Pania Newton’s path through life has led her to find her purpose, her kaupapa: protecting Ihumātao. Home to the earliest inhabitants of New Zealand, Ihumātao is a landscape of cultural, historical, and environmental significance. Despite this, the Crown has failed to recognise its heritage values for New Zealand, allowing it to be sold for a proposed housing development.

Realising that the plan meant 480 high-cost houses on the confiscated land, Pania and her cousins created the SOUL Campaign to resist the development. Later with family members and other supporters, she has occupied the land to protect it. Looking deeply into why Ihumātao has not been recognised as heritage worthy of protection in New Zealand, SOUL has uncovered the extent of the bias toward protecting colonial built heritage over sites of indigenous significance - an issue that is seen across the world.

Here Pania tells the story of the fight to #ProtectIhumatao. From a childhood of struggle Pania never focused on the negative, but was fortunate to stay true to her Maoritanga.…more

Samoan actor Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has shown his support for the protectors of Mauna Kea, heading up there today to meet with Kaho‘okahi Kanuha, a leader in the Thirty Meter Telescope opposition group and other Hawai'ian elders.

Video above & Cover image via Star Advertiser Hawaii.  Photo credit:  Jamm Aquino 

Video above via Hawaii News Now 

Malo lava to Samoan screenwriter Sima Urale who is the recipient of the New Zealand Film Commission’s (NZFC’s) 2019 Gender Scholarship.  She will receive a grant of $50,000 to help progress her filmmaking career.

Application assessors said of Urale, “The sample script from her feature film, Solo, is breathtaking in its fine detail and slow build-up of nuanced tension. The work of an expert screenwriter at the height of her powers. The voice is original and authentic with detail that can only come from lived experience.”

Congratulations also go to Matasila Freshwater who was awarded a special grant of $15,000.

The NZFC’s annual gender scholarship award is a way of recognising and celebrating women in the filmmaking community who have displayed a high level of achievement and aims to support their career progression.…more

Hawaiʻi Congresswoman and Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard issued a video statement on Friday, urging Governor Ige to delay construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea and withdraw his emergency declaration.

Acclaimed award winning Director Ava Duvernay and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Congresswoman for NY - The Bronx and Queens) also tweeted their support with a link to the Hawaii Community Bail Fund for the 30+ elders and other protesters who have been arrested.

Read Tulsi's full statement below 

"While the legal process has determined that TMT may proceed, there are spiritual and cultural issues that have not been addressed. This is about something much greater than the TMT project — it has to do with longstanding history on Mauna Kea, broken promises, desecration of sacred land and disrespect for native culture.

To many Native Hawaiians, kamaʻāina, and malihini alike, Mauna Kea is so much more than a mountain.…more