Coming to the Mat

In this 2 part series on FOOD with our guest, Kirk Huffman, we discuss food in Melanesia. We look at food from two different lenses. Part 1 of the episode, we focused on Food and identity and in the 2nd episode, we look at the Cultural relationship between food and Women and Men of Vanuatu. In this second part about Food and Identity in the Pacific, particularly in the Melanesia region of the Paci...

In this 2 part series on FOOD with our guest, Kirk Huffman, we discuss food in Melanesia. We look at food from two different lenses. Part 1 of the episode, we focus on Food and identity and in the 2nd episode, we look at the Cultural relationship between food and Women and Men of Vanuatu. In this first part about Food and Identity in the Pacific, particularly in the Melanesia region of the Pacific...

In this episode we talk with members of the group, Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change at https://www.pisfcc.org/ and how they can help make a difference in the fight against climate change. This group of young climate activists will share what inspired them to make a difference and how they are using what they learned in their education to help mitigate the climate crisis that is aff...

In this episode we talk with Anna Naupa, a Harvard graduate from Vanuatu about the importance of story telling in the historical record. The recent book Taf Tumas was published as an example of a locally produced historical record to highlight important contributions of people in Vanuatu in it's history since independence in 1980. The book can be found at http://www.taftumas.com .

In this three part series of celebrating Pacific Island women for their work as leaders in research and storytelling as part of the international women’s day, we had the privilege to speak to our second guest, Dr. Tarisi Sorovi-Vunidilo. Dr. Vunidilo is a renowned indigenous Fijian archaeologist, Fiji language expert, and cultural holder. She is also an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the U...

As we celebrate the international women’s day on the 8th of March of 2021, MWT would like to celebrate three Pacific Island women for their work as leaders in research. We would like to recognize and highlight the work of these three scholars who have been quietly working in the background as researchers and writers in their own respective fields and their contributions to the field of knowledge a...

Episode 10 What does it mean to be Indigenous with Kirk Huffman. In this episode on the mat, we discuss what it means to be Indigenous. We will talk with Kirk Huffman, who is a good friend of the podcast and of Melanesian Women Today. He has worked and lived with indigenous people in many parts of the world. Kirk Huffman is both an Anthropologist and Ethnologist who pursued studies in Anthropology...

Show notes: Where is Eratap Village? https://www.google.com/maps/place/Eratap,+Vanuatu/@-17.7887003,168.3685829,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x6e896145023ce9b7:0xf8fba8d1c1488461!8m2!3d-17.7857045!4d168.3636007 Vanuatu Mama's English Class https://www.melanesianwomentoday.org/mamasenglishclass https://www.facebook.com/login.php?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FVanuatuMamasEnglishClass%2F What is Bisla...

Traditional economy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_economy The return of shell money: PNG revives old ways after Covid's blow to economy by Kalolaine Fainu in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/22/the-return-of-shell-money-png-revives-old-ways-after-covids-blow-to-economy Barter for Better Fiji https://www.facebook.com/groups/2964591663604507/...

A Child of Oceania, reclaiming our space as Pasifika storytellers We spoke with Kalo Fainu via Skype from the small island of Nusa in New Ireland in Papua New Guinea. See the links below. New Ireland https://www.google.com/maps/search/new+ireland/@-3.0798852,150.5037622,8z/data=!3m1!4b1 Nusa Island Retreat. https://www.nusaislandretreat.com/ East New Britain https://www.google.com/maps/place/East+...

Learn More About Yalinu Here

In today's episode we will be discussing pandemics and depopulation across the Pacific Region in history and traditional economies. Our Special Guest today is Mr. Kirk Huffman who was the first full-time Curator of the National Museum of the Vanuatu Cultural Centre (VKS) from 1977 until the end of 1989. He studied anthropology, prehistoric anthropology, and ethnology at the Universities of Newcast...

On the 30th of January 2020, WHO declared coronavirus (COVID-19) a global public health emergency. In its early stages, the Covid-19 crisis around the world looked nothing like it is today. The initial state-of-emergency declarations were met by skepticism by both the public, and many in policy circles around the world, which exemplify what behavioral scientists call confirmation bias, until it be...

Youth of the Nation Donation Link

Buka, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea This 3 episode series is part of Life Changes, our new normal during COVID-19 era, a series of storytelling that will feature real human stories of experiences from everyday ordinary women from all walks of life from the South Pacific - exploring the theme of change - how COVID-19 has changed our lives and how we respond to the changes in the world around us.