"RAIDING THE DAWN" - Poem by Marina Alefosio
“Raiding the Dawn” is an original poem written and performed by south Auckland Poet Marina Alefosio at the Official New Zealand Government Apology for the Dawn Raids Ceremony, held at the Auckland Town Hall on August 1st 2021.
The waking hour can be the most intimate time of a persons day, therefore it is a time when we are at our most vulnerable. With local Pasifika communities disproportionately and unfairly targeted during the dawn raids of the 1970's, Marina reflects on these traumatic events in a poem about that is as much about reconciliation as it is about the reclamation of time, identity and relationships.
It also serves to remind us of the past histories of Pasifika migrants to Aotearoa New Zealand while offering up hope for future generations to come.
Marina Alefosio is an Aotearoa-born Sāmoan poet from the villages of Mulifanua, Leauva’a, Faleasiú and Falefa. She has worked over a decade with the artforms of spoken word; hip hop and theatre and is passionate about using the arts as a way to serve her community with a focus on youth.
She has performed both locally and internationally for varied events including TedX Auckland 2013; Nuyorican Poets Café New York 2012; Adelaide Fringe Festival 2016 and most recently at the Dawn Raids Apology Ceremony in Auckland 2021. She was awarded two writers residencies with Banff Creative Arts Institute in Canada in 2019 and with Tautai Arts Trust in 2021 and has co-written 3 theatre shows with the Black Friars Theatre Company from 2018-2021.