Women's Abuse Stories - Abuse of Power
The woman I am today would have reacted with white knuckles and bared teeth. I would not have sat idle, silent and too shy/shocked/scared to speak up. I would have told him to go F*** himself.
Unfortunately, “I would have” is futile. The reality is, I was young, impressionable, unrealized and 100% at the mercy of a man who I was deceived into trusting. We all were. We all are.
Power: the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others.
The Abuse of Power: when selfish desire takes priority over the hauora of others. It can be subtle, passive or obvious.
Those with positions of status are entrusted with this power. We rely on them to be honorable, honest and trustworthy. Yet, time and time again, women are taken advantage of by these people. So how do we go about ending a cycle that is damaging the hauora of vulnerable women within our community?
My own experience with abuse of power involved classes I attended a few years ago.…more
Women's Abuse Stories - Escaping Abuse
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and it is an opportunity to shed more light on an issue that has claimed too many lives. It's also an opportunity for everyone to take a stand against domestic violence.
The following is one woman's story of abuse in the home and how church and culture played a role in preventing her escape.
"I found myself in a lawyer’s office the morning after a brutal beating. I couldn’t walk properly due to the bruising all over my legs and back. The swelling on my head was covered by a beanie. I sat there staunchly asking for help to get the abuser out of our home. The lawyer and his assistant were kind and gentle beyond all expectation and that’s where my defences crumbled and the tears flowed freely. They started the legal process that would hopefully keep me and my children safe and keep the abusive person away from our home.
A couple of days later, an Uncle and Aunty came to visit. They were Faife’au and Faletua in their church.…more
MARK HUNT - Top 5 Knockouts in the UFC
Take a look back at Mark 'The Super Samoan' Hunt's Top 5 knockouts in the UFC ...
Samoan 'Serena Williams' - Destanee Aiava wins her first pro title
Destanee Aiava is only 16 years old and shaping up to be the first Samoan Tennis Super star! Here are a few things that she’s aced already…
- February 2017 as in last week… Destanee won her first ITF women's title of her career, snatching the $25,000 prize in Perth by defeating Viktoria Kuzmova in the final, 6–1 6–1. Aiava stole the show! She served well, facing only one break point, and she broke her rival 5 times from 14 chances, more than enough for a nice and easy triumph and another milestone in her already incredible career.…more
PRIDE - PASIFIKA STORIES - Tatryanna Utanga
Tatryanna Utanga
Student/Advocate/Dancer
Cook Island
Tatryanna is currently an Arts student at the University of Auckland. She is of Cook Islands descent and is very proud of her culture. She comes from a very small family of 5 and insists that family is her number one priority.
One of her greatest accomplishments was forming the all akavaine/fafafine/fakaleiti dance group the Diamonds of Paradise. A group of young, passionate individuals coming together and showcasing their talent on an entertainment platform. Through performing and teaching her culture alongside her akavaine sisters, she discovered a new passion, to advocate for her Cook Islands and Pacific LGBTQI community.
These days she actively engages in advocacy for young people particularly those who identify as LGBTQI. Through dedication and hard work, she has enjoyed the many opportunities that has come along her way including holding the title of the reigning Miss Jewel Cook Islands 2016-2018.…more
Humans Of The Islands - Luti Richards
Luti Richards
Creative: Artist, Writer, Media, Spoken-word Poet
Tokelauan, Samoan, German
Humans Of The Islands - Rachel Laulu
Rachel Laulu
Yoga Instructor
Samoa
I grew up in Wellington in NZ, the youngest of 3 kids to a Samoan dad and Palagi mum - I identify as a TCK'er (Third culture kid) or afakasi rather than a kiwi or Samoan - I kinda fit but don't, and have always felt a sense of non-belonging and questioning of culture and myself. It’s been totally beneficial on this amazing path... being the youngest of 3 kids was great. I got all the cuddles and love so I grew up quite tactile, and affectionate, that kinda love at home as a kid was a great foundation for my yogic path.
What were the greatest challenges for you growing up?
I was bullied a lot a school. Kids always weed out the weird ones and I was definitely weird! I felt bamboozled by the education system and hated classrooms. The idea of four walls and hours of 'yes sir, no sir' did me in by the time I was about 7 years old and that's when my school truancy began.…more
Humans of the Islands - Taofia Pelesasa
Taofia Pelesasa
Tokelauan/Samoan
Writer & Filmmaker
I'm Taofia (Fia) Pelesasa – a Tokelauan-Samoan Kiwi boy born and raised in Rotorua, New Zealand but based out of Sydney, Australia. I got into the industry by way of acting but like most people in the industry have added extra strings to the bow and identify as a “creative”- with a particularly deep love for screen-writing and film-making.
Tell us why you wanted to make Promise of Piha?
The production of “The Promise of Piha” came out of a frustration me and my best friend Hanelle Harris had in coming out of Drama school and there being almost no work for us as young, brown & Pacific creatives. So, it didn't take long for the two of us to use that frustration in a way which was more empowering for us & we (like so many other artists of colour before us) took our careers & stories into our own hands & promised to start making our own work.…more
Humans of the Islands - Are Raimbault
Are Raimbault
Young Tahitian Filmmaker
Tahitian / European
My name is Are Raimbault, I'm 26 years old and my ethnicity is half Tahitian half European but I was born and raised in Tahiti. I grew up between the districts of Punaauia, Mataiea and Teahupoo, in the middle of Polynesian culture.
What is your biggest driving passion?
I would say that my biggest driving passions are the ability and the beauty to create absolutely anything I want (including myself). I'm also driven by the desire to make people escape their daily lives with art, share messages with them and If I can inspire them it's even better. In terms of possibilities, I believe that the sky is the limit if you're willing to work for it.
What do you do?
I'm a director and artist. My main medias are film, photography, writing and sometimes illustration.
What excites you about Pūtahi and what does it offer the Pacific audience that they may not have seen before?
I think that Pūtahi Kotahitanga is an exciting documentary for many reasons.…more
One Thousand Ropes
Written and directed by Tusi Tamasese, ‘One Thousand Ropes’ had its world premiere last week at the Berlin International Film Festival.
The second much awaited feature from the director of 'The Orator', 'One Thousand Ropes' is a haunting and emotional Samoan film about navigating relationships and redemption. Tamasese tells the story of a Samoan father attempting to redeem his violent past and rebuild a relationship with his daughter. The film stars Uelese Petaia as the main character and Frankie Adams as his daughter.
In the same way that ‘The Orator’ (also written and directed by Tamasese) was specific in its cinematic aesthetic and pace, One Thousand Ropes is also extremely visually unique. It's difficult to assign one particular genre to this film, as it feels like a mixture of drama, horror and thriller. Tamasese's approach to storytelling tends not to conform to typical styles of filmmaking. The predominant use of Samoan language makes One Thousand Ropes an especially unique film.…more