Coco Talanoa — Coco News / Page 19

With the announcement of a snap lockdown at Alert Level 4 by Prime Minister  Jacinda Ardern, people should feel reassured that the government is making the  right decision, says Dr Collin Tukuitonga.  

The sudden announcement comes after a positive Covid-19 Delta community  case in Auckland. The 58-year-old man who tested positive is from Devonport  but travelled to the Coromandel last weekend while unaware. The government  has made the decision for all of New Zealand to move to Alert Level 4 for three  days, while the period for Auckland and the Coromandel is seven days.  

Officials have confirmed five positive Covid-19 Delta cases to date and are  working quickly to trace any and every possible lead. 

Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) member Dr Tukuitonga stresses that the  severity of the Delta variant should not be taken lightly as it is the most  transmissible variant of Covid-19. 

“It’s much more infectious. One case of delta could infect up to 9 people and  then those 9 would infect another 9.…more

Over 3000 kiwis visitors are currently in Rarotonga, where the Cook Islands have gone into Alert Level 2. 

The government made a swift public announcement following New Zealand’s Level 4 decision last night, rolled out Level 2 measures and a fast and effective Covid testing regime around the island this morning. 

All passengers that were in flights from Aug 11th are being asked to isolate in their accommodation and get Covid tested at the many stations set up overnight around the island. This process included an efficient drive through service with well trained local staff at the ready. 

With the current barometer for Island Covid 19 being Fiji, the fear of the virus hitting the smaller Island of Rarotonga is uppermost on the minds of health workers and some locals: 

“We are worried but all we can do is the best we can in the current situation, we have had two years of practice and we have put it into action. We have a system in place and are confident and we know what to do.…more

Story collated and written by Haitelenisia Afemui ‘Uhila Angilau for her 'Ordinary Tongan Lives' facebook page

“It’s just me and my little sister. I’m older. We were left with our grandparents after birth because our parents separated. They weren’t married so we were born out of wedlock. I attended GPS Longolongo then passed my class 6 exam to Tonga High. There, I joined sports from form 1 to 4 but I wasn’t really good at it. I was into my friends too much that I failed in form 4. I had another chance to repeat but I moved to Queen Sālote College. Early when form 5 started, I got kicked out of school. Then I moved to Tailulu. I think I devalued myself thinking I didn’t have what other kids have. Instead of using my background as motivation, it became an excuse to put myself down.

There’s this one time we went to play soccer and our team lost. Some of the spectators called me to come out as I didn’t score anything.…more

“A true activist does what they do because of their profound love for their people” 

For the Pasifika women who spoke out despite all their life challenges in the Dawn Raids era - this was the mantra.

If you google image search the Polynesian Panthers the first rows of images to pop up are all images of men. You’ll be lucky to find an image of a female panther in those first few scrolls, but what is seen in the images is not always depictive of reality. Women played a vital role in the Polynesian Panther Party and laid a foundation to which their male counterparts were able to stand on.

One of the pivotal female Panthers who dedicated her life to social justice and collective liberation was Dr. Melani Anae. In fact, to this day Dr. Melani continues to work as a Polynesian Panther and has famously said the phrase “once a Panther always a Panther”. Dr.…more

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care has been holding its first ever Pacific Investigation hearing into abuse in care of Pacific people in this country.  The enquiry has looked at abuse of Pacific people in both state and faith-based institutions between 1950 and 1999.

The name of the enquiry is Tulou - Our Pacific Voices: Tatala e Pulonga', held at the Fale o Samoa in Māngere and had been open to the public from Monday 19th through to the 30th July 2021.…more

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care held its first ever Pacific Investigation hearing into abuse in care of Pacific people in this country.  The enquiry looked at abuse of Pacific people in both state and faith-based institutions between 1950 and 1999.

The name of the enquiry is Tulou - Our Pacific Voices: Tatala e Pulonga', held at the Fale o Samoa in Māngere and was open to the public from Monday 19th through to the 30th July 2021. The scope of the hearing can be read here  

Although this particular hearing has closed, the Pacific Investigation team will continue to gather more information and witness statements from other abuse survivors, gather more stories and weave them together with their recommendations to be submitted to the government.  The process will take at least another two years. 

"We acknowledge that there are many other Pacific survivors out there that have not been able to come forward because of barriers such as shame and stigma.…more

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care is currently holding its first ever Pacific Investigation hearing into abuse in care of Pacific people in this country.  The enquiry is looking at abuse of Pacific people in both state and faith-based institutions between 1950 and 1999.…more

Three young islanders reflect on the intergenerational benefit of the healing that will hopefully come out of The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. 

Survivors of abuse from the Pacific community have been giving evidence statements before the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry at a public hearing at the Fale Samoa in Māngere.  The inquiry has come with various first-hand accounts of mental, emotional and physical abuse inflicted by state care. The enquiry is looking at abuse of Pacific people in both state and faith-based institutions between 1950 and 1999.

Statements from the hearing have been made available for the public and over the past week the Pacific community have expressed their utmost respect for those who have come forward to give their statements.

Young Pacific Islands have acknowledged the value of the hearing not only for the generation of those in the Inquiry, but also for the generation of young Pasifika in Aotearoa who have carried the weight of intergenerational Trauma.…more

"The Reverend made me an alter girl after the first time he abused me in his home. As an alter girl, I had to go early to the church on Sundays to help him put on his robes. He used this as an opportunity to sexually abuse me again.  

The abuse happened only once in the church, and it happened after the third time that he had abused me in his home. The next time he asked me to come in early, I ran away from my home to avoid having to go. I began running away often, and I never went back to that church." 

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The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care is currently holding its first ever Pacific Investigation hearing into abuse in care of Pacific people in this country.  The enquiry is looking at abuse of Pacific people in both state and faith-based institutions between 1950 and 1999.…more

Ahead of the New Zealand governments Dawn Raid apology this week, we take a look at The Polynesian Panthers and their political and social justice movement.  Their call for an apology came as part of their 50th anniversary commemorations.

Who were the Polynesian Panthers?

The Polynesian Panther Party (PPP) was a revolutionary social justice movement formed to target racial inequalities carried out against indigenous Māori and Pacific Islanders in Auckland, New Zealand. Founded by a group of young Polynesians on 16 June 1971, the Panthers worked to aid in community betterment through activism and protest, education, legal aid, and other social resources.

What was the Polynesian Panthers Party’s ties to the Black Panthers?

The Polynesian Panthers were explicitly influenced by the American Black Panther Party, particularly  African-American revolutionary Huey Newton’s policy of Black unity through his global call-to-action. Huey Newton was a co-founder of the Black Panther Party with Bobby Seale.…more