Roman Reigns just won the Main Event at Wrestlemania 33!
Coco congrats to Samoan wrestler Leati Joseph Anoa'i aka Roman Reigns who just took out the Main Event at Wrestlemania 33 against legendary wrestler 'The Undertaker'
We had a theory over on our Coconet Twitter page that this would be The Undertakers retirement match and Roman Reigns would be the one to retire him!
A couple of interesting facts you may not have known!
The Undertakers legendary streak started against another Pacific Island wrestling icon Jimmy "Supa Fly" Snuka when he beat Jimmy at Wrestlemania 7!
We thought it would be kind of fitting if The Undertaker was to retire after being beaten by another wrestler of Pacific Island descent - Roman Reigns!
And I guess the WWE thought the same thing!
Yuuuup we'd be smiling too Roman!
Check out the amazing Wrestling Dynasty Roman comes from ...…more
PASIFIKA - 25 Yr Anniversary
The iconic Pasifika Festival celebrated its 25th birthday last week.
With free entry, more than 220 performance groups and 60,000 visitors, Western Springs Park was transformed into 11 villages representing the different Pacific Islands and included a 25 yr anniversary showcase.
Here are some of the beautiful Pasifika faces we came across at the festival ....
Humans of The Islands - Sionlelei (Sina) Mario
Sionlelei (Sina) Mario
Assistant Programmes Officer, Commonwealth Secretariat
Rotuma, Fiji Islands
Tell us a bit about yourself - What you do / Where you're from / Your Island heritage
I hail from the beautiful islands of Fiji and I am of Rotuman descent. My parents are from the villages of Juju and Noa’tau in Rotuma, where my mother was born and raised. My biological father is Rotuman with Tavueni links and so I have a mixture of Fiji Rotuman culture and tradition. I am the second generation in Fiji, following the shift from my grandparents to seek a brighter future for the generations ahead. I was born and raised in Suva and so have always called Fiji my home.
In terms of culture, I identify myself with being a modern Fiji Rotuman and this has in turn shaped my social persona and outlook on life and those around me.…more
Adele invites Kapa Haka group on stage at Auckland show
REVIEW: ONE THOUSAND ROPES
One Thousand Ropes brings a beautiful Samoan sensibility to the big screen for the second time.
In the same way that the Orator delved into the interior of Samoa - rainforests, taro leaves and torments, One Thousand ropes looks to the interior minds of its characters - again focusing on the most vulnerable in Samoan societies - the young women.
It's a quiet meditative film that has some deep issues at its heart which are bought out in unexpected ways - the dynamic of four bakery workers, the truly terrifying aiku spirit, and the intimate skill and trust in a fofo.
There are so many nuances that speak to a Pasifika audience through the skill of the language and the symbolism of the design. But mostly because it's funny, in that way that only Samoan language and behaviors can sometimes be.
It's a movie that will give you the feels the funnies and the frights all in one.…more
PASIFIKA 2017 - Unique Food Options
Now that Pasifika goes for 2 days we thought we'd try out the food on Saturday and give you our recommendations on what to try today if you're going down for the first time or maybe you're just ready for Round 2.
We went around to each of the villages and checked out some of the unique dishes to their island or in this case Pasifika Village
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COOK ISLANDS
Tiare Events - Rukau Pie & Cook Islands Poke
"In the Cook Islands our parents feed us with the Rukau (taro leaves) - the rukau is boiled in the water and we put the coconut cream in it. When we come to New Zealand we learn from other Master Chefs and put our own twist on it. So we put the rukau into a pie.
Then poke is the over ripe banana which is boiled and then add arrowroot starch to it with Coconut Cream and bake it but not in the oven, in our underground oven - they wrap it and bake it in the umu.…more
Health Benefits of Taro Leaves
We all know Pacific Islanders love cooking & eating both taro and taro leaves but are you aware of all the amazing health benefits for the body? Both taro's root and leaves have many health benefits because it is rich in nutrients.
You can check out all the health benefits of the root here and we've listed the health benefits of the taro leaf for you below ...
From its nutrient contents, the Top 10 taro leaves benefits are as follows:
- Acts as an antioxidant to prevent cancer.
Taro leaves are rich in vitamin C which acts as an antioxidant. This helps prevent many diseases and fight against free radicals that cause cancer.
- Boosts your immune system.
Vitamin C in 1 cup of taro leaves gives you at least 86% of the daily value that your body needs. You can boost your immune system effectively with eating taro leaves.
- Keeps your eyes healthy.
Besides Vitamin C, taro leaves are rich in vitamin A. It reaches an amazing daily value of 123%.…more
A Tribute to Teresia Teaiwa
A Pasifika warrior who fought many battles for the region with the strength of her words and her infinite wisdoms has walked ahead of us.
They say that some people are larger then life, and for Teresia Teaiwa, teacher and warrior woman, the largess of her legacy will transcend her life for generations to come.
“You can't paint the Pacific with one brush stroke”
Teresia saw an interconnected Oceania and spoke much of our diversity yet the oneness of our essential vision as Pasifika people.
Described as one of Kiribati’s ‘living national icons’ Teresia was a truly cosmopolitan citizen of Oceania. Her mixed cultural roots and with her many lived experiences in the region, contributed to a wide vision of the issues, the identities and the taonga of Pasifika peoples. Of Banaban, Kiribati and African American heritage, Tere was born in Honolulu, Hawai'i and raised in Fiji.…more
CELEBRATING POLYFEST
"Brutal Street fight filmed outside Polyfest"
"Video emerges of teenage girls fighting at Polyfest"
"Girl dragged by hair in shocking Polyfest Brawl"
The coverage of Polyfest by mainstream media has always been minimal. Despite the fact that this is one of the most populated events on the annual Auckland events landscape, Polyfest the biggest festival of its kind in the WORLD is rarely mentioned in the news, in any print or online coverage.
But this year Polyfest did feature - it featured through the lens of violence and Pacific stereotyping that has always managed to characterise stories set in South Auckland.
While 100,000 Pacificans were celebrating the passion and fervour of the unique flavours of Polynesians, the media stories were fixated on 2 skirmishes outside the gates of Polyfest.
Without going into the event itself, without mention of the purpose and context of the event, but instead mention of a bunch of kids throwing punches at the traffic lights.…more
Parris Goebel choreographs new Jason Derulo video
The new Jason Derulo vid is fiiiiirrrrrrre and it must be cause of that Aotearoa touch. Choreographed by dancing queen Parris Gobel and starring RQ girls Kaea Pearce and Kirsten Dodgen