"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
SHOP PASIFIKA - WHERE TO ORDER PACIFIC ACCESSORIES
By Taualofa Totu’a
Heres a list of Pasifika small businesses where you can get all the coolest accessories! Style up your summer or find statement pieces to add colour to your work fits.
Sprinkle Pacific flava on to your "Outfits Of The Day" with these gems:
HANDMADE TIE AND EARRINGS GIFT SET!
Who: FOU Custom Made
From Pacific Fusion Fashion Show Designer Profile:
Mt Roskill label Fou Custom Made is a stylish fusion of old and new. Describing their style as out of the box but wearable, the trio behind FOU Custom Made – Asomaliu Tagi’ilima, Nora Harriman and Mary So’onaoso – say they want Pacific women to be confident in their designs.
“We want to empower women to be proud and embrace their bodies in all shapes and sizes,” says Asomaliu. “No matter their shape, anyone can rock a sassy, gorgeous outfit.”
A scan through FOU’s Facebook and Instagram accounts shows the company has been busy custom making a wide range of clothing for all occasions. It’s a small money earner for the FOU team who all have day jobs.…more
#Opinion Call to ban locally manufactured Spirits
By Va'ai Nah Folasa
Cover image by Samoa Observer photo journalist - Vaitogi A Matafeo
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Another drinking session in the village of Safai Savaii has ended with the death of a 26 year old man, allegedly killed by his own brother.
This tragic incident has no doubt had a devastating impact on the family who has not only lost a young life but another is charged with murder. Our sympathies go out to this family at this very challenging time.
In time and in the Samoan way there will be forgiveness. However, they will never forget the unnecessary and tragic end to a life. Some wounds will never heal.
Could this tragedy have been avoided?
Reports indicate that this incident can be directly attributed to the drinking of the locally produced Rover vodka. This spirit is cheap, readily available in plastic bottles of different sizes (up to 2 litres at a time for around $40) and is guaranteed to get you really drunk really fast.…more
'We are Samoa' - A Diamond Gala Evening
The We Are Sāmoa: A Diamond Gala Evening celebrates 75 years of legendary Sāmoan musician Jerome Fa'anānā Grey. The celebratory gala event will be held on Saturday, March 26, 2022, at Fete The Venue, in Costa Mesa, California.
In this video the children of the legendary Fa’anānā Jerome Grey - Tini, Sisa, Ana, and Mata share why they are passionate about serving the community and why the 'We Are Sāmoa' Gala’s mission is to raise funds for three key initiatives that are inspired by their personal story:
• General Education Scholarships for Pacific Islanders students in college.
• Jerome Grey Performing Arts Scholarship to support Pacific Islander students pursuing a career in the arts.
• Diabetes and Heart Disease Awareness programs for the Pacific Islander community.
“It wasn’t easy making ends meet on a musician’s budget… no matter how famous our dad was.…more
Sports Talk - MMA/Kickboxing legend Mark Hunt & 'The Fight of his Life'
"The documentary is pretty much about my lifes journey up until this point, about adversity, overcoming adversity and about life in general as a Pacific Islander & New Zealander growing up in South Auckland.
Coming from a troubled past, probably similar to a lot of kids in that age and era in South Auckland - the repercussions of it all, you don't realise you're not normal until you meet someone who's normal, you don't realise how bad you are until you meet someone who's normal and cares about you" - Mark Hunt
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Legendary K1, Pride & UFC fighter Mark "Super Samoan" Hunt joins us to talk about his new feature length documentary which is out now in both New Zealand and Australia in select cinemas.
He talks about how sharing his story through both his book and the doco has been therapeutic, the financial and emotional toll the lawsuit against the UFC has taken on his life, life after professional sports, his advice to up & coming fighters and much more.…more
$121 million funding boost to support the Arts, Culture & Heritage sector
The Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Carmel Sepuloni has announced that the Government is delivering a $121 million funding boost to support the arts and cultural sector through this latest phase of the pandemic.
The etra funding comes from the Governments Covid Response and Recovery Fund.
"Artists, musicians, creatives and performers across the motu have been both generous & instrumental in supporting & promoting the Govt’s COVID-19 response & vaccination efforts. I acknowledge & appreciate every effort this sector has made, because they’ve helped save lives.
Now it is the government's opportunity to respond quickly & throw our support behind the sector, which has served New Zealanders so well during the pandemic." - Minister Sepuloni
Designed to cushion the blow from Omicron after the Events Calendar was sabotaged, the funding will supports artists and arts practitioners (who are usually sole traders/self-employed individuals), arts organisations, the screen sector, as well as support for performances and events that were planned before the move to Red.
An additional $70.7m in funding will to the Arts and Culture Event Support Scheme, originally set at $22.5m.…more
Samoa Update: 31 active Covid cases in managed isolation
Another new Covid positive case today takes Samoa's Covid count up to 31 active cases in managed isolation. Controversy hit the country after it was revealed that last Saturday 29th January a breach in the Island's State of emergency led to a frontline worker in isolation being driven to an ATM machine in town.
The Prime Minister has assured the country that this breach has been taken seriously and there are currently no community cases of Covid on the Island.
Here's the latest from the Samoan Government regarding Samoa's covid status:
Following completion of the sixth testing schedule on 1st February, one new positive case was identified from the nursing staff that work in the Isolation Ward taking the total positive cases in managed isolation to 31.
All other 48 passengers continue to test negative and are in good health. The 25 positive tested passengers are all asymptomatic and are in good health
All frontline workers in quarantine continue to present negative test results, remain asymptomatic and in good health.…more