"Usomoni" clothing founder Clarence Mikasa shares his journey behind the name of his brand, getting his business off the ground and his own mental health journey. He was born in Samoa and comes from the villages of Vailele and Vaipu'a, then raised in Flaxmere, Hastings before moving over to Australia. {{24042}} A note from Clarence:  I’m the founder of USOMONI and started this brand to bring awareness to mental health in our Pacific community. I know that our people are very proud people and don’t like to show emotion or share what they are going through.  They bottle everything up and there are often not enough resources to help our communities. I started this journey as I was one of those that were going through dark times but didn't let people know what was really going on. As an owner of a printing business I started "USOMONI" back in 2019 from making tees and sending them out to high profile usos and sisters.  Now I’m a step closer to speaking in front of a big crowd to share my story world wide. -  To order 'Usomoni' merch check out their website here 

The relationship between New Zealand and Samoa is very complex. The pages of our histories are intertwined and blotted with black marks right next to NZ's name. On the 7th November 1918, the NZ military administration controlling Samoa, led by Col. Robert Logan, made the deadly decision to knowingly allow a ship called 'The Talune" carrying Spanish Influenza to dock in Apia Harbour.  The results were catastrophic, wiping out over a quarter of Samoas population and decimating entire families and villages in what is one of the worst cultural catastrophes in history.

From Converstaions with my Immigrant Parents   Produced for RNZ by Saraid de Silva and Julie Zhu | Made possible by the RNZ/NZ On Air Innovation Fund When Liliani Waigth migrated to Aotearoa from Tonga as a 21 year old in the 1970s, she had no idea it would be another 15 years before she went back. “I hop out of the plane and it was freezing cold.  Coming from a country that’s so warm, coming over to New Zealand, it was foggy and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, what am I doing over in this country over here.’ Staying initially in Auckland where she had family, Liliani soon met her Pālagi husband and moved to the East Coast.  She was one of the first Tongan migrants to settle in Gisborne where there were only a handful of other Tongan families that she knew of at the time. Liliani had two daughters and two sons, however her first daughter passed away as a baby.  Her daughter Kesaia now lives in Wellington and works as a principal research analyst of the Waitangi Tribunal for the Ministry of Justice.  In her 60s now and retired, Liliani talks with Kesaia on the phone every day and has done so for the last 17 years. {{15950}} Kesaia’s dad passed away when she was 13 and Liliani raised her three kids largely as a single mother.  Despite this, she had strong reservations when Kesaia fell pregnant with her first child while unmarried.  Through this conversation, mother and daughter discuss how different expectations in the countries they were raised in have influenced their approaches to marriage and motherhood. “My mother, she always talked to me about those kinds of things, you know?  If I go with a boy or have a boyfriend, and you go and have… you know, have a baby or something like that.  That is really–,” starts Liliani. Kesaia finishes her sentence, “Really bad.  I don’t think anybody here really cares that much.  For me - because I left home at 17, there was no culture, there was no community to really disappoint.  So I didn’t sort of worry about that.” This episode covers expectations of Tongan women, grief, and how different generations perceive the notion of sacrifice, all with Kesaia’s five month old Raita gurgling in the background. Click here to listen to the full conversation between Liliani and her daughter Kesaia 

Produced for RNZ by Saraid de Silva and Julie Zhu | Made possible by the RNZ/NZ On Air Innovation Fund Content warning: This episode explores themes around mental health. After four years studying in Dunedin, Alby has just moved back in with his mum Lina in Naenae. The two of them discuss Lina’s career, Alby’s grief, and who our lives are lived for. Listen to the full interview here  {{21551}} When Lina Fairbrother came to Aotearoa from Sāmoa in 1986, the move was a chance to improve the lives of loved ones at home, as well as to give her potential children here more of a leg-up in the world than she had. “That is the main reason why I came here,  to help my family to have a future here.” {{21553}}  A few years after arriving here, Lina in her own words, “met my honey” in Albert Fairbrother Sr. They married had one son, who they also named Albert Fairbrother. The three of them lived in Naenae, Lower Hutt. Albert Fairbrother Sr was 26 years older than Lina when they married, which caused some trouble at family gatherings. “Uncle Maiava said, ‘Oh he’s too old for you, look for another one,’” remembers Lina. {{21555}} Alby’s dad passed away when he was still in Year 12, something which dramatically changed how he experienced his last year at school. He describes attaining university entrance early, but his grades dropped so low in his final year that he was unable to get into university without sitting extra exams. He moved to Dunedin to study at Otago in 2017 and took some time to adjust to the lifestyle and the community. {{21557}} This episode was recorded the day after Alby left his hall of residence and his life in Dunedin to move back in with Lina. He recently got his first job, a graduate position writing policy for the Ministry of Primary Industries, the same government department that Lina coincidentally has worked in as part of the cleaning staff for the last 10 years. Lina’s perception of her job is an important counterpoint to the ways immigrant workers in cleaning roles have widely been portrayed. {{21559}} “I told people at MPI, ‘My team, we are VIP people.’ They look at me and I say, ‘We are very important people. Without us, who’s going to clean your mess?’ I’m not ashamed because it pays the bills, buys the food. I do it with passion because I’m a cleaner, and I’m so happy to call myself a cleaner.” This episode reveals an honest and challenging conversation that explores this mother and son’s close relationship and respect for each other, as well as their shared grief, and differing approaches to life and work. . . Where to get help: Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason. Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357 Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO (24/7). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends. Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7) or text 4202 Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7) Youthline: 0800 376 633 (24/7) or free text 234 (8am-12am), or email talk@youthline.co.nz What's Up: online chat (3pm-10pm) or 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787 helpline (12pm-10pm weekdays, 3pm-11pm weekends) Kidsline (ages 5-18): 0800 543 754 (24/7) Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254 Healthline: 0800 611 116 Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155 If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111. Click here to listen to Alby and Lina's story and for more of the series 

Check out this powerful documentary about the effects of overfishing in the Cook Islands waters. The documentary is part of the Rauti Para project carried out in the Cook Islands, based on the changes in the marine resources that Cook Islands elders have noticed within their lifetime.  To do your part, sign the petition to stop purse seine fishing because of the impacts on tuna stocks in the waters. 

A story about community resilience in the face of Covid-19 impacts on an isolated community in the Pacific. In the face of unprecedented challenges, the small Hawaiian Island of Molokai responds with human kindness, collaborative solutions, and a shift towards sustainable local food systems.

A new island has recently emerged in Tonga over the past few months, sparking concerns about potential dangers. The island is located 90 kilometers southwest of Neiafu, Vava'u. While filming for upcoming short 'Mo'unga Afi' in Tonga last year (2023), The Lacelid Productions team set sail for, what we thought was, a sub-surface volcano called "home Reef". The plan was to do a dive at the shoal marked on our charts. What theyfound were 18m cliffs and rock so hot it steamed when waves crashed over it.

Keep your tissues handy for this one - a beautiful mother-daughter reunion! Airport arrivals halls see all kinds of emotions. Early in the new year, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) witnessed another special reunion when FBC TV Presenter Jacquee Speight flew to LA from Nadi, meeting her mom after 16 years, and introducing her daughter to her mother for the very first time.  Source: Fiji Airways

Princess Virginia prepares to marry Lopeti in the grandest Tongan wedding ever to be held in New Zealand but how will Her Royal Highness cope with the independence of marriage when she has never cooked or cleaned in her life? The auspicious occasion was attended by the Queen Mother, Halaevalu Mata’aho, HRH Pricess Royal Pilolevu Tuita, HRH Crown Princess Sinaitakala, HRH Princess Lātūfuipeka, HRH Princess ‘Ofeina ‘e he Langi Fakafanua and members of the Royal Family.

This short documentary features the Seleka International Art Society Initiative (SIASI). Seleka is a group of mostly urban youth in the Kingdom of Tonga's capital of Nuku'alofa who gather often, as many Tongans do, in order to ingest the land by drinking kava. They have a twist to their gatherings however with the addition of paint and a broad range of global popular music, including the less commonly heard sounds in a kava session of metal, punk, and more. Their adaptations and reflection of their contemporary identities hasn't gone without scrutiny or controversy, but despite those challenges they remain a safe and creative space for young men and women to explore and confront the taboo's of their society and culture. This footage was being saved to be part of a larger kava documentary project based in my doctoral studies, which is still another year or so away from being completed. Due to the recent devastation of Cyclone Gita last month, Seleka's fale (Tongan house) was destroyed and they have nowhere to gather. Considering the immediate needs for the group, this footage is being released now in hopes to support overseas fundraising efforts and local support to rebuild a meeting place for the Selekarian's. Mālō 'Aupito to Seleka, supporters, and to 'Inoke Hafoka for crucial feedback in the editing process of this film. Fundraising link:  https://www.youcaring.com/selekasiasitonga-1135454

Luatua Fetalaiga of Lotoso'a Saleimoa Samoa A beautiful tribute to Luatua Fetalaiga. These are the funeral highlights from the Village of Lotoso'a Sale'imoa, Samoa.

Samoa, an island paradise, but even paradise has its problems. Attitude go off the tourist trail and ask is enough being done for people living with a disability?  Watch part 1 and 3 for the whole story.

Samoa, an island paradise, but even paradise has its problems. Attitude go off the tourist trail and ask is enough being done for people living with a disability? Watch part 2 and 3 for the whole story. Video Courtesy of Attitude Live

Samoa, an island paradise, but even paradise has its problems. Attitude go off the tourist trail and ask is enough being done for people living with a disability?  Watch part 2 and 3 for the whole story.

For the first time in high definition, see behind the scenes of the creation of the official music video for "Bang On" ft Mack10 (recorded July 19, 2003)

A short documentary on the Boo Yaa T.R.I.B.E - Samoan brothers who grew up in Carson, California and are celebrated as the pioneers of Samoan & Poly Hip Hop. They've collaborated with many hip hop & rock artists including Eminem, Mack 10 & The Transplants. - Behind the scenes with Boo Yaa T.R.I.B.E on the set of 'Another Body Murdered' with Faith No More and an interview with Ted Devoux aka 'The godfather'. {{8918}} Check out this video of them when they first started out as a dance group the 'Blue City Strutters' where they're featured in the 'Breakin n Enterin, West Coast Hip Hop Doc' 

Check out this awesome doco made by Western Springs College student - Thomas Rands A look into the life of one of the most prominent performers in NZ today - Edward Cowley.

The traditional Fijian unisex hair style called Buiniga looks similar to the more widely known Afro. Although the popularity of the hair style has dwindled in recent years, some young women in Fiji are bucking the trend and refusing to straighten their hair. Buiniga is important to maintaining Fijian culture, says 18-year-old student Arieta Digutu, who took part in a beauty pageant paying tribute to the natural hair style. 'This competition is important, because we have to keep our culture. My mother and aunt are still wearing buiniga hair style and I am following them', she says Check out the full article here 

Decades of overfishing by the global tuna industry have now pushed the final frontiers to the waters of Papua New Guinea. In the 1950's, the world was fishing out 400 000 tons of tuna. This number is now close to 4 million. And it comes at a high cost. A human cost, now affecting the last places on earth uncovering the full impact of globalisation.  Set in "the land of the unexpected," in the North-Eastern part of Papua New Guinea, this film follows the struggle of indigenous tribes to protect their way of life, guarded by traditions dating back thousands of years. Many have lost hope, others are fighting for survival from their own corrupt government. They see their ancestral land taken away to make way for multinational corporations, in their quest to create the new tuna capital of the world. They see the Madang lagoon, one of the most biodiverse places in the world, destroyed to implement in the first Special Economic Zone of the country (SEZ). The question remains: is this type of development in the Pacific bringing prosperity or poverty? To find out more, check out www.canningparadise.com or follow them on Facebook 

This documentary meets the descendants of the people that changed the face of Samoa and takes a look at the potential problems that come with the new wave of Chinese arriving in Samoa today. Despite the history, the newest wave of Chinese to arrive in Samoa has upset a lot of the locals. Taking businesses that should be set aside for Locals, skirting laws set up to prevent them from doing so and funnelling money out of the Samoan economy, are just some of the issues being voiced by Samoans.

The people of Mauke have a holiday tradition that is different than any of the other islands in the Cooks. Every Christmas and New Years one of the two villages on the island hosts the other with a feast. The food is laid out at different houses throughout the host village. The guest village then goes from house to house singing traditional songs. Christmas Day starts with a church service and then everyone starts making the rounds singing and feasting. This starts around 1:00 PM and goes on until well after dark. Then, on New Years Day, the villages switch roles and the ones that sang host the other village and they do the singing.

From the Aloha Shirt to the Hula skirt and everything in between! In part 1 of this 2 part series we learn about the history of body adornment in the Pacific, from the importance of Tatau to the use of weaving and Tapa cloth and how the arrival of European missionaries changed Pacific perspectives forever. Discover more about the History of the Pacific on our virtual 3D timeline 

From the Aloha Shirt to the Hula skirt and everything in between! Part 2 of this in-depth documentary looks beyond the coconut bra’s and grass skits and to the future of Pacific body adornment –with the development of a unique Poly style and a vibrant Pacific Fashion industry.

In this Musicmentary, Samoan film-maker and Creative Native Hagoth Aiono takes you on tour with the Common Kings. Featuring the tracks 1. She's A Professional 2. Fall In Love 3. In The Mirror 4. IDGAF (Clean) 5. The Light.

Mama Teura Tuakanangaro from the island of Mauke, shares many of the traditional foods & recipes that they would make in the Cook Islands in preparation to survive Cyclone Season. These foods were also prepared by our Pacific Island ancestors when they would go on long ocean voyages.

Dear Thalia follows The Martin Family (Tracy, Tabatha, & Thalia) being homeless living in Kakaako, Oahu/Hawai’i. Filmed over a course of 4 months on weekends (8-10 hours a day), some weekdays/holidays and the Family having a GoPro for the entire duration 24/7. Living in paradise with the cost of living and cost of a home, its very common to have people working multiple jobs or still living with their parents. Add in a loss of a job, or a medical situation/emergency, or any other variable that could potentially have you sleeping on friends couches or on the streets. See what its like to live on a sidewalk in Kakaako, Oahu Hawaii.

A short film by Daniel Pouesi on the man behind Samoa's famous Cultural Anthem "We are Samoa" — Faanana Jerome Grey. The documentary traces the legendary, 75-year old Samoan songwriter's humble beginnings from the Loto Samasoni, Samoa to the United States where he presently lives and continues to pen music and serenade audiences at places such as Kenwood's and Trader Joe's, California. Featuring some of Samoa's favorite folk songs and music by the late Henry Faanana (Jerome's father), the amazing Grey Sisters, and Jerome. Special appearance by the late Loli Peniamina, one of Samoa's gifted musicians and composers who arranged and recorded Faanana's forthcoming Gospel CD. {{29168}} At the 2022 Pacific Music Awards in New Zealand, the iconic Samoan singer-songwriter will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award. In 2021 he was named Polynesia’s Artist of the Decade by the Asia Pacific Cultural Center in Tacoma,  Washington. Pacific Music Awards Trust spokesperson Rev. Mua Strickson-Pua says:  “Jerome has provided us with a Samoan musical compass linking us to our Alofa of being Samoan, our  Alofa for Samoa and our Alofa for Atua God Tupuaga ancestors showing us the way home.  “Fa'anana epitimises that Pacific composer who musically tells our Pacific stories Tala Fa'asolopito history,  our Malaga journey, and our Tauivi struggles. He tells his love for Samoa, his love for the people of Samoa  and in return we the Samoans around the world sing his Pese song in unison ‘We Are Samoa’.  “The Pacific Music Awards Trust humbly announces Fa'anana Jerome Grey as the Manukau Institute of  Technology Lifetime Achievement recipient. Fa'avae i le Atua Samoa.”  Grey’s legacy will be celebrated at the Pacific Music Awards, with a special tribute performance created to honour his impact on the Pacific music scene.  

A CoconetTV original  The first wave of Chinese immigrants arrived in Samoa in the late 19th Century. As time stretched on and the more that came (be it as free settlers or indentured labourers), they integrated into the culture, learnt the fa'asamoa, married Samoans, had Samoan families and eventually died in Samoa as Samoans. The legacy they left behind is powerful and can be seen in the culture and the people of Samoa today. Despite the history, the newest wave of Chinese to arrive in Samoa has upset a lot of the locals. Taking businesses that should be set aside for Locals, skirting laws set up to prevent them from doing so and funnelling money out of the Samoan economy, are just some of the issues being voiced by Samoans. This documentary delves in to the past, meets the descendants of the people that changed the face of Samoa and takes a look at the potential problems that come with the new wave of Chinese arriving in Samoa today. This is Dragons In Paradise.

A documentary exploring how young people connect with music in schools. This short doco was submitted in 'The Outlook for Someday 2016' Someday Challenge and won The Coconet.TV Pasifika Award. The Someday Challenge is for anyone up to age 24 to make a sustainability-related film, any genre, any length up to 5 minutes. The Outlook for Someday project is run by Connected Media Charitable Trust at theoutlookforsomeday.net Please show your support at connectedmedia.org/donate for our work to help grow a generation of sustainability storytellers. To enter the challenge this year click on the link below: http://www.theoutlookforsomeday.net/about/film-challenge/  

The stories of Samoan fa'afafine from the farms of Savai'i to the stages of the world. Stories that explore the evolution of what it means to be fa'afafine & societies views towards them.

An extraordinary story of a Christian man and a convicted killer. The men have two key things in common; both are fathers, and both have a close connection to the murder of Alonsio Matalasi. His death changed their lives in some very unexpected ways. We go inside prison for the meeting of these two men, brought together by bloodshed.

It’s been wiped out from nearly every other country in the western world but in New Zealand we just can’t seem to eradicate it. Rheumatic fever is firmly entrenched here and rates are on the rise. We’re with 26-year old rugby player, Matt Johnson who’s lucky to be alive, and speak to the doctors who call this disease and it’s ongoing spike in cases, “distressing” and “disgraceful”.

Check out some of the awesome moves by the Fijian Police Marching Band! Bula!! Come to the parade! Here's an experience of the world-renowned Fiji Police Marching Band as they boogie down the main street of Savusavu on the island of Vanua Levu.  For more information: www.fijicharity.org -- This is a companion piece to the films "The Naqaqa Family Farm" https://vimeo.com/143639850 and "Beauty of Fiji Can Make You Cry"https://vimeo.com/140538030 Video by Gary Yost

As a child, Sian Mareko always dreamt of finding her Kiribati father in the hopes of reconnecting to her identity, language and family. Ko rabwa Sian & family, thank you for sharing your amazing story in celebration of Kiribati Language Week. - Tekeraoi n wiikin te taetae ni Kiribati. Happy Kiribati Language Week 🇰🇮

Travel vlogger & journalist Peter Santenello meets up with some old-school Samoans who did many hard years in gangs and prisons in the USA. Their crimes were horrendous but they've decided to change their lives and move forward on a mission to keep the youth out of the gangs that they helped form. Watch the video above for an eye-opening, heart wrenching, and inspirational journey. -  To find out more about the Fou Movement click here and watch the video below -  {{31990}}

In Gangsters in Paradise - Deportees of Tonga, VICE embeds with four Tongan nationals who have been sent back to the tiny island nation where they were born after serving prison time in New Zealand and the United States. Former gang members, they often struggle to reconnect with the culture, the language, and the people. They are haunted by the stigma of their criminal pasts, which casts a pall over their employment prospects and puts a barrier between them and their compatriots. Government support for returnees is non-existent, wages are low, and with Tonga in the midst of a methamphetamine crisis, the temptations to revert to the lives of crime they hoped to leave behind when they left prison are high.

Anchorage is home to thriving Polynesian communities, and over the years residents of the city have adopted a favorite island tradition: honoring graduates with handmade leis. Read the full article on Alaska Dispatch here

Samoan entrepreneur Ben Niumata shares his journey in starting his own business from scratch, including the highs and lows that go with it. He owns and runs one of the most popular burger spots in Brisbane & is now making moves to expand Grubbies Burgers & Hawaiian BBQ Platters.

Hawai'i-based nonprofit program 'Mana Maoli' is a collective of educators, artists, musicians and more who share a common goal of community empowerment. In 2013, they started the Mana Mele Project where they've been able to operate after-school elective classes focused around music and multimedia for Hawai'i youth. Last week on the Tamron Hall show they were named as one of the 2023 Accelerator Awardee's of a $500,000 prize. Mana Maoli says that with their current federal grant projects ending in 9 months and nothing else lined up that the award was perfect timing.

They’re Australia’s most infamous hip-hop act, but the police won’t let them perform live and most of the group has done time behind bars. But OneFour is out to prove that’s their past, and global stardom their future. "