Abuse in NZ State Care - The Witness Testimony of Leota Fred Scanlon
"I would be taken to the electric shock room up the villa stairs to where the machine was. I would be placed on the bed and the nurses would hold me down. They tied me down at the waist and at my feet. The nurses placed the electric shock stuff on my head and then I got electrocuted. Sometimes I was electrocuted until I was unconscious. When this happened, I would only remember waking up in my own bed. Sometimes after the electric shocks, the nurses would give us pills to knock us out." - Leota Fred Scanlon
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care is currently holding its first ever Pacific Investigation hearing into abuse in care of Pacific people in this country. The enquiry is looking at abuse of Pacific people in both state and faith-based institutions between 1950 and 1999.…more
Tuva'a Clifton represents Team Samoa at the Tokyo Olympics
Samoan athlete Tuva’a Clifton just arrived at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to compete in the men's sprint canoeing, representing #TeamSamoa
Tuva'a is competing in 3 events at the Olympics
You can watch Tuva'as races this Wednesday 4th of August. He competes in the Men's Kayak Single heat at 12.58 pm NZT and Men's Kayak Double at 2.38 pm NZT.
Before he took off for Tokyo we were able to talk to Tuva'a about his Olympic debut and this is what he had to say:
How does it feel to be able to say that you're an “Olympian”?
It's a really cool feeling that sometime in the future I will be able to tell my grandkids that I once competed at the Olympics. But it's also nice to be able to say it after many years of training, and that all that pain during training was not for nothing.…more
The Rugby Player from Fiji Who Conquered the World | Against All Odds
Jerry Tuwai grew up in a poor shanty in Fiji playing rugby with plastic bottles. He went on to win the first Olympic medal for his country.
WOMEN OF THE ISLANDS - COLLEEN FURGESON
COLLEEN FURGESON
OLYMPIC SWIMMER
MARSHALLESE
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Colleen Furgeson is a two time Olympian that competed in the women's 50 metre freestyle event at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and is now competing once again at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in the women's 100 metre freestyle. Colleen was also the flag bearer for the Marshall Islands in Tokyo last week.
Furgeson trained at Lincoln College under Coach Johnathan Jordan together with fellow Marshallese olympian Phillip Kinono. Together the pair make up the only two Olympians representing Marshall Islands this year at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
We spoke with Colleen in Tokyo about her pride for Marshall Islands, the atmosphere at the games and more. Heres what she had to say:
How does it feel to be representing Marshall Islands at the Olympics?
Representing the Marshall Islands is an amazing feeling and an extreme honor.…more
“When our Elders heal, the generations following are empowered to do so too” – Pacific Youth reflect on The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
Three young islanders reflect on the intergenerational benefit of the healing that will hopefully come out of The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.
Survivors of abuse from the Pacific community have been giving evidence statements before the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry at a public hearing at the Fale Samoa in Māngere. The inquiry has come with various first-hand accounts of mental, emotional and physical abuse inflicted by state care. The enquiry is looking at abuse of Pacific people in both state and faith-based institutions between 1950 and 1999.
Statements from the hearing have been made available for the public and over the past week the Pacific community have expressed their utmost respect for those who have come forward to give their statements.
Young Pacific Islands have acknowledged the value of the hearing not only for the generation of those in the Inquiry, but also for the generation of young Pasifika in Aotearoa who have carried the weight of intergenerational Trauma.…more
Tokyo 2020 - Our Pacific Islands athletes Round Up Day 4
To go along with our guide to who, what, when and where our Pasifika athletes are competing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games we'll be doing a round up of how they've all been doing in case you missed their event.
ICYMI our Pacific Islands athletes wowed in their traditional wear and team uniforms at the Opening Ceremony parade of athletes. Four of our Pacific Islands teams made the best dressed lists for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony on Friday night.
Our Pacific Island athletes representing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games has kicked off tonight. Although these Olympics are getting underway a year later due to the pandemic, they'll still be officially known as the Tokyo 2020 games.
The theme of the games this year is 'United by Emotion' and the opening ceremony will be taking place at the main Olympic stadium which will host athletics and football during the games.
At the Rio Olympics opening ceremony in 2016, our Pacific Islands nations caused quite the stir in more ways than one and we're looking forward to seeing the Pacific Islands teams march in the parade of athletes. This years ceremony will be different to other years though - due to the pandemic and the recent State of Emergency in Tokyo, there is a total ban on all spectators at most venues, teams have to socially distance themselves from other teams and in some cases members of their own teams.
They'll also be coming out in the Japanese alphabet order (not the english alphabet).…more
Steven Adams High School Invitational All Star Game 2021
Check out the live stream of the 4th annual Steven Adams High School Invitational All Star Game being played at Walter Nash Stadium in Lower Hutt - The best basketball players in the country are selected to play against each other in this invitational match.
The game will start streaming at 3.15pm and will have commentary in Samoan, Tongan, Maori and English! Watch the english commentary in the video below.
Samoan commentary will be given by PMN Samoa radio hosts Lorenzo Kaisara and Savea Tone Peseta.
Click here to watch the game with Samoan commentary.
Tongan commentary will be given by Isaac Fotu Snr (father of pro basketball players Isaac and Dan Fotu) and Caroline Matamua (Ako Wahine Rugby Educator at NZ Rugby).
Click here to watch the game with Tongan commentary.
Maori commentary will be hosted by Zeb Nicklin.…more
Abuse in NZ State Care - The Witness Testimony of Joanna Oldham
"The Reverend made me an alter girl after the first time he abused me in his home. As an alter girl, I had to go early to the church on Sundays to help him put on his robes. He used this as an opportunity to sexually abuse me again.
The abuse happened only once in the church, and it happened after the third time that he had abused me in his home. The next time he asked me to come in early, I ran away from my home to avoid having to go. I began running away often, and I never went back to that church."
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The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care is currently holding its first ever Pacific Investigation hearing into abuse in care of Pacific people in this country. The enquiry is looking at abuse of Pacific people in both state and faith-based institutions between 1950 and 1999.…more
The Polynesian Panthers: What you need to know
Ahead of the New Zealand governments Dawn Raid apology this week, we take a look at The Polynesian Panthers and their political and social justice movement. Their call for an apology came as part of their 50th anniversary commemorations.
Who were the Polynesian Panthers?
The Polynesian Panther Party (PPP) was a revolutionary social justice movement formed to target racial inequalities carried out against indigenous Māori and Pacific Islanders in Auckland, New Zealand. Founded by a group of young Polynesians on 16 June 1971, the Panthers worked to aid in community betterment through activism and protest, education, legal aid, and other social resources.
What was the Polynesian Panthers Party’s ties to the Black Panthers?
The Polynesian Panthers were explicitly influenced by the American Black Panther Party, particularly African-American revolutionary Huey Newton’s policy of Black unity through his global call-to-action. Huey Newton was a co-founder of the Black Panther Party with Bobby Seale.…more