The latest Covid-19 stories in the Pacific - 21 Feb 22
A quick round-up of the latest Covid news in the Pacific region from the last couple of days.
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Cook Islands 4th positive case confirmed
via Covid19 Cook Islands response
The Cook Islands is reporting a fourth person who has tested positive for Covid-19.
The case is a New Zealand-based Cook Islander who arrived in Rarotonga for a family funeral on February 15 on-board an Air NZ flight. Health Ministry Te Marae Ora (TMO) confirmed the case tested positive on Thursday from a sibling who had tested positive in New Zealand.
The positive case and 3 of the adults are fully vaccinated, with the young contact with their first vaccine dose. An additional 16 close contacts have been identified, connected through the family funeral the case attended on Wednesday.
Due to the new positive case, the Cook Islands government has announced an extension to their suspension of passenger travel to the rest of the Pa Enua (other islands) to midnight of February 23.…more
Pacific MPs Come Together to Ban Conversion Therapy
by Shaneel Lal
I was born in Vakasalewalewa and Hijra in Fiji, a colonised Christian Island. My community knew I was queer before I did; I carried myself in the fashion of a woman. My community was given a choice between the church and their child. I wish they had seen the broken heart of a child and chosen me. I cannot describe the excruciating pain a child feels when they are rejected by the only people they've ever known and loved.
After five long years of activism, New Zealand banned conversion therapy on the 15th of February. I will always remember this day as a win for indigenous peoples. Before colonisation, queer people were integral to indigenous communities, playing a role in raising children, cleaning the house, caring for the elders, and doing things indigenous peoples relied upon to survive.…more
Every Section Of My Life Is Queer | Akanuanua Podcast
Welcome to the Akanuanua Podcast! A space to unpack what its like being a part of the ever-evolving MVPFAFF Queer Pasifika community.
The Talanoa is guided by our host, Doron Semu. He is an ‘afakasi Samoan siapo maker, acupuncturist and community advocate raised in Tamaki Makaurau, Aotearoa. His most recent interview with Tagata Pasifika on conversion therapy has opened conversations within the pasifika religious community about the treatment of the LGBTQIA+ community. He has been a guest on podcasts such as ‘A thoughtful faith’ and ‘Malaga’. Over summer, he held community workshops with support with from Rainbow Youth for the queer Pasifika and Maori community.
In this episode Kitty Wasasala speaks to her longtime friend Doron about her life experiences as a Queer person, her relatioship with Karangahape Road and more.
Kitty is a Lesbian actor, activist, florist, and freelancer. Kitty does works with the Auckland Central Greens and is actively trying to make political spaces Rainbow and POC friendly, as historically, there hasn’t been space for our communities.…more
Families of Manu Samoa 7s players rally behind sons
Families of Manu Samoa players rally behind their sons.
Allegations of bullying and mistreatment were detailed in a letter sent by the Manu Samoa Sevens Team to the Pacific Rugby Players Association.
The families' spokeman, Henry Gray, told Radio Polynesia the details of the allegations. He said that the examples of bullying provided by the team were very hard for the players' family members to read.
Lakapi Samoa CEO, Faleomavaega Vincent Fepulea'i, said that it is conducting its own investigation and a sub-committee has been appointed to investigate the matter and report back urgently.
"I watch and wait to see the outcome of the investigation by PRP along with the Lakapi Samoa subcommittee. Personally, I have highlighted my own concerns directly with management on a few occasions," Gray said.
"As a concerned parent, we await with anticipation the outcome of the investigations. Until then, we continue to uplift our Manu Samoa 7's team in prayer, especially the players, our sons" he said.…more
TANOAI REED INTERVIEW - INSIDE THE GRIND with Serafina Maulupe
Inside the Grind host Serafina Maulupe caught up with Hollywood actor and award winning stuntman, Tanoa'i Reed last year while he was shooting 'Red Notice' with Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot & Ryan Reynolds.
Tanoa'i resides in Honolulu, Hawaii and is of Samoan heritage. He is the cousin and stunt double of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson!
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A few days ago, he started his tatau journey with renowned tufuga/tattooist Li'aifaiva Levi and has been sharing clips of his journey on his Instagram and Facebook pages.
He has been supported by many friends and family along the way and yesterday the Common Kings boys came through in support, performing songs and music.
The latest Covid-19 stories in the Pacific
A quick round-up of the latest Covid news in the Pacific region from the last couple of days. We will provide an update again at the end of the week.
Cover image photo credit: Unicef
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American Samoa - two more cases from Hawaiian airlines flight
American Samoa has two new positive Covid-19 cases in MIQ after a third round of Covid tests.
Close to 200 travellers, who've spent 14 days in MIQ since arriving in the territory January 27 on a Hawaiian airlines flight, have not been released.
They have been told that they will undergo a fourth test on a Sunday and all those who test negative will be allowed to go home on Monday.
The two new positives are passengers, bringing the total number of positives from the January 27 Hawaiian Airlines flight to 43 - 35 passengers and eight Health Department quarantine staff.
Health Director Motusa Tuileama Nua said the overriding objective is to protect the territory's nearly 50,000 residents and stop a community transmission.…more
"They call me a Leitī" | Akanuanua Podcast
Welcome to the Akanuanua Podcast! A space to unpack what its like being a part of the ever-evolving MVPFAFF Queer Pasifika community.
The Talanoa is guided by our host, Doron Semu. He is an ‘afakasi Samoan siapo maker, acupuncturist and community advocate raised in Tamaki Makaurau, Aotearoa. His most recent interview with Tagata Pasifika on conversion therapy has opened conversations within the pasifika religious community about the treatment of the LGBTQIA+ community. He has been a guest on podcasts such as ‘A thoughtful faith’ and ‘Malaga’. Over summer, he held community workshops with support with from Rainbow Youth for the queer Pasifika and Maori community.
In this episode Katrina Malisha Aho speaks to Doron about her life story, from being a Fakaleitī to her relationship with God.
Katrina Malisha Aho also known as Hurricane Katrina by her fellow Divas, is a young, brown, trans registered nurse strutting the wards of Auckland City Hospital. Before this, she attended De La Salle College and for all of her years there was part of the school’s legendary fa’afafine collective ‘The Divas’.…more
AKANUANUA (Sneak Peek) - Celebrating Indigenous Pasifika Queer Visibility
A sneak peek into the Coconet Original series Akanuanua!
First episode dropping Friday 11th of February 2022 at 8pm NZT.
Akanuanua is a series exploring the lived realities of our MVPFAFF Queer Pasifika community. We take an up-close and personal look into the lives of 5 extraordinary Queer Pasifika people. Experiencing the ofa (love) they create, the mafana (warmth) they exude, the malie (humor) they share, and the faka'apa'apa they deserve. All of these elements are woven together to create moving 21st-century stories jumping out to be told, Akanuanua does just that!
Episode 1 (OUT FRIDAY) takes a walk in to the life of Asi Taouma Levy. A young Samoan living in West Auckland who has claimed their gender identity space in order to celebrate who they are. Asi shows us their world, their village and their alofa.
"I didn't act like a stereotypical girl and I used to think maybe I was a boy, then I realised that...hmmm not really.…more
PEAU KULA - Art fundraiser for Tonga
Cover images L-R by artists Sione Monū, TK Hards & Telly Tuita
PEAU KULA or ‘Red wave’ is the ancient Tongan name for Tsunami, it references the power and ferocity of a tsunami wave through the colour red. This name also tells us volcanic eruptions and peau kula were experienced in Tonga’s rich history.
January 15th 2022 saw a catastrophic eruption from the volanic island of Hunga Ha’apai - Hunga Tonga within the Kingdom of Tonga.
This eruption could be heard in Alaska and New Zealand, causing a peau kula to crash into Tongan coastal areas tragically taking 3 lives and devastating homes and businesses.
Featured artists of the images above are: Benjamin Work, Dagmar Dyck, TK Hards, Ercan Cairns & Shaun Naufahu
Artists Benjamin Work, Elliot O'Donnell & TMD collective reached out to a few of their creative friends and since then have been inundated with incredible art which will be available for sale online at www.tmdcrew.com/peaukula from 9am (NZST) Thursday February 10.…more
ORDINARY TONGAN LIVES - Pangaimotu, Tonga
Story collated and written by Haitelenisia Afemui ‘Uhila Angilau for her 'Ordinary Tongan Lives' facebook page. She is currently covering survivors stories from the Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption and subsequent tsunami.
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“This is the 50th year of living and working at Pangaimotu. And we’re still going. I’m part Tongan; I came here when I was 24. The dream was to develop an island in an idealistic tourist way. Not too commercial but just a nice place. Much of the dream has been taken away by a few cyclones but we just start again after each one. We started the business at 1972.
I remember cyclone Isaac back in 1982 which was a big one. There was another one called son of Isaac but it’s not recorded in history. The hurricane left and came back the next week and hit us again. That’s why the Lady Lata—the sunken ship—is at Pangaimotu now. Although here have been many cyclones, this is the first tsunami. The business has been affected so badly by the COVID lockdown then omicron came and made things worse.…more