Happy 100th birthday to my grandma Asia in Heaven...

 Today would have been the 100th birthday of my grandma Maria Mareta Asia Su'a and thinking about doing something special to mark this day. She went to be with her Lord soon after her 98th birthday but so glad that I had the privilege of having her as my grandma.

I'm still working on her memoirs as I have so much gong on at the moment but it's one of those priorities that I hope to make some time during the holidays to really get it moving as I had hoped to get it ready for today but sometimes things don't quite go the way you plan it.

Still, there are many life lessons that I learned from her (in past blogs) in not letting her age or being fearful of people and places, or any disabilities etc. define her. She was a very strong woman and in living till 98 she demonstrated how faith in God and living in prayer helped her to bless others.

I'll always be thankful for how she demonstrated love in being generous and giving things away, her determination and tenacity in her faith through prayer and fasting as well as enjoying the simple blessings that God gave her through the blessing of her descendants and our little ones. Happy 100th birthday Grandma...

Last day in Whakatane at Te Wananga o Awanuirangi campus...

Sunset at Awanuiarangi, Whakatane campus

Today is our last day in Whakatane and I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity of coming here to have discussions with my PhD supervisor in checking to see if my writing and thinking is on the right track.

I could have had two more days with the other PhD students but because I have so many other commitments that need my attention, I need to return back to Auckland i.e. my job, church commitments, our elder child's senior school prizegiving in which she's receiving awards, our youngest's school athletics day and I'm behind in some art projects etc. and the list goes on.

This time, however, I was able to concentrate fully on the task in front of me with the various aspects of my thesis that needed attention. Having changed my thesis (over the years) from a research-driven study to one with a more indigenous lens and creative focus, it's going to be interesting to see how this one pans out in the end.

Some of the interesting aspects include: being encouraged to leave the poetry and drawings/paintings in my studies that I initially decided to leave out; having discussions with Samoa elders that will inform my writing pieces; having discussions with a group of diaspora Samoans who will provide feedback on my writings before publishing them to a global audience etc.

There are still lots more considerations to make but I am so pleased that it's worked out for me to complete my studies with an indigenous tertiary institution as it positions me for where I would like the studies to take me to and that's in supporting other indigenous writers and academics in their spaces.

And so now looking forward to the road trip back with my DJ daughter, our music playing (mostly Pasifika beats), schnux (snacks on the side) singing our hearts out during our 4 hour non-stop drive, and praying for protection as we drive into the sunset towards Auckland...

Studying at Te Wananga o te Awanuiarangi, Whakatane campus - Indigenous studies...

 Currently, in Whakatane a 4-hour drive from Auckland to catch up on some much-needed study and Supervision with my Academic supervisor at the campus of Te Wananga o te Awanuiarangi in Whakatane.

It's been neat so far, as I got to take our middle child on this road trip for a couple of days before she starts her NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement) next year with no days off except for when sick etc. So she was the DJ and navigator (via Google maps) and we got here after a non-stop drive with limited dancing and singing in trying to keep my eyes on the road.

Couldn't help comparing it to a plane ride to Samoa which is a 3 and a half hour plane ride which seems to go very fast for me as I'm catching up on the movies or playing games etc. and it was interesting too as I hadn't realised that you had to pay tolls to go on different roads with one long rode with a speed limit of 110 km! that's the first time that I've been able to drive at that speed legally!

Now settled into do some real work on this nemesis thesis which has been the bane of my existence since thinking about it back in 1989 and then finally starting it in 1997 and still continuing it after many start-stop attempts in different universities and facilities and lots of distractions.

This time, no more excuses and I just have to concentrate and finish it off before I go on early retirement :) Still working in the Indigenous studies/research space in creative writing with a topic regarding ideas around measina a Samoa (treasures of Samoa) from various.

Although in many respects, it informs my creative writing and also the directions that our publishing imprint is going in looking at important indigenous stories that we would like to publish and consider supporting in the near future.

And so the work begins. Better stop blogging because that's yet another distraction...

Book launch of a memoir of a special grandfather...

Today my beloved, Tofilau FTF Filisi, launched his first book under our 'Pacific Hibiscus' imprint. A first for our imprint too. It's a very special memoir about his maternal grandfather of whom he loved, respected and greatly admired. An important leader in his village of Siumu but also with a servant heart and love for his families.

It's an important book as it a series that I'd like to work on that acknowledges and gives credit to the indigenous pioneers of our families, the trailblazers who carved out tracks from untrodden paths and who are often forgotten in our stories but not in our hearts.

Today was quite important too as it brought together my beloved's grandfather's descendants i.e. his children, his grandchildren, and even his great, great, grandchildren. And it was so good for our children to hear stories about him and the pioneering spirit that he had. My parents from Samoa were also able to witness this special day and it was a blessing to share in this special day together.

The book was also part of my beloved's community project towards his Master's degree in Applied Indigenous Knowledge. Having completed his writing his project, he now has to present his findings from his indigenous research project to his teachers and peers and answer any questions about it.

What's neat about projects like this is that many young people get to hear important stories and/or read about their ancestors and how inspiring, talented and resourceful they were. They get to learn important lessons and in having a shared history it becomes very encouraging for them to consider the legacy that their ancestors left for them to continue from...

Spending time with my dad and the blessing of a legacy...

A blessing to be with my dad outside my birth church

This afternoon, I had the privilege of joining my dad as he lead the afternoon Samoan service with another longtime friend who read the bible verse and he asked if I could say (read) the prayer in the Samoan language.

It's been a significant time for us as this has been the legacy that my dad (with my mum supporting) has left for many families as he was one of a few key persons who founded the Samoan PIC (Pacific Islands Presbyterian church and started the fundraising for the buildings back in 1968.

Next week the Samoan EKLS (Ekalesia - church body) will be 51 years old since it's first inception. Although I do often joke about the very strict rules as a Presbyterian growing up, I also know that I learned many things, one being the ability to be able to discipline myself as a result.

The women also wear hats which is unheard of in many contemporary church congregations with the encouragement of wearing appropriate cultural clothing i.e. a puletasi (for Samoan women) or to wear a top with a long wrapped skirt of complementing material/s.

Afterwards, we had a celebratory lunch and then my dad got to drive around in his new disability scooter which allows him to be more independent as we're aware of being more cautious around him driving now. A real blessing and I thank God for him...

The power of a dream...

Slide 1 of  5 for my powerpoint presentation this week

This week, I had the privilege of being invited to speak with a group of national Pasifika librarians during their lunchtime session at their biannual LIANZA or NZ Library/Librarians Association conference.

Thanks to Richie, one of the library managers and conference coordinators, it was neat to have the opportunity to share my story about the background to my writing with the chance to share some of my poetry and I also gave away a couple of books (my koha or gift to communities).

When considering what to speak about for the session, I thought about how in each of us, I believe, have been given a dream, a God-thing, I call it and with innate talents and skills that go with it. For some, it's being great at sports or public speaking or the ability to design or bake, etc. So at midnight before my lunchtime session, I began to work on my powerpoint presentation (as I couldn't find my usual one) and called it 'The power of a dream'.

For me, growing up, I enjoyed reading, writing, and art to the extent that it stood out in the different schools and classes that I attended. The support that I had with my parents, although often challenging, was immense in that we were all trailblazing as none had walked in the shoes that we were all pioneering as children of immigrants and first-generation Samoans living in NZ.

The power of the dream for me was about my first love of creating art and enjoying reading and writing. My parents were the influencers that supported my dream even with the strict upbringing as  Presbyterians (my dad's interpretation) of no TV on Sundays when all the other kids would talk about watching Disneyland. I had to either read the bible, do my homework or relax and just read - something that I got pretty good at.

Education was very important in our family as my parents saw it as a 'way out' of succeeding in the new society and there were no excuses given to us for not achieving. They just believed that we could! And so I got quite competitive at school and even into University with a Masters degree at the age of 24 and dashing towards a Ph.D. degree (which I'm still working on :)

But that wasn't the dream, even though I landed pretty good jobs along the way as a secondary school English teacher, Teacher librarian, Produced and Directed school plays, Coached the Dragonboat team, Dean, Education contracts etc. and started climbing up the ranks of an education career, I knew it wasn't the dream having left my dream on the back burner.

That was until, in 2015, I had that neat life-changing conversation with the amazing Maria Fastnedge (earlier blogs) on the 23rd of January 2015. That conversation changed my life and I was back on track to the dream of creating books (reading and writing) and drawing, designing and/or painting the illustrations for our them. Since then there's been no looking back.

I hope I was able to inspire some librarians not to give up their jobs (haha - as it pays the bills) but to check if they felt a 'niggle' about a dream that they each might have had growing up. I shared the story of counting 12 young men and 1 young woman that I had come across as a teacher/dean as I ended up seeing them in Mt Eden prison when I accompanied my then-fiance (now beloved) on our monthly visits. I know that it wasn't their dream to be there but that they had somehow lost their way and hopefully they've each been able to find themselves in a better place now.

I suppose for me it was also about never giving up and having the tenacity to 'roll with the punches' or to learn from the different spaces that I found myself in. An example was that sometimes as an English teacher I often reflected on how it wasn't what I really wanted to do but later realized that the background that I was afforded as an English teacher helped me to learn how to craft poems and plays, to be able to write novels, essays, prose, etc.

If left me feeling very grateful and thankful to God for my parents, the life lessons that I had learned along the way and hopefully as I give back in my community/ies, through the books or speaking engagements, I'll also be paying it forward for someone else who has a dream...

Poetry reading and sharing at local library...

This has been an extremely busy week for me with some speaking engagements in having had a neat opportunity to speak at our local library with some Intermediate students from a local school and the library book club in sharing poetry.

What was also neat was having the opportunity to read some poetry and gift some poetry books to students to encourage them in their writing and to hopefully receive some contributions for our next book.

The two poems that I was able to share with the group were requested by our local library manager and I thought I'd share one of the poems in this blog too (the other was called: 'Mangere my mountain' which I might add in a later blog.

Papa's Mark II Zephyr

Papa's shiny blue and white Mark II Zephyr was his pride and joy
bought back in 1964 to replace the 
racy black bachelor motorbike with its roaring engine,
complete with jet black helmet and chocolate leather crusted bomber jacket.
A family man now with a wife, child and another on the way
no longer with a reputation.
Now respectable, honourable.

Every weekend he'd polish and buff her to sparkly new
kept her as immaculate as could be
her cool steel steering wheel with leather upholstery
she was his pride and joy for almost two decades
but over the years wear and tear took its toll
and pretty soon tears and holes
appeared in her leather seats with doors that no longer closed so well.

In the 70s, whilst other families were upgrading their
cars to the latest Holden Commodore and Ford
Papa still kept his endearing Zephyr
a mutual relationship of love and care
as they traversed many a mile from Auckland to Wellington
with regular family trips to beaches and churches
transporting important guests to important places
she was his trusted friend
but time was beginning to take its toll and fixing it was becoming too costly.

Occasionally, Black Power patched gang members
would knock on the door to ask if he would sell her spare parts
her daughter cringing, wishing he would
but his answer was always the same
his daughter becoming more ashamed
wishing she could ride a more fashionable car
so embarrassed that she would rather walk or scoop down in the back seat
whenever she saw classmates
as they drove by not wanting to be seen in the aging Zephyr.

All too soon, it was all too much
and in the 80s, his Mark II Zephyr had done its dash
and she refused to toil anymore with parts had to find
she could no longer pass the road worthy test so
reluctantly they parted ways
he could not bear to sell her and instead gifted her to a mechanic friend and 
replaced her with a Ford.

We never saw her again
but was sometimes reminded of her
immortalized and remembered
in black and white photos
of better days gone by with loving memories
by him.

(c) 2016 by Helen Tau'au Filisi

In the poetry collection book of "Pacific Hibiscus"

Delightful surprise at Maraetai with Tuia 250 'Hinemoa' Kapetene Dale...

Dale (Kapetene or Captain) of the waka 'Hinemoa

Today I went with my beloved and our youngest to view the Waka (Maori word for canoe or sailing vessel/s) that are berthed at Maraetai beach having heard the news over the weekend that they would be arriving whilst staying at the local marae during the weekend with my colleagues and our classes.

There are several ships and waka (traditional ocean-going vessels) that are a part of the commemorations of Tuia 250 as they sail around the various ports of New Zealand following Captain Cook's original voyages.

It's a three month journey that's been sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage that started in September and ends in December. It's been one of the topics that my Rangahau class (Indigenous Research) has been following and discussing because of the difficult nature around the history of deep-sea ocean voyaging.

In that, as commemorations signal the 250 years of the first European contact with NZ through a Tahitian Master navigator Tupaia assisting Captain Cook to successfully navigate to NZ in 1769 and entering 12 ports, Pasifika voyaging had already been underway perhaps over a thousand years already. 

Unfortunately, Tupuaia never made it back to his homeland of Tahiti and died in Indonesia of scurvy like symptoms and Captain Cook took all the credit. As a youngster, I was taught that Captain Cook had discovered NZ but now I know that it was Tupaia who was the true master navigator and that Captain Cook had discovered nothing as Maori had already inhabited NZ for hundreds of years prior.

The importance of taking our youngest to see the traditional sailing vessels was for her to understand and learn about the true NZ history, (which by the way will become compulsory to learn in schools from 2022) to witness and learn about the amazing feat/s that our distant ancestors would have known about in circumnavigating the Pacific ocean using traditional large double-hulled va'a (Samoan word for vaka). 

When we arrived we were able to witness four of the waka still onshore and sailing tomorrow to the Auckland Viaduct but the most amazing thing was that when we asked to go aboard one of the waka, the kapetane Dale (Samoan word for captain) pictured here introduced himself as one of my past high school students of some 30 years ago and gave me a big hug to my absolute surprise.

Dale had become interested after a Samoan friend had introduced him to yachting and then he joined the renaissance International Pasifika Navigation movement and is now fulltime sailing having sailed to Tahiti to assist the Tahitian waka 'Fa'afeite' to join the flotilla in NZ.

It was an absolute delight to catch up Dale and I loved listening to his journeys with lots of questions for him to answer. Hoping to take our older teenagers to view the boats on the weekend at the Viaduct to see more of the waka and to learn more about our distant deep-sea voyaging past!...

Basking in the ambiance of Umupuia Marae in Maraetai...

Umupuia Marae at Maraetai opposite Maraetai Beach

This last weekend, I spent with my class at our last combined noho (stay over) marae at Umupuia Marae, Maraetai right opposite the beach.

It was a real privilege to have been welcomed onto the marae by the hou kainga (people who are closely associated and/or live on the marae) with a powhiri (traditional Maori welcoming ceremony), shared meals, stories and then slept there and basked in the ambiance (one student described it as) of the environment.

An honour also to share the space with my two amazing colleagues Pomare and Kristin who have been encouraging mentors to my class as well as theirs in learning to understand and appreciate tikanga Maori (protocols) from Maori perspectives as tangata whenua or first peoples of the land.

We were blessed with the opportunity to visit the moana (ocean) and view the sun rising early in the morning and dipping our feet into the sea (too cold for a dip!), we also visited the whare karakia or small chapel onsite, their vegetable and herb gardens complete with worm farming, the big pig Lola and unfortunately I wasn't able to visit the ngahere or bush/forest area as my jandals would have gotten stuck in the mud (as I forgot to bring my running/hiking shoes).

We were also able to drive our vans out with our students to a local river where a wahi tapu or sacred site has, unfortunately, become private land and the burial grounds have been re-landscaped by the current owners. This was so sad to hear the story as for any indigenous peoples, burial grounds are set apart as sacred and to be undisturbed. In trusting that one day these wrongs will be put right for mana whenua, the designated kaitiaki or guardians of the land.

This week, Tuia 250 commemorations are being held at Umupuia Marae, with the replica of the Endeavour ship (Captain Cook's) and a flotilla of waka (Maori and Pacific) sailing vessels berthing near Maraetai shores in commemoration of the 250 years since Captain Cook made first contact to NZ.

I'm hoping to take drive out there with my children so that they are able to witness the amazing Maori and Pasifika contemporary sailing vessels that are designed similarly to those that our navigating ancestors used hundreds of years ago and would recommend this for any who are interested in viewing the vaka, va'a (Samoan word for a water vessel) this week...

Maleficent 2 movie...

The second movie (and possibly the final?) of the Maleficent movies is out and I watched it with our youngest at the official debut a couple of nights ago. Since being a kid I've always been interested in what used to be termed folklore which we now know to be indigenous stories etc. and Cinderella was one of those stories that I found very interested growing up in not then being aware of having our own indigenous folklore stories i.e. tala o le vavau, tala mai anamua (ancient Samoan stories).

What's interesting about this movie is that as the first movie took care of the backstory to how Maleficient (from Cinderella) became evil (in being misunderstood) this second movie reveals what happens when the Princess decides to get married with Michelle Pfeiffer playing the evil mother in law to be.

It's an interesting storyline because it builds on the idea that Maleficient isn't really evil (as the title suggests) but that she has the potential to be evil with the powers that she possesses but that with the love that she possesses as a mother that in actual fact the real evil lies in the step mother to be who is actually human.

I won't spoil the rest of the movie for those who are wishing to watch it as but I must say that I enjoyed the first movie more so than the sequel. Perhaps it's because the creators decided to add other elements that I wasn't sure really fitted with the story but it did develop it further.

Anyway, it has a PG (Parental Guidance) rating with some battle scenes that some young children might find scary but all in all it was interesting to watch the development of the sequel from where the original left it...

Te Haa o Manukau...

(Source: Te Haa o Manukau website)

A couple of days ago, I attended a Pasifika Businesses Social Enterprise seminar at the Te Haa o Manukau, Creative space which was my absolute first time there.

It was an interesting meeting in which we as business owners or interested peoples had the opportunity to talk and network together on what Pasifika Social Enterprises (might) look like. We were able to share our stories and also some insights as to our perspectives of what was happening for us in the various businesses that we were involved in.

The interesting thing I learned from the group discussions was the idea that in fact Pasifika churches are a form of Social Enterprise in that many are run like businesses and have a charitable arm that supports and helps its community as well as the day to day paying of bills and providing services for families, individuals and communities that are often paid for as well.

This was a new way of looking at churches because I hadn't thought of that aspect of churches like that but it was certainly something to consider in that many businesses are looking at ways in which they can invest into community interests or needs from the profits that are made in businesses.

I also learnt that there are 7 different stages from being a business run only for profits to the charity that is only there for support the needs often of a community of people or for other charitable needs of the community i.e. fundraising for animal shelters etc.

All in all, it was a good space to share and to consider what the future might look like for our communities with more interest and understandings around what Pasifika Social Enterprises might look like in the future...

Lotu Tamaiti - White Sunday...

Every single year since having our children, we've celebrated White Sunday a.k.a. Lotu Tamaiti (meaning children's church) at my birth church in Mangere PIC (Pacific Islanders Presbyterian church).

It's usually on the second Sunday of October, this year falling on 13th October, and it's a day where children get to wear white clothes, participate in saying a bible verse, in the Samoan language, or to be a character within a Christian play or dance.

Usually after the service, which is known as the best part, there is a shared meal of celebration where the children get to eat first with food that complements the day.

For me, it's about teaching this legacy, through early missionary contact, to the next generation. As with my parents' generation, they talked it being like Christmas as it was the only day that most children would get new white clothes for church in taking part in this annual service that was dedicated to children.

Growing up, I remember being a part of many White Sunday celebrations in learning verses or lines for a play and now I see my own children doing the same. I think the neat thing is that into the third generation, they are continuing a tradition that was started way before I was even born and now continuing.

And maybe it'll be my turn again, until the next year...

Artwork started for upcoming new book...

Artwork borders completed for an upcoming book

This weekend I got to finish off the borders for the illustrations of our latest book that I've been working on now for at least three years.

The borders bring together the art study that I've been doing for the past couple of months on Samoan traditional tatau (tattoo) designs, motifs and meanings both for the male pe'a or malofie and the female malu.

The interesting part has also been about learning the different Samoan names and parts of the designs as well as some of the meanings of them.

Another interesting challenge and part of the design work has been working with watercolours and ink as a medium rather than the usual acrylics or colour pencils with ink that I've used with past illustrations.

The consideration of the colour palette has also been another area that I've been playing around with ideas and decided to go with a more contemporary take on the earthy colours with the black ink representing the actual tattooed symbols, icon or motifs.

And now for the actual artwork to begin as the text is now almost ready to go and it seems like just yesterday when I was working on the text on our last trip to Melbourne which then seemed complete but now I know was waiting for the right time to start which is now...

Inspirational song for Sunday still no. 1 ...

If you haven't yet heard Lauren Daigel's no.1 (in the U.S.) Christian song that has broken records of being on the Christian song charts for the most weeks i.e. over 62 weeks (that's well over a year) then you are in for a treat.

'You say' is a neat reminder that sometimes we need to remember that God has a better outlook on what's happening in our lives more than we can see or know and that we shouldn't be confined into living in spaces that people think we should.

I only have to think about the pioneering spirit that my parents had and that was passed onto me and that I hope to pass onto my own children and the next generation about not being confined into spaces, about having no fear because of the limitations of peoples imaginations and more about having and living a faith in a God that is bigger and better than any technology, money, power or personality on earth.

A faith that gives a greater purpose, accountability and meaning to life as we know it. This is shared also in the song by Hillsong United 'Ocean' (Australia) which topped the charts for 61 weeks second now to Lauren's song.

Enjoy...

Finally 'The Adventures of Tupaia' who was the real master navigator...

Yesterday, whilst on my shopping mall duties with my children, I came upon this new book called 'The Adventures of Tupaia' by Courtney Sina Meredith (NZ Samoan poet) and now author.

Whitcoulls is one of the favourite places of our youngest to visit as it encompasses a book, stationery, toy and giftshop (all in one) and that's where I spied the book to add to our collection.

This is one important story that needed to be told and I had considered it but as it wasn't my story to tell, I'm so glad that now many young people and people, in general, will know who the real hero of Captain Cooks voyages was.

Over the last few years since teaching and learning much through the lens of Indigenous Research, I've read and come across a lot of writings and information that reveals that Polynesian / Pasifika ancestors were people who were at the forefront of living sustainably, with languages that have similar origins, crafting canoes and sea voyaging vehicles that traversed thousands of miles and populated islands throughout the pacific centuries before Captain Cook was even born.

I've reviewed another book, in this blog, about Tupaia/Tupaea's exploration with Captain Cook's expedition which is a more comprehensive read for adults but this book was originally written for children to teens to learn about him.

Launched last month, it comes at a time when people are questioning why there are celebrations to mark 200 years since Captain Cook's voyaging and 'first contact' which used to be taught as discovery when in actual fact the doctrine of discovery was colonial, oppressive and misleading (to put it mildly) for indigenous peoples he came in contact with when the actual inhabitants had already 'discovered' the lands.

This book begins to right the story that it was actually Tupaia who helped to navigate Cook Captain to Aotearoa and that Captain Cook didn't actually discover anything except that it was the first time that Europeans had come in contact with NZ but not for Pasifika peoples or Polynesians who had been long traversing the vast oceanic continent i.e. moana nui a kiwa...

Congratulations to all our Pasifika scholarship recipients...

(Photo credit: AUT website)

A big CONGRATULATIONS to our eldest who is heading out to AUT University next year having been accepted into their law school and in winning an AUT Kiwa Scholarship which was announced on her birthday!

This is so significant as the word 'Kiwa' is the shortened form of 'Moana nui a kiwa' which is the Maori Indigenous name for the Pacific ocean. It is also known as the water continent that Pacific ancestors sailed through to get to Aotearoa and that my parents sailed across when immigrating to NZ in the late 1950s - 1960s for a better future.

This scholarship recognises academic achievement, all-round ability, cultural participation and leadership potential open for all Pasifika secondary students in New Zealand with Pasifika heritage.

The hard work has paid off and our eldest can now go into her last year at high school with external exams content in knowing that the last three years hard slog has put her in good stead for a solid first year at Uni. As a parent and Alumni of Auckland Uni, of course, I wished that she would go there for her undergraduate studies but have instead left this decision to her as I'm also an alumni of AUT and wish our eldest the best in all her endeavours.

As a leader and teacher, it's also about giving our children or students many potential pathways of access to higher education that they must ultimately choose from. In saying this, whilst in Samoa, I was still writing letters of recommendation for some of my students who wanted to pathway into the Masters of Applied Indigenous Knowledge course as some had years of experience in Indigenous knowledge and others already with degrees, etc.

One thing that I'm always conscious of is that educational qualifications do not make a person better than others. I only have to think about my hardworking parents and the sacrifices that they made for me and ultimately for our children in now having stability in our lives with a home and foundation church in NZ and a home in Samoa, through hard work in serving their communities. They did it despite not having academic qualifications.

Other values that I learned through my parents and especially my father was learning about humility in having achieved academically and not be arrogant. I've also learned in becoming a leader that it's not about staying there, by myself, but in giving a helping hand for many others to also achieve. At present, I'm awaiting the results of seven students who graduated from my class and were accepted into the Master's 2-year cohort degree to see if they will all graduate next year. My beloved has completed and he is one of them.

So to our eldest, I wish her all the best, that she keeps the Christian and Samoan values that we've taught her: to walk humbly and not arrogantly (with me in the background discussing) and to enjoy working hard towards achieving and then to help someone/others along the path in never forgetting where you came from and those who helped you to get there i.e. leaning on the shoulders of giants (our pioneering parents who came from Samoa). That's what true achievement is really about...

2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages...

(Photo credits: Official logo of www.en.iyil2019.org.)

As a part of the course that I'm currently teaching in the indigenous research space, I came across information stating that 2019 is the year that the U.N. or United Nations decided to mark as the year of celebrating Indigenous languages. (Please visit www.en.iyil2019.org for further information)

What was concerning for me was that I hadn't heard of or had seen this at all advertised in our local or national media i.e. print form, TV, radio or even on social media from the beginning of the year or perhaps I may have missed it? but have you?

That's why I decided to blog about it to bring attention to such an important emphasis that needs to made for indigenous languages that carry unique world views and cultural concepts/principles and practices that need to be carried on for future generations to learn about.

If you check out the website above indigenous languages are becoming endangered for many cultures as colonial or host languages have taken precedence as the preferred languages of educational institutions and past racist policies barred indigenous peoples from even speaking their languages in schools.

You only have to look at New Zealand's, Samoa's and other Pacific nation's racist colonial histories to see the abysmal experiences that indigenous peoples had in some generations losing their indigenous languages especially if indigenous parents have moved for a host country that doesn't have opportunities to teach children their indigenous languages or they don't have access to those resources (quite apart from choosing not to teach them).

For me in the space that I work in at Te Wananga o Aotearoa, it has been so reassuring to see the renaissance of many Maori youth now becoming bilingual but especially in learning their indigenous language throughout their education.

I'm thankful for my parents encouraging us at home and putting us in a church and family settings where I could regularly hear Samoan spoken, see it written and learn to appreciate the principles, protocols, and worldviews that I otherwise would have not known about had we been fully immersed into pakeha (European) culture.

The question for us now is about how are we ensuring that the next generation of our own families are being encouraged to learn about, speak, read, to be informed about our indigenous languages and cultural principles? Can our children speak, read, learn about our indigenous languages now or in the future? what things are we putting in place so that our next generation are able to access that knowledge and language/s. Definitely something to think about...

Maria Tauau's art works featured...

Favourite pic of Maria Tauau's artwork

Today I'd like to feature the art of my lil' sis Maria. Like me, she took art through high school to a senior level Year 13 and mastered in Printing where she gained an excellence endorsement. I actually believed that her art hadn't yet reached it's potential in seeing how gifted she was and encouraged her to try painting instead and from there she took off.

You can check out her commissioned art works on three covers of our books i.e. Pacific Hibiscus - a poetry collection (2016), A Midsummer night's dream with a taste of Polensia - Pasfika play (2016) and Sense of Belonging - a community anthology of shorts stories and poetry (2018).

I've encouraged her to carry on with her studies to a Masters level with her art and wish her well in her endeavours to continue putting her artworks out there for our communities to appreciate too. You can also find some of her ink drawings at Middlemore hospital (South Auckland) in the antenatal unit featuring her Samoan/Pacifika styled works of art and we've taken some of her art to Samoa to grace the walls of our new home there.

The above multimedia artwork featuring three Samoan/Pasifika women is so far my mum and my favourite art pieces of Maria's at this time. It features a Samoan taupou wearing the traditional tuiga (ancient headpiece for ceremonial occasions) and the frangipani and hibiscus flowers that are some of our favourite flowers in the Pacific.

I'm hoping at some future time and space to bring together our art works and have a two women exhibition with her to feature some of our art to display for our communities and also for local schools to visit but that's in the planning stages. But for now we're working on another cover of an upcoming book that will feature Maria's talent with more to come...