1923 -British Samoa (postcard)
Life in a 'fale' such as that pictured in this old postcard has changed for many Pacific people. For others who settled in Aotearoa New Zealand from the 1940s and who now are survived by their second, third and fourth generation descendants, such a home would be viewed as idyllic and sadly today a tourist experience that one pays for. In November 2003 my sister Pou, Karen Palupe and I developed 'Pacific Woman's Month' with the assistance of Manukau City Council and a citation was issued by Sir Barry Curtis in honour of our Pacific Woman of The Year. In 2004 we moved the Pacific celebration of women to March and renamed it PACIFIC PEOPLES MONTH to coincide with the Pasifika festival and the Polyfest that was held in the same month. Oddly enough the great powers of Auckland introduced Celebrate Pasifika in 2005 and while others might claim that it was their novel idea, we can sincerely claim that the month long celebration of things Pacific was first made public by 1st PACIFIC. Now don't think you've entered the complaints corner, let's just say revisionist history likes stating the truth. I like to entertain the notion that all good Pacific ideas come from south Auckland .., and ain't that the truth!!!
We can now safely claim that Tagata Pasifika (refer Wikipedia) is a reference to Pacific peoples and/or their descendants who have made Aotearoa New Zealand their home. Although genealogical connections may exist with one or many of the islands scattered through out the Pacific Ocean, Tagata Pasifika are unique in their claim of Aotearoa New Zealand as their homeland. Celebrating 'things Pacific' represents an acknowledgement of the special relationship that New Zealand has with the Pacific region and the necessity to continue working in partnership with Tagata Pasifika to improve the socio-economic, socio-cultural and socio-political statistics of the emerging Tagata Pasifika youth population.
Celebrating Pasifika is more than bright colours, frangipani prints or coconut splashed bodies performing on stage. It is also a month for Pacific people's to truly assess themselves against the rest of the nation and to strategise how to become leaders in all spheres of Aotearoa New Zealand. This is home.
