it over to. Also; some Public servants of Samoa should be sacked for Breaching code of conduct.

www.salient.org.nz

5

Is non-Pacific peoples getting Pacific cultural tattoos problemtic?

Cultural tattoos are sacred and meaningful, why outsiders and foreigners feel the need to get these tattoos is insulting and berates our cultures, disregarding the importance of the tattoos of our Pasifika peoples.

If this is in regards to the malu or tamoko then absolutely!!

Depends on the tat, what island and what the culture is. But mostly, yes This is definitely 100% true in keeping our culture & traditions TRUE. I believe every bearer who take the journey SHOULD know how to carry oneself in a manner their ancestors would.

Sick of seeing outsiders wearing the Samoan Tattoo.

Embrace and acknowledge from afar. However; people need to understand “Outsiders” don’t affect our Afakasi brothers and sisters. There’s a difference there. I can go on and on about this but just to keep it simple; leave the cultural traditions an aspect to those who are of that culture.

Government Dawn Raids apology?

Long overdue Good start ig Too long I’d say it’s about time but it’s been time for a long time.

A simple “sorry” won’t undo the MANY intergenerational traumas that have distilled a distrust of police in Pacific island communities.

Maybe if they didn’t racially profile people back in the 70’s, our men, women, and children would be more forthcoming in reporting their experience of abuse, relating in abusers rightfully behind bars.

6

News

Opinion: It’s too late for your apology Annoyed Afakasi I was not alive during the Dawn Raids, my father was barely eighteen, my parents had not even met. Circa 1982, my father arrived in New Zealand to be reunited with his family who had come to New Zealand to give their family a better life­—due to the quota for immigrants coming into the country he was left behind in Samoa. He was eighteen, walking down the road to Waitangirua Mall, a police officer pulled up in a patrol car and stopped him. He asked my father for his papers, identification, visa, etcetera. He did not have them. The officer told him to stand against a fence, white picket, it was just someone’s house, and searched him. Once the search was done, he arrested my father on the grounds that he was a suspected over-stayer and taken to the station. Thankfully, my grandparents were able to hire a lawyer to free my father and have any suspicions of overstaying dropped. This was circa 1982, my young father was racially profiled by a police officer.

I was not present for these events and my father is reluctant to talk about it. I’m an Afakasi Samoan woman working towards a degree and trying to get a life. I was one of the lucky ones, I’ve been sheltered and educated by my parents, but most importantly I received an education regarding the Dawn Raids in high school.

One day after my first class in Social Studies about the Dawn Raids he told me what happened to him. My

father has avoided talks of the apology, much like he avoided talking about his own experience, aside from acknowledging that it’s a reality. I may not have been there, but I know in my heart it is too late for an apology.

Like laws, apologies for horrific actions by a governing body have statutes of limitations. There is a time where an apology from a government to its people would be acceptable. The Dawn Raids started in 1974, it has been 47 years, it is too late. If I were cynical, I would say this could be a ploy by the Labour Government to keep public opinion of them high. I would say that the decision to make the apology an event was a mistake.

I understand the need the Prime Minister and the rest of the Government may have to make it something big, something to talk about, something to be published all across the country. But that can also be a part of the problem. An apology for such cruel injustice should be publicised, but it should also be done with respect.

To make it an event comes across to me as if the Government were not sincere in their apology; only sincere in their regret that the people of New Zealand became aware of how brutal they were to the Pacific Island communities. I don’t think a few speeches and a moment of silence can cut it. It can’t. This isn’t an apology in my opinion. They are just acknowledging their mistakes.

www.salient.org.nz

7

Malia Pole’o (Vaini, Vava’u, Kolovai, Eua, Tonga)

Your privilege is not mine: A push for more Pasifika educators in the education system

8

Your privilege is not mine

As a young Pasifika woman, I am privileged.

Encompassed with strong cultural values that are embedded in my identity. As a Pasifika learner, I am also privileged. Privileged with the opportunity my parents and grandparents did not have, to be educated. However, as a Pasifika learner in a predominantly westernised education system, I have witnessed the extent to which this system favours the majority, and neglects the ways of learning of the minority. Yet, no matter how high I value my identity and my people, it continues to be a part of me that is devalued amongst society because as a minority in this westernised culture our narratives are created by the ideas of the majority. This is the issue we must address, and as a collective influence a change to the system and encourage our Pasifika peoples to insert themselves into the system, and become educators within all levels of education for all Pasifika learners.

It is things like a sense of cultural acknowledgement, where we as Pasifika learners would not have to explain why we need an extension because of a funeral in our family, or why we can not cut our afros because they are deemed as “messy”, as there are ceremonial protocols thats some of our Pasifika aiga respect and follow. A push for Pasifika educators also means that Pasifika learners can make important cultural connections to those of similar experiences and values, therefore the system must acknowledge that all educators must understand the importance of cultural awareness and how much impact this can have on students. It is also the positive change in Pacific student achievement—which is commonly known to be amongst the lowest percentages within the statistics that more Pasifika educators can influence, which must be understood to create more job opportunities and inspire aspiring Pasifika educators.

Throughout my own educational journey, I have learned that there is no power more powerful than the power of the people, that is for their people. Thus, encouraging me to assert my agency and create my own narrative, with the utmost respect that was passed on to me from my ancestors, to challenge Western ideologies, and examine why there must be a push for more ethnically diverse educators within the system, to cater to the cultural differences of the minority, especially us as Pasifika learners. The Pasifika population in New Zealand has the highest growth rate of any ethnic group, however, as the population of our people and the percentages of Pasifika learners continues to grow, there continues to be a low number of Pacific teachers within our education system.

In 2007, Pacific teachers made up only 2.8 percent of the teaching workforce, while 9.6 percent of state school students were Pacific. Although percentages of Pacific teachers increased by 24 percent in 2002, there continues to be a lack of Pacific representation in the teaching sector.

Although the stories of Pasifika migration differ between families, one thing that is commonly shared amongst our Parents and Grandparents is the idea that education is the key to being successful in this new land. Like my Father always says, “Tokanga Ki he ako, pea mo lotu”, which means “focus on school and church”. As a Tongan, and as a Pasifika, these are two integral aspects that are embedded into my life and identity. As part of the Pacific generations today, I have a shared responsibility to continue to insert all aspects of my cultural identity throughout my educational journey, and life to help change the system. I hope to one day become a teacher, one who nurtures the va between our different Pasifika cultures, one that acknowledges the ethnic backgrounds of all my students, and one who educates Pasifika learners like myself about the importance of embracing our culture and the importance to continue our cultural traditions and practices, as well as educate everyone about who I am, and what it really means to be a Tongan, Pasifika in New Zealand.

I will acknowledge that we play a role in changing these statistics, and that it is up to our own people to influence this change and as Pasifika people we must be encouraged by these confronting statistics and help influence change for our own, and future generations.

But, what the system needs to understand is that these statistics can also discourage Pasifika peoples, whose career pathways are heavily influenced by seeing our own people in the same field. It is also societal views of Pasifika that act as a barrier and discourage some.

Derogatory stereotypes that perpetuate negative stereotypes on Pasifika peoples, labelling Pasifika peoples as uneducated, lazy, and unmotivated, often making us feel like they do not belong in these spaces. However, it is what more Pacific teachers in the system can provide that must be vocalised throughout our education system.

You, too, are privileged. Privileged, because as part of the dominant groups of society you are surrounded by many people who look like you. Making you the majority, and I the minority. However, it is the privilege of my cultural identity that has embedded a sense of humility, and respect for my own, through the passing of different stories and traditions that we as Pasifika educators of society must continue to perpetuate and share for generations to come. As Albert Wendt demonstrates within The Adventures of Vela, “We can’t rewalk the exact footprints we make in the stories of our lives but we’ll hear again our footprints like the lullabies our parents sang us the moment our stories end, perhaps out of our footprints our children will nurse wiser lullabies”.

www.salient.org.nz

9

Ethnicity Tickbox What does Pasifika mean?

Who are Pasifika peoples?

Felisa Mulili Lini I have always been proud to be from the Pacific, where we have crystal clear waters, coconut palms swaying, children playing carefree, and life is centred around community.

And my response to you is that, indeed, I said I am proud to be from the Pacific, but I am so much more than just another Pasifika person.

I am Felisa Mulili Lini,

When the opportunity came for me to leave my island country to come to Aotearoa to study, I jumped. It has always been my dream to come and study in Aotearoa. A dream inspired by stories from uncles and aunties who came to study here in the early 90s.

But where would I realise that dream?

While researching the different universities in Aotearoa, Vic stood out from the rest.

- Top ranking business school with different subject areas to choose from - Located in Wellington with strong relationships with business and Government - Excellent student services and support - An interesting range of extracurricular activities It had to be Vic; it ticked all the boxes for me except one.

This exception would not come to light until I arrived in Aotearoa last year and was going through the motions as a first-year student. While enrolling, I realised that there was no option for my people; instead I would be classified as “Other Pacific Peoples”. It was at that moment, and ever since, that I have felt a strong sense of under-representation and sadness.

Why? Didn’t you begin by saying you are proud to be from the Pacific? You may say.

10

Ethnicity Tickbox / Marshall Islands

I am the daughter of David Iloa Lini Son of Walter Hadye Lini of Agatoa Village on Pentecost Island of the Penama Province in Vanuatu And Mary Ketu of Sikaiana in Malaita Province of the Solomon Islands My mother is Joanna Toka whose Father (Fred Toka) hails Vilakalaka and Nduindui on the western part of Ambae Island also of Penama Province in Vanuatu Mother (Ellen Kalomtak) hails from Sasake village of Emae Island in the Shepherds group of Shefa Province Longana village on the eastern part of Ambae Island in Penama Province Pango village just outside the capital of Vanuatu, Port Vila in Shefa Province Although we may come from the same ocean, from wansolwora, as Pasifika peoples we have our own identities.

Identities which have been shaped by traditions passed down from our ancestors over centuries.

Identities that deserve to be recognised, acknowledged, and celebrated.

Identities that deserve their own spot in Vic’s database.

Marshall Islands

Ignored facts

The Marshall Islands are part of our big sea of islands. In the northwest, the U.S. Government disturbed Bikini Atoll’s waters in 1954 when it conducted its largest ever nuclear weapon test (one of 67 in the Marshall Islands). This caused environmental destruction, contamination, and the displacement of the people who lived there, who still live with the medical side effects today and are still unable to return safely. The ‘ship graveyard’ (U.S. military waste) is not just a ‘popular dive site’ for tourists, but an example of the colonial abuse of the Pacific that continues to treat it as a dumping ground and laboratory today, Climate change is already impacting the Marshall Islands, but Marshall Islanders are standing up, fighting, and telling the world they will not stand for it.

Freya Scott

www.salient.org.nz

11

A Fresh Perspective Grace Paie

The word plastics, or whatever devaluing label used to identify us mainland migrants as, is a term that was most definitely not coined by FOBs. This was of least concern or notice as someone moving to New Zealand from Samoa, which I may add as an absolute scare of an experience.

socialised a bit differently, are unaware and some uneducated on issues that we may be cancelled for in today’s era, which takes a lot of patience and effort to inform and raise awareness about.

Why can’t we romanticise English with a bit of a Samoan accent like we romanticise that of the French and Italian I’ve had the encounter of a certain friend venting about English speakers? We choose to ignore these red flags another friend that had just moved to NZ from the when we advocate for inclusiveness and community. mainland. They said, “who do they think they are coming We have a composite identity regardless of our diverse from nothing?” and all sorts along those lines. As I upbringings. We are Samoan, we are Pacific Islanders. ponder these words, I also come to the realisation that I Culture or fa’asinomaga is the main link and should am in the same situation as the so-called friend referred be the focus when coming into identity. I, as an initial to as nothing but primitive. Hence why I have avoided conservative, am working towards progression and the company of many of the domestic students, the fear ways to educate myself more. Patience and consistency of being made fun of, my choice of clothing, my English is key; there is a difference between confidence and or other newfound insecurities of mine. However, we disguised ignorance with an attitude that you may also should never classify a group of people according to the encounter along this journey as I have. actions of one, I have found great comfort with domestic students I classify as 4lifers, or whatever the Americans Let this be an informative description of the reality on say. the other end, unapologetically a girl from the Islands and her bitter experiences no one asked for.

We who speak fluent Samoan and yet speak relatively good English, to some people’s surprise, exist. We who are more than keen to help with your Samoan without judging do exist. So please do not feel the initial need to bash every mainland migrant because we were

12

A Fresh Perspective / Broken Native

Broken Native Poetry by Malachi Feterika I am a product of this land, New Zealand, the land of milk and honey, Yet the milk is expired and the honey is long overdue.

The air that I breathe and the land I walk on is foreign to you Yet, it’s all I’ve ever known.

I spoke your native tongue, Your culture was evident in my presence, But growing up my curiosity led me to lose myself in the ways of other people, Distancing myself further away from you.

Speak to me with words that are in reach, And don’t frown upon me if I drop the baton that you have handed me, Because the land that fed you isn’t the land that feeds me, So when I say I’m ma’oga please don’t force down words that I don’t even understand.

I’m just another broken native, Broken from the harsh judgements of my own people, The exact ones who laugh, mock and shame me whenever I attempt to utter a single word from your tongue.

I was Samoan in the placenta, just like you, Crowned with the authority to claim our heritage as a proud child of Samoa, You were blessed to be brought up in the motherland,

While I had to navigate my way through street names of Palagi men who took away our crowns.

To them, my identity lies in between the lines of being a ‘plastic’ Samoan, Because of MY failure to educate myself about our culture, And MY failure to maintain and nourish the knowledge you gave me.

My culture is my birthright and my identity, It goes beyond the language barrier separating us, Past my struggles I’ve had to face, And it’s more than a community I belong to.

You taught me that being Samoan is more than the language, It’s the way we carry ourselves, The way we serve other people, The way we respect each other, And it’s the way we love and care for one another.

So you see, I am a product of this land, New Zealand, The land of milk and honey, But the milk is fresher than ever and the honey is overflowing, Ready for the next generation to come. www.salient.org.nz

13

Our identity, our sexuality, should confine us to a b CW: mentions of verbal, physical, and sexual abuse Talofa lava to those who may be reading this, Proud That I’m continuing to blossom and grow into the woman and fa’afafine I am today Honoured To carry and wear my culture with pride, skin who carries the stories of thousands of brown indigenous women who paved ways, moved mountains and sailed the ocean blue of the Pacific Fearless Because I am an unapologetic daughter of the Tupua heritage, a fierce pioneer and warrior reclaiming back our land, our language, our culture, our independence.

These are statements, words that symbolise the woman I am today, the embodiment of my fa’asinomaga, my identity that keeps me grounded. I’m grateful for life, to experience these discoveries and connections I’ve made throughout the years, but most importantly shedding light and acknowledgement of our existence of the beautiful indigenious Rainbow Pasifika community. Know that we exist.

Acknowledge our presence. Understand that we have always and will always remain a piece of tradition, a chapter of our Pacific history.

It’s one thing to live your truth, it’s another thing to understand yourself on a deeper level; an understanding and discovery that you’re an embodiment of history, culture, traditions, and customs. How people view you is much more than being a Sāmoan woman, a Fijian man, a Tongan fakaleiti, somone who is non-binary.

14

Our identity, our sexuality, should not confine us to a box

You’re a piece of art, an illustration with a story to tell; no matter who you are and who you love. That’s one thing I never fully understood or grabbed the concept of growing up—that queer people of colour especially, have so much power and strength, because of the mana behind their identity.

But what people might not understand or see, especially those who don’t identify under the rainbow umbrella specifically of Pasifika descent or who aren’t familiar with these experiences; from personal experiences because I can’t speak for all, for myself and other fa’afafine I know, we have to fight a daily struggle that we are no different from any cis straight man and woman. I’ll call it out how I see it, because there are people who don’t bother to understand, and just judge us.

This is not only from palagi people but from our own Pasifika people; a direct result of colonisation of how they’ve reframed our minds with their European ideologies and religion, saying that this is a sin and reciting every book and verse from the bible. Not many are as privileged to be supported and loved by their own family. Those who aren’t as fortunate, not only being verbally abused but sexually and violently.

Our identity, our sexuality, should not confine us to a box where we are seen as freaks, sins, people thinking our life is a joke but in reality it’s in danger and slowly becoming extinct; at the end of the day there are cultures where this is a part of indigenous traditions and customs, a part of its history.

not box For example, the existence of fa’afafine and fafatama have always been a part of Sāmoan history and culture, called third gender. Although fa’afafine and fafatama are seen and acknowledged they are still treated as taboo, and this is a reflection upon colonisation when the missionaries came to Sāmoa and introduced Christianity and their Western ideologies of cultural change.

This needs to be constantly highlighted and have a talanoa about, because this will be an ongoing issue.

Although there’s still work to be done, it’s about the growth and slow progression of change. But to see change this has to come from both parties: To my beautiful indigenous queer community, speak up, take action, know your rights, and understand that you should never apologise for your identity, your culture, or history. Know your worth, use your strength because your ancestors, leaders who have fought and paved ways for us to continue using our voice because there is nothing better than reclaiming and rewriting our story from the white man. We are living today, tomorrow and all of life.

by our presence, we are all a minority fighting against the same issue when in reality we should be fighting together.

Stop fighting us when we are not the issue, we should all be fighting against real crimes and issues together. If we didn’t waste so much time and energy on critiquing and creating laws against our identities then other major issues like climate change would be taken more seriously and acknowledged globally.

At the end of the day it’s about togetherness, and creating an environment of safe space and freedom.

No more shame of being brown, no more abuse of being queer, no more apologies about being indigenous. Just be you and live your truth, help us help you.

Yours sincerely, Maurice

We are no different from you. Be an ally that speaks up and takes action. Don’t stay quiet because the moment we are left to defend for ourselves, is the moment that you ignored the threat and danger of that person’s life; especially to our Pasifika community we are the same, the only difference is that you overlook us because all you see is our truth, our identities as queer people. Don’t be threatened

www.salient.org.nz

15

Encouraging Cultural talk on Sex CW: sexual violence

Edwina Harris

Acknowledging the vā between men and women, I forewarn you that these two pieces are about sex— written by women.

every time you had sex. Why? To try to prevent UTI’s.

What are UTI’s? An infection that makes you need to go to the toilet ALL THE TIME, and it’s painful. I had no idea what was going on, and had no one to go ask.

Why is sex so tapu in our Pasifika communities?

I often wonder if I had been properly educated on sex in my early years, if I would have had a stronger voice to speak out.

My sex talk was a simple one-liner of “don’t do it”. This inspirational, educational talk (heavy sarcasm here), came three years too late after I already made the decision to become active. It’s not hard to put two and two together, when you learn I have literally pushed a human being from my body, that I am not a virgin.

“Don’t do it” came ten years too late, to my first glimpse into this tapu world. “Don’t do it”, pushed onto the children but not the adults who abuse them. Disgusting.

Disappointing. Don’t do it.

In many Pasifika cultures, we portray sex as this beautiful embrace, a sacred bond to connect you and your spouse on the night of your vowels. This beautiful, romantic story is unfortunately not the reality of many young Pasifika people of all genders. In New Zealand, there is this immense pressure to have sex. “Oh, she’s Islander, she won’t have sex with you because her parents won’t let her.” No, she won’t have sex with you because she doesn’t want to. Pressure. Coercion. Don’t do it.

These are all important points as to why we SHOULD be encouraging education on sex. Protecting our Pasifika youth, by knowing what is not ok and creating a safe space for discussion. Empowering our Pasifika people to not be pressured into doing something they are not ready for. Educating our Pasifika communities on the importance of minor and major health issues that are related to being sexually active.

It’s ok to say no.

It’s ok to say yes.

It is NOT ok to pressure, shame, or share your opinion on a person’s decision to become sexually active. I personally don’t care if my second cousin’s husband’s sister’s neighbour’s cat walker enjoyed a consensual spicy night. What I do care about is encouraging safe informed choices. So please, find a way to educate yourself, and don’t stop there. Educate your children when and if you have them. Have that awkward talk, and create a space that makes that tapu space a form of protection.

Educate me! Don’t do it. What do I need to know? Don’t do it. Was this ok? DON’T DO IT. I have a deep guilt that is the drive behind my pushing of educating yourselves, your future children, and your peers on what safe, consensual sex looks like. I grew up in a strict cliché Polynesian Christian home. I had planned to save myself for marriage, but the value I had placed on sex disintegrated with each cousin who shared their story of abuse with me. I didn’t wait for someone special, and I didn’t care, as long as I made the choice. In hindsight, it was an uneducated choice that shook me. I wasn’t prepared for everything that came after. I didn’t know that you should empty your bladder

16 16

Encouraging Cultural talk on Sex / Breaking Cultural Chains

The culture I was embedded into evolved around the four values of Faka’apa’apa (mutual respect), Lototõ (humility and generosity), Mamahi’i me’a (Loyalty) and Tauhi vaha’a (maintaining relationships). ‘Ofa (love) is the firm foundation of these standing pillars. These were a few of the many lessons I was taught, but sex was never one of them.

But this is not what kept me within the boundaries. It was the fear of what was going on around me. The lack of sex education by our community, influenced the increasing numbers of teenage pregnancy, sexual harassments and rape while growing up. This was something that was hidden under the blanket of shame while life carried on for most.

‘Sex’—such a tapu (taboo) topic, well at least where I’m from. It was always clear what the Bible said about sex. The popular notion of ‘sex before marriage is a sin’ was known to everyone in the village. I was probably too young to understand, or perhaps the church didn’t explain in depth the purpose of why God only allowed it for two people under holy matrimony.

High school mamas being kicked out of school, vulnerable individuals surrounded by sexual harassment from older persons, and not being able to fight this was an ongoing shock for me. Despite all this, the response by the community was what I despised the most. The cycle of quietly condemning individuals because of participating in sexual activities was loud, even if you were a victim to it. The church and schools were not ready to refuge young mothers because of the public image it would portray of supporting teen-pregnancy.

Sex education was not an option in school, in the community and was an uncomfortable conversation that even our parents would not hold us accountable to. I was blessed to have a mother with strong and determinative characteristics. Although she did not touch the sex topic, she never failed to express that my worth came from respecting myself first, and prioritising that relationship with God. This was her way of telling me to focus on school, no boys and in her own words “no monkey business!”.

Fugalaau Mafi

CW: sexual violence

Breaking Cultural Chains

I strongly reject generalising the ‘church’ to every Christian faith community, but I do acknowledge that this is happening today in my society, and most likely in the Pasifika community as well.

Recently moving to New Zealand, and being open to sex education provided by the University and Arise Church, has really opened my eyes to see the obstacles and boundaries my culture had in negating to resolve the issues around sex. I’m not saying that my culture as a whole is a problem, but we should not be reluctant to have our youths and young adults educated about sex. These conversations being tapu is now something we should move past, and allow our parents and communities to understand the big difference it would make to teach their children the importance of sex.

Taking into account all the basic needs of consent, safety, emotional relations and responsibilities.

Growing as a Christian under Arise Church has really answered a lot of my faith-based questions about sex. Witnessing the church publicly and boldly preach the purpose of God’s gift in sex has been such a life changing experience. Instead of hiding behind closed corners, we are not fearful of being judged. The support from the church allows us to come as we are in courage, knowing we are open to grace, forgiveness, and love (‘ofa), the ground on which all the values I was taught are built on. www.salient.org.nz

17

NEED A NEW STUDY BUDDY?

18

Dear Pacific Soul Verse 1: Early morning invasions, Power swept in, propose accusations Left with inferior, no criteria, hurt and pain Never once, you acknowledge, Phosphate, deep soil fertilization, Left with inferior, no criteria, hurt and pain Bridge: Would an apology make it better?

Or do we write a letter? so justice can serve again Can we learn from time? How do we punish a crime? let’s do better, holding our head high Chorus: Dear Pacific Soul, We don’t have to fit the mold, Dear Pacific Soul, Stand together, take you place, be bold!

Crafted on our skin, we’re fearless deep within, Dear Pacific soul Crafted on our skin, we’re fearless deep within Dear Pacific soul Verse 2: Nuclear test on the islands, Did you think? What would become of our nations?

Left with inferior, no criteria, hurt and pain Never once, you acknowledge, Phosphate, deep soil fertilization, Left with inferior, no criteria, hurt and pain Bridge: Would an apology make it better?

Or do we write a letter? so justice can serve again Can we learn from time? How do we punish a crime?

Let’s do better, holding our head high Chorus: Dear Pacific Soul, We don’t have to fit the mold, Dear Pacific Soul, Stand together, take you place, be bold!

Crafted on our skin, we’re fearless deep within, Dear Pacific Soul Crafted on our skin, we’re fearless deep within Dear Pacific soul

Dear Pacific Soul www.salient.org.nz Song Link: https://soundcloud.com/user-935740880/dear-pacific-soul

19

20

Art from Emáni Sefilino

21

Pasifika at University “Ohana means family, family never gets left behind or forgotten” For any Islander, this is true. Family means everything and it comes in a package-deal with culture and responsibility. The three most complicated words to a Pasifika. But what does that have to do with us being here at university? Well, everything. If you were to ask any Pasifika student you know this question: “Why are you studying?” I can guarantee you that family will be in their answer. Why? Well just ask them lol.

Just to give you a fair idea or definition of family, it is not just your average parents, grandparents, and siblings. It involves the whole lot, for instance, your dad’s third cousins family to your mum’s aunty on her dad’s side (that you may not even know), and even going beyond that. Distant or close, no one gets left behind or forgotten.

Pasifika Students will always put their families first in everything. It is a form or motivation that can drive and lead our way of thinking when we do things. You don’t want your family to be the talk of the town in embarrassing news, therefore we strive for the best to make our families proud.

“Family means everything but that also means responsibility and culture.”

As students, we can say the struggle in university is real, but being Pasifika the load gets heavier. In general, our goal is to provide a decent and better standard of living for our families, and in addition to that we also have that responsibility to our church, our youth groups, our community, our people and putting others, needs above ours. It does sound like we do not have a choice to opt out and that is the sad truth, because most of the time we can’t. But that’s the thing, we do it anyway, out of love for our parents, friends, and family,

knowing the sacrifices and the work they had to go through just to make life better for us. In saying this, we can hear people say, “ohh unlucky youse” or “that is life” or “what makes your struggle as important as others’” or “broo, we are all going through the same thing”. Yes! We can understand your dispute and we are not asking for sympathy but merely just asking that you understand where we are coming from and what it means to be Pasifika.

“Trying to balance life’ and ‘Finding solidarity through the struggle” Being in Victoria or any university for that matter, is a privilege. Majority of us are the first in our families to reach university and this makes every island family ecstatic and proud. Even if it takes 8 to 10 years to complete a degree. It sounds funny but behind those 8 years are untold stories of our struggle.

Many of us students are trying to balance life at uni, working part-time jobs to try and earn money for the family, to get our sisters shoes so that they can play netball and enough for mom and dad for misinale (church giving event) plus that student loan and also dedicate our time to other

commitments like church, youth groups, sports etc. Often we come across times where we feel like giving up but somehow we have the courage to carry on.

It is definitely a struggle to try and balance that life between studying and our commitment to home. We are bound to the responsibility we have to upholding and lifting our family, our culture, our beliefs, and that is what makes us Pasifika. But that is the thing, we study to give back to our family, even if it takes us eight years to do so. Again, we are not asking for sympathy but merely just asking that you understand what it means to be Pasifika.

“Grateful…”

We are very fortunate to be here at Victoria University of Wellington though. The support given to us Pasifika students is far beyond what we expected. I mean with this Pasifika Week Festival celebration coming up damn. (we would like to see Auckland do this lol). Pasifika Students Success team and staff and Pasifika Students’ Council has made life at university less complicated. Their support for us Pasifika Students is amazing and we can say that they have truly contributed to our successes today. We will forever be grateful. Peace!

Much Alofa, M&O

22

Pasifika at University / Identity and History

Identity and History.

TK Frances

“If you know your history then you would know where you’re coming from” - Bob Marley 1993 (Buffalo Soldier).

I was born in Suva, Fiji in the year 2000 and was brought up in a Methodist household. I identify as an I-taukei (indigenous to Fiji). I hail from the Islands of Lau and Vanua-Levu but lived in Suva most of my life. Speaking and understanding the I-taukei language was not a problem because it was how we communicated daily. While growing up, I was taught the basics—primarily, God first, ‘Tulou’ is a respectful expression commonly used around the house, elders always ate first, Saturdays and holidays are for chores (the words relaxation and vacation do not exist in the Fijian Mother dictionary), Sunday school was mandatory and ‘Rourou’ (taro leaves) cooked in coconut cream is something you cannot run away from (no matter how much I hated it when I was younger, I miss it now) and many more.

Suva Catholic education was my primary and secondary educator. Catholic education complemented my Christian faith, and my faith grew. In my second last year of high school - I was thrown into an all-girls Government boarding school, situated in the rural area (far away from my familiar spots). It is amazing how I look back now to what I learned in boarding school. Being away from home was one, learning to be more independent and patient. Secondly, there were times when there would be no water on Sunday mornings, and we had to fetch water from the nearby streams and be ready for before the morning church service. Being in that situation teaches you to not make an excuse for your circumstances but to have endurance and discipline, something that you cannot learn in classrooms but through situations in life. Patience, endurance, and discipline were what I managed to develop and conform to during high school and was even practised after that.

The values that were instilled in me ever since I was a kid and growing up, I still take with me today. It can be quite challenging and frustrating at times, especially coming from a conservative society and moving to a more liberated environment – just having to decide which path to take and

how to live my life. Being away from home for too long can get to me at times, there are times when I would catch myself going astray. Doing things that would make my Nau (grandmother) upset and call me ‘siosio’ (an expression that elders often use towards disobedient children). Things like weighing up the options of whether to attend my 9 am lecture or to sleep in and watch the VStream recording (which never happens). Moving abroad and living alone has so much freedom compared to living with family back home. Going out on a Saturday night and having a hangover the next day is not an excuse to not go to church on a Sunday morning. I can just hear my mother’s voice in my head saying, “yadra mai! tou lai lotu, lako lai vakatutusa ena matani Kalou” meaning “wake up and get ready for church, go and confess your sins from last night.” My reflection period is often calm, and it consists of regular phone calls with mom and dad­—just playing the role of my gods on this earth, reminding me of how far I have come and that at the end of the day I am still a ‘“gone ni taukei’” (I-taukei daughter) therefore still knowing who I am and not taking on other traits that may dampen my character and identity.

What makes me I-taukei is what I was built on. First, God being the centre in the hearts of my people therefore making my faith a priority in my life. Speaking and understanding the language and learning how to pray in my mother tongue.

Being knowledgeable of the traditions and cultural practices to complement my worth of being identified as an I-taukei.

Knowing my values and worth as a valued I-taukei daughter and pursuing what is best expected of me. It sounds like challenging work already, having to match up to the standards set forth by your elders especially being an island born baby. But then again, I am privileged to be born and bred 679 #SHHUVAABAABY. One thing that we can connect with is the concept of identity and how we each perceive it. History plays a significant role in what we are today. In my perspective, what birthed us, bred us, and taught us hard lessons is what establishes the person we are today thus preparing us for the future. www.salient.org.nz

23

From Vic to the Universe Josephine Lagi Josephine Lagi is VUW Pasifika Alumna who completed a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics and Information Systems in 2020. Josephine now works for the New Zealand High Commission in the Solomon Islands.

What made you choose to study at VUW?

What services did you utilise the most and why?

When I was researching for my preferred study programme I looked through all of the universities including cities in New Zealand and I came across VUW in Wellington. Getting to read more about Wellington and the University’s School of Business and Government already made me want to come and study there. I chose VUW because my preferred programme will be well complemented with the environment I will be studying in, the centre of policy making and decision making in New Zealand. Another reason was that Wellington is just a small city so coming from a very small community I can be able to adjust to the people and culture.

The Wellington International and Pasifika Student Success (PSS) have been my main point of contact throughout my university life. I have spent most of my time at uni emailing, visiting and/or studying at their study spaces. They have both supported me as an international student and Pasifika student studying and living away from home.

Were your expectations met?

Yes! I loved my time at Victoria University, from the student support services, cultural clubs involvement, learning opportunities, people and culture to longlasting friendships made. I am so grateful to have attended university in Wellington.

How did you navigate Victoria as a Pasifika student?

I am forever grateful for the support network that I built overtime during my study years, my friends, Wellington Solomon Islands Community family, and not forgetting my Pasifika āiga (Melanesian wantoks, PSC, and the BEST Pasifika Student Success Team). Through this network of support, I managed to successfully complete my study at Victoria.

24

From Vic to the Universe

What I love about PSS are that they are my Pasifika wantoks, and are always open and available to support me and my Pasifika brothers and sisters.

I have used other services like Student Learning for my essays and study/time management skills, Wellington International as an international student, CareerHub for CV and interview support, and Mauri Ora for health and well-being support. I am really grateful for all of them for their support.

Do you feel like you were adequately supported as a Pasifika student? Why or why not?

As a Pasifika student coming from the islands, yes!

All of the university support services that I have had during my time at Vic were excellent! I haven’t experienced any difficulty accessing the lecturers, tutors, facilities, and student support services.

What changes would you like the uni to make?

What are some study tips that worked for you?

For me I have enjoyed and appreciated everything about uni, but the only thing that I would like to see is more representation of Pasifika students in the high level decision making body of the uni. Whether it be to sit in any meetings, I just want us to have a seat at the table and be represented.

I have 3 study tips that work for me:

What did you like about VUW and studying in Wellington?

There are a lot of things I love about VUW and Wellingtton. It is just great, I love the study environment, facilities and the student support services available for all, especially the Wansolwara study space as it the warmest place you can find around uni as Aunty E always say. Wellington city is my second home, I have grown to love the place, people and culture. It is most and easy to walk around, even with the hills and THE ever changing weather, I still love it!

1) Always have a good study plan.

It took me 1 and half years to be fully devoted to my study timetable and have seen that it really improved my performance. I do my assignments and tutorials, and submitted them on time, which really improves my wellbeing too.

2) Read before and after lecture & tutorials.

In this way you are doing yourself a very good job of not having to cram later or pull consistent all-nighters, whereas if you have done your pre-readings and postreading you wouldn’t drain yourself.

3) Don’t be shy to ask for help.

We do not have all the answers and you never know, everyone around you is just going through same struggle of being a student. So when you are in doubt about anything, study or life, please seek help.

Where are you now? (Where has you hard work lead you to?)

I am now working at the New Zealand High Commission in Honiara, Solomon Islands as the Research and Communications Officer. I’m already 6 months into my job and I am enjoying and learning as I go. It’s such a timely blessing for me as I received this role right after I completed my study. And I am grateful to Wellington International, Pasifika Student Success Team.

Photo: Josephine Lagi

Interviews with Alumni www.salient.org.nz

25

Joanah Ngan-Woo and Monica Tagoai Photo: Joanah Ngan-Woo We asked Black Ferns Joanah Ngan-Woo and Monica Tagoai questions submitted by you! Joanah graduated from Vic Uni with a Bachelor of Arts in social policy and education and a masters of international relations. Monica was playing for the Ferns while studying Pacific Studies, Samoan Studies and Education; She is currently studying her Masters .

What are your Pacific ties?

What was your favourite or most memorable game?

J: I am Samoan from Salelologa and Saleula and would say I have strong ties to Samoa and try to go back every chance I get.

J: OOoOooO this is a hard one probably my debut for the Black Ferns in San Diego against USA it was sooo much fun and I finally got to play alongside some legends of the game that I had only played against in the Farah Palmer Cup, it was also amazing to have my parents there to watch it live as well.

M: I am a proud Samoan Do veggies belong in Chop Suey?

J: Not really buuuut I’ll still eat it

M: My most memorable game would be my debut for the Black Ferns over in the states 2018. Playing against the USA women’s rugby team.

M: No way!

What words of encouragement can you offer our Pasifika students, (who are in many different schools of study)?

J: Probably to be proud of being Pasifika and knowing that Pasifika people have so much to offer and whether you are the only brownie in the room or if the class is full of brownies, to own it and to know that it is ok and not care or feel pressured because of it.

M: You are more than capable of achieving many things!

Use your Pasifika gifts to your advantage and run it with it!

Three words to describe what it was like to studying and playing at the level of rugby you did?

J: Well I was also working three part time jobs while studying and playing and training for rugby soooo in three words: on the go.

M: Passion, Tears, Sacrifice

26

From Vic to the Universe

Thoughts on how Rugby could be improved? You demonstrate well how Pacific Women are boss at multitasking, (studying or completing a degree, while playing professionally), how do/did you balance all the different responsibilities you have?

J: I mean women’s rugby is growing and hopefully we see a Super Rugby womens next year which would be amazing. I had to be suuuper organised to balance everything in uni i.e. work, assignments, training, sleep, making time for friends and family so sticking to a schedule is what really got me through and making the most of the time I had. Also would say it’s important to enjoy what you do because instead of feeling drained you actually look forward to it. I love rugby so it’s not something I dread to train for and I also enjoyed what I was studying so that definitely makes it easier. Staying present in the moment is also important rather than constantly thinking of what is next.

Photo: Monica Tagoai How do you feel about the perception that Pacific people are “only good for sports”?

J: Hmmm well I don’t like that perception at all, I experience it a lot when people purely see me as a rugby player when in fact I have two degrees and work as an analyst at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet so wouldn’t say that perception of Pacific people is fair at all.

M: They obviously don’t know us well enough to know that we are more capable of many things! We may be known for our pretty tan skin and our athleticism but we can also kick ass in the classroom!

How did you get into Rugby?

Did you get more allowance for deadlines? i.e “Can I have an extension? I am representing the nation in a game that New Zealanders hold dear”?

J: Started playing in Year 9 at St Catherine’s college and haven’t stopped since, loved everything about it and the J: Just in times where I had multiple due dates on the teams and did an exchange to France to play and go to same day and if I was away travelling I would signal early to my lecturer that I have some clashes and get a school over there for 6 months which was cool too. few extensions here and there which they were super M: snuck to HOBM women’s preseason training this one accommodating and algood about, also if I knew I was away somewhere on a tournament for that weekend I time with my friend from church hahaha (Dad didn’t would make sure I handed in my assignment early so I allow me to play rugby because he thought I was too didn’t have to worry about anything. small and wanted me to focus on netball).

Worst injury?

J: Couply concussions and a niggly ankle injury M: 2019 I fractured my tibia and fibula I’m now stuck with a metal rod in my left leg

M: No I didn’t, I sat my exam in France the exact same time and day here in New Zealand. My team was super supportive with my studies.

Best club you have played for?

J: Ories aka Otide aka Oriental-Rongotai

Favourite thing about being a Pasifika rugby star?

M: MARIST ST PATS BABY J: I don’t really see myself as a star (lol) but I do hold my Pasifika heritage close to my heart and take it in everything I do whether it’s on the rugby field, in professional settings or at home, I really don’t believe in leaving your culture at the door.

I have a sister who wants to play but my family are prioritising school, any words of advice?

How proud is your family?

J: Super proud (I think), they support me in everything I do whether I make it or I don’t and are the backbone to my life and we celebrate the small wins and the big ones.

M: Proud to never stop praying for me

J: Amazing! I’d just say if she could show that she can manage both, of course school is important but there is enough time in the day to go to training and still make sure homework and school stuff are done as well and maybe helping her navigate manage her time and showing the fam that everything is under control M: Tell her to change their mind. Prove them wrong, show them that she can get a degree and kick ass on the rugby field! www.salient.org.nz

27

Q + A with our Pasifika Politicians Barbara Edmonds is the current Labour MP for Mana after winning her seat in the 2020 elections as part of Labour’s majority Government. Agnes Loheni was a Member of Parliament for the National party in the last Parliament and stood for Māngare in the last election.

Barbara Edmonds

Agnes Loheni

28

Q + A with our Pasifika Politicians

How has being of Pacific Island decent both strengthened and challenged you in your professional sphere?

Barbara: I am Samoan. My parents came to Aotearoa in the mid-70s like most migrant families for a better education for their children. Although you don’t value it as a child growing up, as an adult with my own children I reflect on their challenges—coming with barely anything, setting up homes in foreign land, working for low wages, dealing with racism and classism, all the while raising their own families and supporting their families back in the islands. There is so much intergenerational strength in this story alone and for me it not only inspires me but keeps me firmly rooted to the privilege that I have received off the sweat of my parents and families. I am constantly reminded that as a child, a first generation child of the Pacific wave here in Aotearoa, that I have to challenge and navigate the system so that our parents and the next generation can benefit off those sacrifices. Professionally this practically means I must use my voice to speak for our families when developing policy.

Agnes: I have always been raised to be proud of my Samoan heritage. Faith in God and the strength of family have been fundamental in getting me through tough and challenging times. We did not have much money when I was growing up. We lived in a crowded three-bedroom state house with extended family. My parents, sisters, and I slept together in one bedroom.

The only language spoken was Samoan, and the only book in the house was a bible. I look back on those times and I never recall feeling cold or hungry. Today I would have been characterised as a child raised in poverty, and yet I would say that I had a wonderful childhood. It was a strict but loving household where my parents ensured my sisters and I focused on getting a good education. My father always told us that we could be whatever we wanted to be. My parents provided me with a home environment that allowed me to excel at school. I’ve always wanted to make my parents proud because I knew the sacrifices that they were making for us. I went to university and completed a

Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree. Growing up, and professionally, I have come across the soft bigotry of low expectations—where people or organisations have deemed to make a pathway or option easier for me because of my race/colour of my skin. I find this insulting; I don’t want special treatment as it devalues my own abilities. My proud, hardworking Samoan parents have never asked for special treatment, and they would never expect that I should get any either because they simply believe that I can do whatever I put my mind to.

Favourite food to eat associated with the Pacific Islands?

Barbara: OMG too much to pick from. I can never refuse oka or luau

Pacific MPs, we ensured that Te Anau was included. So there is no disconnection.

Agnes: I wouldn’t say there is a disconnection – I generally got on with all Pacific MPs but being ‘Pacific’ doesn’t mean we have had the same lived experience or share the same values. Generally we all want better outcomes for our Pacific communities but we are in different political parties because we generally don’t agree on the pathway to get there.

Do veggies belong in Chop Suey?

Barbara: Leai/kao/no!

Agnes: Definitely no to veggies in Chop Suey

Are there any misconceptions the general public hold Agnes: My favourite Samoan dish is faiai elegi cooked in of Pacific people that you would like to address? coconut cream (preferably umu style) accompanied with baked green bananas.

Barbara: I’ve addressed it above. We are diverse—a one size fits all model for Pāsifika does not necessarily work.

What words of encouragement can you offer our Pasifika students, (who are in many different schools of stuff)?

Agnes: Some people think Pacific MPs are only there to advocate for Pacific People in Aotearoa. Pacific MPs Barbara: Figure out your purpose for study and use bring diversity of thought and lived experience. This that to drive you when you are tired at 2:00am in the input helps improve policies for all New Zealanders not morning and have an assignment due that morning at just Pacific.

10am. When I fell pregnant in my second year of law school, I could have stopped. But my husband and I Did you always want to become an MP? agreed that continuing my education was an investment in our family’s future. So I continued to study and have Barbara: No. My thoughts to become an MP only really babies. I completed my joint degrees in six years. By the became a “thing” in early 2020. time I finished my Law and Arts degrees, we had four children and was pregnant with number five. I couldn’t Agnes: No. Up until just before the 2017 election I had fail as my family depended on me passing. I was a much never ever wanted to be an MP. Politics had never even better student because of my children —they drove me been on my radar growing up. on those hard nights.

If you were to go down a different career path, where Agnes: I’m a mother of five children and my two eldest would it take you? are at university right now. This is a mantra that I’m often saying to them: “You can be whatever you want Barbara: Definitely medicine. There is always a need to be.. Forget about what other people may say or think for Pacific practitioners in the field of medicine. And it’s about you. You’re way more than you think. Stand up something that if I won a significant amount in Lotto, I and do something difficult and heroic. Don’t be a victim. would do by choice.

Focus on working hard and taking on more responsibility because that’s where life has meaning”.

Agnes: I am a married mother of five children. I am a business owner. I am a qualified Chemical Engineer. I have been a Member of Parliament. I have also done Is there a disconnection between yourself, and other a myriad of jobs and roles in my lifetime as well as Pacific MP in opposition parties? Or does the bond of volunteered to serve my church and my kids schools. hailing from the region encourage connection?

The path has not gone as I had planned but I don’t regret any of it. I have gained purpose and meaning from Barbara: The only other Pacific MP in Parliament every job I’ve done no matter how small or menial. currently (other than our 10 in Labour) is Te Anau Tuiono from the Greens. When our Labour Pāsifika Caucus planned the Ava ceremony to welcome the new www.salient.org.nz

29

30 30

Challenges of Fa’asamoa with Depression

Challenges of Fa’asamoa with Depression This is my story about my personal struggle with fa’asamoa in NZ while dealing with depression.

The cultural aspects involved are ALOFA, LE VA and TALANOA. A-L-O-F-A: “....e ufiufi i mea uma, e talitonu i mea uma, e fa’amoemoe i mea uma, e onosa’i i me uma.

E le uma le alofa.” (1 Korinito 13: 4-8).

LE VA: The va often hinders us from talking and seeking help. However negotiating the va opens up a space and time to cherish/nurse/care for these relationships.

TALANOA: tala is to tell a story and noa, is the notion of making things that are tapu or scared ordinary. This is our space to share and tell our stories making this topic noa. Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak it is also what it takes to sit down and listen; a healing process for me.

My beautiful late mother always said to, “Always remember you are a blessing; be blessed or be a blessing to someone today.”

Taeaolelei Estelita Filo-Masoe If you need help, Le Va (https://www.leva.co.nz/) provides support and education for Pacific families and communities. www.salient.org.nz

31

Untitled Half Caste, Afakasi. Awhatahi. Names branded on my white skin. Names that don’t appear on my birth certificate. Birth certificate, the colonisation way of validation. My placenta IS my birth certificate, buried in the same whenua as my ancestors, but yet my skin is my imperfection, the reason for my rejection.

3 shades too white, 3 shades less tanned, 3 shades lesser than.

Half caste.

“But did you say no?” “But were you drunk?” “Ah don’t be silly he’s your cousin” Not ‘islander’ enough to be regarded, not ‘islander’ enough, I was discarded, yet I was islander enough to be told to harden up, get over it, a perpetuation of an age old pacific narrative, an age old plague. Swept under the moega like dirt, swept under the fala, my hurt, swept away. Too many unchecked boxes, I don’t have enough pigments. Yet I hold enough to be told it was a figment, of my imagination.The pressure and pain, drained through my arms and my eyes. These scars, like the stick maps of my ancestors, recording my currents and journeys, my trials and tribulations.

“Afakasi”, the incantation that strips me of my identity and 1,000 years of history.

“Far, you speak good Tokelauan and Samoan for an afakasi’’ My worth, determined by my skin, unworthy. Yet my white doesn’t match the ignorance of your prejudice. Half Caste. We are the fruit of migration, only seen as half breed caucasian. The cultural knowledge that I retain, the brown blood in my veins not enough to combat this white STAIN that is my skin .

Disdain for the half caste. White in skin, Pasifika by blood, by gawha, by ancestry. Proud by choice, A son of Tokelau and Samoa, and ‘Uvea, descended from historians.

Separated

by

upbringing,

united by struggle.

I AM their son. The half caste boy who dreaded sundown no longer restricted by percentages mis-representing his, lineage and claim to the honour and mamalu that is my birth right, that IS my culture, that is, Me.

32

- Hililo Savea

Culture: Above Standard Poetry

‘brutus’ and you, you grinned at me, leaving me to stand like a deer in headlights.

I didn’t know that I should have surrendered then. and you, you waved, as if to grasp my attention, my friendship, my heart.

I don’t know how to wave back anymore, my hand aches from the effort. and you, you hugged, pushing our souls together to dismiss the absence of yours, it only went undetected for so long. and you, you lied - laid with the devil, like you knew him by name, and could call for him all the same. ‘et tu’, I mustered out, turning around to pull the knife out, my hands covered in my own blood.

I drew a last breath - ‘brutus’.

- Alyssa Fa’afua

www.salient.org.nz

33

DEAR IDENTITY, ‘ILO’ANGA, KINAKIM

For some time now you’ve been hidden, Like taonga yet to be discovered Like islands that could not be mapped and histories that were not acknowledged You’ve been abused, twisted and disguised as something that you were not. ...

Each word like a Hele Pelu piercing the Uta Each word seeping into your Tapa Told to dress nicer Told that attraction, lay only within a skin lighter Told my anthem was too ruff ryder First Generational Pacifc Islander Told that to be successful, you must be.

Like the paint that is spread across the walls of my room ...

You were told that to be successful, you must be. less of you.

Now I don’t blame the people around me because most of the time there were good intentions behind it This was simply a result of colonised mindsets.

Identity.

Whether it was Anga Faka-Tonga or Te Katei Kiribati - you turned up to every class, yet there was no teacher Unable to breathe in these colonised gates Lacking social acceptance due to your different features So like my Ngatu—I hid you underneath my bed ...

Told that if you aren’t poor, struggling and down - therefore you are less brown ...

In a structure designed to educate I lost my agency to educate myself on you Like written histories that rewrote your value. ...

However, My identity does not fit this Brown, Christian narrative A narrative that derived from fiction, An inaccurate description, A black and white depiction, So allow me to write a new chapter.

‘Ilo’anga Mo’oni / Kakouan Kinakim So don’t check my passport, check my value Cause less of you identity, only meant less of me Google maps could never navigate these seas ...

So identity, May your stories be your sword May your ancestors guide your navigation May your language be your cry May your ngātu provide preservation May Te Itera be your helmet May your village be a foundation And may God be your inheritance You are unique my identity, you will never be taken

- Mosi Siosiua Kaleti Moala-Mafi

34

Poetry

Pasifika Students Associations 2021 presents:

Types of Islanders in a Pacific Wedding Pasifika Students’ Council (PSC) “that cousin that organises the whole event”

Te Fafetu o Tuvalu (Tuvalua Students Association) “ that cousin with so little but has a lot to offer”

Te Namo Te Lumanaki (Tokelau Students Association) “ that cousin that vibes without the music”

The Melanesian Students’ Association (No logo) “that cousin that you can always count on to be there when you need them”

VUSSA (Samoa Students Association) “that cousin that knows how to impress the crowd”

Kai Fiji ( Fiji Students Association) “that cousin that always brings the vibe with their music”

Stallions (Tonga Students Association) “that cousin we trust to always to say the prayer”

Pasifika Law Students’ Society (PLSS) “that cousin that handles the vows and signing of marriage in court”

VUWCIA (Cook Islands Students Association ) “that cousin that knows how to beat any kind of drum” Pacific Island Commerce Students Association (PICSA) “that cousin that we all trust to handle the money”

35

Crossword: The Pacific

36

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Victoria University Tongan Student Association (VUWTSA) Nickname 4. Dr __________ Mila, award winning poet 6. Nation located in Melanesia 8. Not naturally found in the Pacific, is cold 10. Polynesia word for ‘Fish’ 11. Island of Kiribati, mined for Phosphate by New Zealand, Australia, and the UK 15. A variation of the Māori word ‘Utaina’ 16. __________ Pasifika, the National Voice of Pasifika students in Aoteroa New Zealand’s tertiary education.

17. An island whose greeting is Noa’ia 19. A pest in some nations; its cries are seen as a bad omen 22. Polynesia word for ‘Crab’ 23. Brand of beer, named after village in Samoa 24. Samoan word for ‘Chair’ 25. “An island style broom, is often used to ______ good behaviour; synonym ‘Inspire’

1.Capital of Fiji 2. Hawaiian party or feast that is usually accompanied by entertainment 3. Gained independence from New Zealand in 1962 5. English translation of Wan Solwara 7. Capital of Tonga 8. Word for people from Kiribati 9. Polynesian word for Family 12. A country in Micronesia 13. Word for people from Tuvalu 14. Used as maps for wayfinding 18. Cook Island word for flower 20. Hawaiian word for edible underwater plant; seaweed 21. Tokelauan word for house

Puzzles

Skuxdoku

Word of the Week

“Sea” Te Reo Māori moana New Zealand Sign language

Last Weeks Solution

www.salient.org.nz

37

D Aries

Taurus

Gemini

No Saturday night KBar karaoke for you this week! Gotta make sure you’re at church on Sunday. A special connection will be formed at your next service ;) #GodIsGood

This month is A LOT for you. You’re juggling uni, family, church, associs, relos and work. Your closest friends will become the pou that keep you together. Trust them and keep them close - you got this fam!

As a social butterfly you definitely have no trouble finding new friends, but the stars see a special someone changing your life soon. Keep an eye out for a mullet and #2 on the sides ;)

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

Your caring nature means you’ve given a lot of time to others recently.

The universe wants you to treat yourself to a night out. Put the puletahas away and get out that $40 glassons dress that’s been in your wardrobe all year!

Leos! LIVING for your energy fam.

Keep doing yo thang and God will provide the rest #AllTheTime

The stars say you’d benefit from a little pampering soon. How about you go crazy and book yourself in for an adventure! I hear the Cook Islands are great this time of year ;)

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Uh oh! You will be called out in the near future for some not-so-proud moments. Not to worry - if you’ve survived a Pasi household growing up, you should be well-equipped for this! #NevaFold #NahStayHumbleOi

Scorpions will be feeling a little frisky this month. Try to resist the urge to yell “LESSGOO” at the Boston Bartender this weekend ok.

Scorpions will be feeling a little frisky this month. Try to resist the urge to yell “LESSGOO” at the Boston Bartender this weekend ok.

Capricorn

Aquarius

Pisces

Your hyena laugh is infectious and you needa keep being you. The people around you need those party vibes so make them match your energy!

Aquarius, stop giving advice to others when you can’t even juggle the 4 uni courses, 5-8pm culture practices and 18 hour work shifts you’re packin. Focus on yourself first. Do some self-love and selfreflection, okur.

Listen friend, the stars can see that you’re going through it. Chin up cause there’s light at the end of every tunnel and the end of yours is so close! Akamaroiroi!

38

Columns : To be Frank Horoscopes

www.salient.org.nz

The Team Editors

Sally Ward & Matthew Casey editor@salient.org.nz

Design & Illustration Padraig Simpson designer@salient.org.nz

Sub Editor Jamie Clarke

Social Media & Web Manager Kane Bassett and Brittany Harrison

Podcast Manager

Francesa Georgia Pietkiewicz podcasts@salient.org

Cover

Maryann Olive Penn Eleanor Tausilua Penn

Centrefold Emáni Sefilino

Guest Editors

PSC2021 President: Edwina Harris Vice-President: Siuola Vaipuna Secretary: Jayelle Pelasio Treasurer: Felisa Lini Vice-Treasurer: Neemia Malele Academic Officer: Aaron Itinteang Vice-Academic: Kavish Desai Welfare Officer: Ruby Sei Public Relation Officer: Siana Whatara

Contributors

Malia Poole Felisa Mulini Lini Freya Scott Grace Paie Malachi Feterika Maurice Tupua-Wilson Edwina Harris Fugala’au Mafi Ao Brown Centrefold - Emáni Sefilino TK Frances Taeaolelei Estelita Filo-Masoe Hililo Savea Alyssa Faafua Mosi Siosiua Kaleti Moala-Mafi Siana Whatarau

Find Us

fb.com/salientmagazine IG @salientgram Twitter @salientmagazine www.salient.org.nz

www.salient.org.nz www.salient.org.nz

39

Pasifika Week

26 - 31 July

2021

Monday Pasifika Week Launch +Wan Solwara Magazine Launch +Pasifika Exhibition Opening 6pm, Atrium. Te Aro Campus Tuesday Pasifika Hangout (PSC) 12pm, RHM202. Pipetea Campus Wednesday Pasifika Movie Night 6pm, Memorial Theatre, Kelburn Campus Thursday Pasifika Cultural Night 6pm, The Hub. Kelburn Campus Friday Pasifika Market 10am - 4pm, The Hub. Kelburn Campus Saturday Battle of the Tribes (PSC) 10am. Kelburn Park

40