Tiana
Haxton RNZ Pacific journalist/presenter
The
stories of Pacific women who helped shape Porirua have been
brought into the spotlight in a new exhibition celebrating
the 50th anniversary of Pacific Allied (Women’s) Council
Inspires Faith In Ideals Concerning All. Incorporated
(P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. Inc.)
Marama Malama: Te Manava
Moana Women at Pataka Art and Museum honours generations
of women whose leadership, advocacy and service have
impacted Pacific communities across New
Zealand.
Photographed by Nu’ugalo Jacinta Mauga, the
exhibition features portraits of local Pasifika community
leaders, alongside stories recounting the legacies they have
each built for future generations.
The showcase is
timed with Matariki – guided by the remembrance star
Pohutukawa: and also pays tribute to the pioneers whose work
laid the foundations for Pacific people in
Porirua.
“We
made things happen here in Porirua, in New Zealand, we have
made a difference!”
That is what Gagau Annandale-Stone
said the exhibition celebrates.
She and her sister
Sose are featured together in the exhibitions, honouring
their later mother Elaine Uluave-Annandale who was the first
Pacific woman elected as Porirua City Councillor in 1983.
Today, her daughters carry her legacy forward, serving as
government officials and civil servants.
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Gagau wants
people visiting the exhibition to remember the sacrifices of
those who came before, and recognize the work still
ongoing.
“What would I want them to feel? To just get
a sense of these amazing women, this amazing community who
came from somewhere else to build something here to give
diversity, to give difference, to give options and
alternatives, and to make this a much better and enriched
culture here in Porirua, in Aotearoa.”
Her
sister Sose Annandale said the exhibition stands as a
reminder that today’s Pacific leaders are here because of
yesterdays sacrifices.
“We’re standing on the shoulder
of these giants, and their memories, their service to this
community, and what they did inspires us to do the work that
we continue to do today. We do everything we can to uplift
our people, but not just that, to actually honour our
culture, our identity, and our sense of
belonging.”
Also honoured in the exhibition is
Teremoana O-Maua-Hodges – a Cook Islands educator and
designer of Tivaivai research methodologies.
She said
seeing the portraits spark memories among visitors has been
the most rewarding part of the grand opening.
“And
it’s going to have people who are going to come, they’re
going to start reflecting. Like today it took me ages to
leave the room, because so many people say I remember when I
was at Brandon.
“I remember when we did this, so the
connections have been made. So the whole exhibition is so
far successful.”
O-Maua-Hodges said organisations such
as P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. Inc. remain vital to ensure Pacific
communities continue to have a seat at decision-making
tables.
“P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. means that they are in the
forefront, so we have representatives, we have voices, we
have people who will be the voices of the individual
Pasifika nations… So PACIFICA is going to give voices to
those individual islands, huge or small, villages,
family.”
For
Teresa Koliavu, a community support worker and volunteer
school chaplain, being recognised alongside women she
describes as “legends” is humbling.
“It’s very
overwhelming for me to be with all the, I guess, the legends
of Porirua, the Pacific people, and I’m just so blessed to
be amongst them as well.”
She said the exhibition
acknowledges the generations of Pacific women whose hard
work created opportunities and opened doors for those who
followed.
“It’s really just recognizing all the all
the mahi and all the mamas, all the things that they have
done to contribute to where our Pacific people are, and how
they’ve toiled, worked so hard, it implanted roots … our
future generation will look back and see, you know, what
their mamas have done.”
As P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. Inc. marks
its 50th anniversary, Marama Malama: Te Manava Moana
Women stands not only as a celebration of the women who
shaped Pacific communities in New Zealand, but also an
invitation to the next generation to carry their stories
forward and take the lead to shape the
future.
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