We would like to pay tribute to a Great man, a Pioneer, a Leader, a Father, a Mentor, a Musician, a Husband and more...

Papali'i Dr. Pita Ulitau Taouma

Papali’i Dr. Pita Taouma is the head of the Malietoa Pouesi family in Aotearoa/Niu Sila. He is most well-known as a dentist who served our community for many years, first in Samoa as the head of dentistry at the hospital in Matautu, Apia and then for many years as a dentist here in Aukilani.

Papali’i was first sent to Niu Sila to take up a scholarship at Whangarei Boys High School at the age of 14. He spent these years schooling while also traveling to Aukilani during holidays to spend time with family, mostly in and around the Ponsonby area.

Papali’i then went to Otago University to study dentistry – a profession which ran in the family as his father Tofa Fesula’i Taouma Leteletaneolevao was also one of a group of seven dentists originally trained in the craft in Samoa.…more

A Kiribati community leader in New Zealand was at Parliament yesterday begging the government not to deport a family who argue they are climate change refugees.

(Reverend Iosefa Suamalie, pictured above with Ioane Teitiota's wife, Angua Erika, have pleaded to keep Mr Teitota in New Zealand.)

About 70 people poured into a public meeting in West Auckland on Monday night in support of Ioane Teitiota his wife Angua Erika, and their three children.

Mr Teitiota has been fighting against deportation back to Kiribati since 2011, arguing he should be considered a refugee based on climate change, and rising sea levels.

He's been told he's booked on a flight out of New Zealand on Wednesday.

The crowd was sombre yet hopeful about the family's future. One of the people there, John Corcoran, has been a key witness in legal proceedings. Mr Corcoran says the family's outlook is grim, with many Kiribati families already struggling to survive on the island.…more

Two young Samoans have been invited to New York to claim the prestigious awards they have won in the Voices of Future Generations International Children’s books series competition.

Winning the awards means that the students were invited to receive their awards in person and to attend the Children’s Summit at United Nations Headquarters in New York on Sunday.

However, they will not be making the trip because they were not given enough time to prepare and raise funds for it.

But not being there doesn’t mean that Lupe and Alexia will not celebrate their achievements from afar. With the support of their parents, the students will go with plan B, using online technology on Skype to participate in the event.…more