Culture Compass

"If kava is extracted and introduced into another beverage, is it still kava?" That's the question Fe'iloakitau Kaho Tevi, Chairman of Tonga’s National Kava Committee, has been posing to Pacific leaders. Today, kava is being rapidly commercialised - squeezed into pills, energy shots, and mocktails around the world, while finding eager new markets closer to home in places like Kiribati and the Solo...

Across the Pacific, traditional medicine has always been a way of life. Through centuries of colonisation, suppression, and cultural disruption, our elders held tight to this ancestral knowledge, ensuring it survived against all odds.  But today, traditional healing faces a new fight, a rapidly changing environment. As extreme droughts and superstorms reshape ecosystems, invasive weeds are crowdin...

Long before weather apps and radars existed, nature was the Pacific's living weather forecast. Elders would observe signs — like the flowering of a seasonal tree or the flight path of a seabird — to understand when to plant, fish, or bunker down for severe weather. But as climate change alters seasonal rhythms across the region, these long-standing indicators are being put to the test. So, can anc...

Throughout the Pacific, every single part of the coconut tree is used in our daily life. It's a source of nourishment, a medicine, a material to weave your market bag, and so much more! But our tree of life is being tested. Extreme weather, invasive pests, and viral infections are threatening. So what happens when a species that has sustained Pacific communities for centuries faces an uncertain fu...

“When you're out there, you feel the swells. And when you feel it, you depend on it.”  For centuries, Pacific wayfinders could read trade winds and predict sea conditions months ahead. Today, unpredictable storms, shifting swells and severe weather brought on by environmental shifts are putting traditional navigators to the ultimate test. How do you voyage when the natural elements you rely on are...

A fishing rock underwater. A spiritual water hole inundated. An island slipping into the sea. Across our Pacific, rising seas are altering the landscape, taking the physical markers of our oral history with them.  When our elders’ stories are tied directly to physical places, what happens to the language and culture rooted there when those landmarks are swallowed up?  Papua New Guinean conservatio...

We're known as movers and migrators but trekking away from the islands doesn't mean we lose our cultures in the diaspora. We move away from our villages for many different reasons — it could be to play sport, for a job or to give our children different opportunities. But we always seem to find a way back home, even if it is by just knowing the best spot in the city for island comfort food. From th...

You can't deny the power of sharks. Different countries across the Pacific have their own shark-related rituals. In the New Ireland province of Papua New Guinea, it's shark calling. The locals believe the shark holds the spirits of their ancestors — the men of the village sing to the sharks to catch them to provide food for the village. But as marine life faces threats from commercial fishing and...

Like a lot of Pacific Island cultures, we breathe life into our stories through movement and dance. But there's something different about Hula — the poetic fluid movement and mesmerising music. It tells a story of survival. This ancient tradition has a rich history that has persisted despite attempts to ban and commercialise the dance. So, how are Hawai'ians of today getting back to their roots an...

Is hair ever really – "just hair"? Across the Pacific, each nation has its way of respecting and celebrating the hair on our heads. It plays a role in our culture and dress, and it becomes important at different stages of life and death.

The "organic" industry might seem new but it's as old as our farming traditions. In fact, half of the world's organic agricultural land is in Oceania, with nations like Samoa and Papua New Guinea leading the way. So if that's the case, then why are nations that have survived on the produce grown solely on their islands for thousands of years struggling with food security? Introduced crops, modern...

"It's just like an early morning coffee. People wake up, take a shower, they brush their teeth, they're go and grab betelnut." Betel nut – or buai – is everywhere in Papua New Guinea. Buai is the seed of the Areca nut, wrapped in betel leaf… and chewed until you feel a surge of energy. It has plenty of ceremonial uses, but for everyday chewers this is a recreational activity. However, it's addicti...

Joy, hard times, old times and changing times – Pacific Island musicians capture it all in song. And it's not restricted to what you might call "traditional" music – we fold in the musical influences of wherever we end up in the world. The result is Pasifika rock n roll, hip hop, RnB, any genre – you name it! So, are there common threads that tie Pacific artists together, and how do we make sure t...

Home is more than four walls and a roof, it's what happens inside that makes it special. All across the Pacific you see sophisticated designs that reflect cultural protocols and family structures. We've even got our own master builders and architects who hold the knowledge of these ancient construction industries. But slowly they're being replaced by cheaper materials and imported designs. It's a...

Think shells. Think stone. Think pandanus leaves woven into mats so delicate you could mistake them for silk. These are the items that hold value for us. It's a different kind of currency. It takes time, skill and cultural knowledge to make these treasures, and unlike money, you can't just print more when they run out. So how can we preserve the skills necessary to make these priceless items, whil...

If you grew up in the Pacific Islands, you probably have some understanding of which plants are useful and which ones to avoid. Before we had western medicines we knew that plants save lives, and all across the Pacific we know exactly which ones were for burns, cuts and infections. Of course there are benefits to modern medicine, but should we totally disregard the traditional ways of treating ail...

It’s clear that kava is expanding far beyond our Islands.  Kava bars are popping up around the world, as far away as New York City and the Rocky Mountains in the USA.  That’s creating jobs in the Pacific and economic opportunity for Pasifika people living abroad.   Like ‘Anau Mesui Henry, who started a kava lounge in Aotearoa inspired by her parents who used the plant to find their community after...

For thousands of years, we voyaged the ocean between islands, using the stars to find the way as the birds warned us of storms ahead. This is how we travelled across the Pacific before planes, before satellites, before people arrived on their own ships with compasses and maps. As modern technologies arrived some of the old ways are drifting away, but expert navigators continue to share their knowl...

"Our practice was quiet for a moment. It was quiet for a generation, it wasn't eradicated. And now it's back. And it's loud. And it's here, it's in your face — literally, on your face! And now we're just living that practice every day." Moale James' tattoos are a powerful link to her Papua New Guinean ancestors. The meaning of tattoo changes Island to Island, village to village, right across the P...

As soon as that first drop of fat hits the frying pan, the smell of nostalgia fills the kitchen. If you grew up in a Pacific Island household, you can probably conjure it up wherever you are. It's the smell of corned beef, spam, bully beef — whatever you call it, those tins of salty, pink jellied meat have become a staple across the islands. But exactly how did corned beef gain such cultural clout...

Storytelling has always been the backbone of our culture — a way to teach, to remember, to entertain. And now a new generation of filmmakers is projecting that legacy on screen, using modern tools to tell our truths. From grassroots DIY shoots to Hollywood blockbusters, these storytellers are redefining what it means to see ourselves on screen. You'll hear from Papua New Guinean producer Michellin...

"To my knowledge, it was the first time we saw a riot influenced by democracy," says Alice Lolohea, ABC's Tongan presenter for The Pacific. "People asked, if leaders overseas can be held accountable, why can't we hold ours to account?" What does monarchy mean in the Pacific today? How do these systems balance leadership, accountability, and culture, and how do they compare to Western royal ideals?...

When ancient customs meet modern politics, who holds the power? In certain parts of the Pacific, it's always been the women. They're called matrilineal chiefly societies — where women inherit the land, titles and responsibilities. But those systems were disrupted by the patriarchal structures that followed colonisation and Christianity. Now, women chiefs are navigating their way back to a rightful...

How well do you really know your family tree? Modern life makes it harder to keep tabs on who we're connected to. Not long ago, genealogy wasn't something you had to study — it was simply passed down in conversation. But as we move to cities and drift further from our family base, that tree is becoming harder to map From family reunions to social media groups and even custom-built apps, genealogy...

"They're our ancestors living with us, watching over our lives." Figurines, idols, and carved wooden objects have protected homes and villages for generations. Edgar Hinge from Vanuatu's Cultural Centre says the sacred slit drum, or Tamtam, is more than a carved instrument — it's a bridge to ancestors and a tool for communication. From Vanuatu's Tamtams to Trobriand Island masks and Cook Island's...