‘Pacific Island nation’ in Aotearoa
In all the conversations taking place in the Pacific region today, there is one that is often ignored simply because it is under a “long white cloud” – Aotearoa. This conversation is about the “Pacific nation” that is in the country of New Zealand, and the issues that affect the lives of New Zealand based islanders, which in turn impact other island communities in the Pacific region.
Pacific Islanders who live in New Zealand, and for that matter Australia, view themselves as very much part of the Pacific; they are proud of and greatly value their Pacific heritage, and most speak Pacific languages and practice Pacific culture.
It is without question that the biggest financial aid to the Pacific does not come from the Government of New Zealand but direct remittances from Pacific Islanders in New Zealand to their families and relatives, as well as community projects in the islands.
The indigenous Maori and Pakeha who make up most of New Zealand’s population do not consider their country a Pacific Island or themselves Pacific Islanders. This goes against the face of its geographical placing, as well as the fact that New Zealand is a member and major participant in the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). But that does not negate the fact there is a vital, growing, and positively thriving Pacific community or “nation” in New Zealand.
There are over 300,000 Pacific Islanders in Aotearoa (another 150,000 in Australia). And Auckland is the biggest Polynesian city in the world. There are more Polynesians living, and working there than any other location in the world, bigger than Honolulu, Suva, Apia, Pape’ete, or Nuku’alofa.
The Pacific Islanders of New Zealand are actively engaged in their own communities as well as in the “homeland” island states they (or their parents and grandparents) are originally from.
By 2026 one in eight people between the ages of 15-39 in New Zealand will be of Pacific descent. Pacific peoples have the opportunity to help shape and influence New Zealand in almost every sphere.
The Samoans constitute the largest group of islanders at 130,000; seconded by the Cook Islanders at about 80,000; and followed by the Tongans at over 55,000.
There are more Niuens in New Zealand than in Niue; more Tokelauans than in Tokelau; and groups of Tuvaluans, I-Kiribati, Fijians, Tahitians, Melanesians, and others make up the rest of the Pacific Islanders whose influence range from the education and health sectors, sports and entertainment, commerce and politics, media and the world of creative communication.
Pacific Islanders do make significant contributions to New Zealand society in almost every sphere. But you would not believe this according to some of the biased and extremely negative coverage by New Zealand’s media on Pacific peoples.
Pacific Islanders media such as AM Radio 531PI and Niu FM, together with regularly scheduled TV programs such as Tagata Pasifika, swim against the current of so-called mainstream New Zealand media that often characterizes criminals as “either Maori or Polynesians”; as if Maori is not Polynesian, and Polynesian according to this kind of media coverage can mean anyone “big and brown.”
Despite this racially insensitive treatment by a predominantly white media in New Zealand, the Pacific Island communities are well served by vernacular newspapers produced and distributed among Samoan, Tongan, and Niuean communities. There is also a weekly English language newspaper that serves Pacific Islanders who would rather read their news in English.
If there is a sphere that is increasingly impacted by Pacific Islander participation, it is sports, particularly contact sports such as rugby union, rugby league, rugby sevens, boxing, and netball.
From the legendary Brian Williams and Michael Jones, to Jonah Lomu and Tana Umaga, Pacific Islanders, despite their small population have changed the face of New Zealand rugby for good. And who can question the fact that Valerie Adams, of Tongan descent, is New Zealand’s top athlete, having dominated world women’s shot put for many years.
In the world of music and entertainment, Pacific Islanders have carved out a special place for themselves. Individuals and groups like Scribe, Three Doors Down, Nesian Mystik, Ladi6, Pacific Underground, and Adeaze are only a few of those who are New Zealand grown and based, and who have taken their influence to the world.
In movies and television, Jay Laga’ala, Rene Naufahu, Robbie and Pua Magasiva, Joe Folau, Mia Blake, and John Tui are major actors who call New Zealand home. And in terms of celebrations and cultural festivals, the Pasifika Festival, held each year in Auckland, is the Southern hemisphere’s biggest cultural festival of any kind with over 200,000 people visiting the two-day event.
In business and commerce, Pacific Islanders who have become millionaire entrepreneurs because of their good business practice include people like Real Estate giant Mike Pero; and Adrian Orr, the Manager of the New Zealand Super Fund who grew it from $4 billion in one year to $23 billion in 2013; and many successful small business millionaires like Allana and Sam Kaipo of “Mango Madness.”
The Samoans lead all other Pacific Islanders in the number of seats they occupy in New Zealand’s Parliament with either one of the major parties, National or Labour. There are seven Samoan MPs in the New Zealand Parliament currently.
Tongans lead in the academic field among Pacific Islanders, based on per population comparison, they have the largest number of graduates holding higher degrees of Masters and PhDs. There are many distinguished islanders teaching at all the major universities of New Zealand, among them quite a number of Fijian academics.
In the medical field, many Pacific Islanders are doctors, nurses, and even specialist practitioners in almost every field of medicine. People like Professor Satupa’itea Viali whose research and accomplishment in the field of Cardiology is known worldwide; or Dr Tokilupe Taumoepeau, the first Pacific Island woman doctor with specialist qualification in vascular surgery. And in civil, mechanical, electrical, and IT engineering, the list is very long.
But probably the sphere where Pacific Islanders lead everyone else in New Zealand is religion. Put together the number of Pacific Islanders who are members of different churches – Catholic, Protestant, and Evangelical, there are more of them than any other group. Developing spirituality and social relationships have become the main stay of these numerous churches, serving the Pacific Island community well with moral religious teaching in their ethnic languages and culture
The New Zealand government recognizes the importance of Pacific Islanders to New Zealand society they created a Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs with its own minister in cabinet.
There is also the Pacific Business Trust, a government funded organization that helps to develop Pacific Island businesses in New Zealand. And there are numerous NGOs throughout New Zealand serving Pacific Island interests.
Economic development in New Zealand is well aided by an increasingly skillful Pacific Island labor force. And as for New Zealand politics, Pacific Islanders are keen participants as a voting power base in the democratic process.
But the question that has been asked on a number of occasions, and is worth posing here, is whether the growing Pacific Island nation in Aotearoa should have their own representative community council that oversees Pacific Island interests, and even have input to New Zealand’s foreign policy to the island states of the Pacific?
