The Moanan

EP05 with Dr Lana Lopesi. Dr Lopesi is an Assistant Professor in the department of Indigenous Race and Ethnic Studies, University of Oregon where she teaches Pacific Islander studies, Indigenous feminisms and contemporary art. Stoked to have her on the podcast to share her knowledge & experience with us 🌊 Details to our upcoming events this month: AKL, NZ Live podcast with Auckland Libraries...

EP04 with traditional CHamoru carver Hila’an San Nicholas  Representing a new wave of young Indigenous knowledge holders, Hila’an shares ancient CHamoru wisdom, Indigenous worldviews & about the ancient practice of carving.  Send us Fan Mail The Moanan is a Pacific-lef social enterprise based in Auckland, Aotearoa. We're building a global community of thinkers, creatives, and change-maker...

Did you know that one of the largest Pacific diasporas in the world are Melanesians in the Netherlands?  These are the people of Maluku, who are known as Moluccans. But how come you haven’t heard of them?  In this EP we sat down with our sisters from Maluku who share the Moluccan story. With much of the history being absent from history & general discourse, we got an insight into the Maluku’s...

We are joined by Professor Tēvita O. Ka‘i, a prominent Tongan anthropologist and scholar whose work focuses on Indigenous Tongan knowledge, cultural anthropology, and Pacific studies. As an expert in Tongan cosmology and philosophy, Kaʻili has contributed significantly to the understanding and revitalization of traditional Tongan ways of knowing and being. He emphasizes how Indigenous knowledge sy...

Aloha mai kakou! Welcome to our ‘Moanan Abroad’ season. To kick off this series we have Kalehua Krug . A kumu (school principle), kakau marker (Hawaiian tattooing), scholar and Indigenous philosopher. Originally from Moloka’i, he now resides in Wai’anae on the island of O’ahu.  In this episode he shares with us Indigenous philosophies and worldviews from a Kanaka Maoli (Indigenous Hawaiian) perspe...

We hosted our Pō Talanoa Winter last month with our local community of Moanans. From Christians to Indigenous Spiritualists to Atheists, we had a range of different Moanans in the room discussing a topic that's important to us.  Huge thank you to our guests for this episode - Te Rina (Aotearoa, Tahiti) and Christian (Viti, Samoa). IG: @themoanan Email: hello@themoanan.com Please contact us vi...

We are back for a special episode! Last month we were privileged to attend The Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, Pacific Arts Festival, or FestPAC. Our mission was clear — to rekindle vā that our forefathers established long ago.  Tune in as we talanoa about our experience of connecting with our people from all across the Moana. Send us Fan Mail The Moanan is a Pacific-lef social enterprise ba...

In this special episode we share the live discussions from our Autumn Pō Talanoa event held a few weeks ago. Tune in to hear the voices of our Moanan community in Tāmaki Makaurau,  Aotearoa as we talanoa about the historical, present & future vā (relationship) between tangata whenua (Māori) and tangata moana (Pacific Islanders) in Aotearoa. Send us Fan Mail The Moanan is a Pacific-lef social e...

Our final episode for SZN 1!  For this episode we asked you, our community, to send in questions & topics for us to discuss. We had a range of history & contemporary topics sent in so thank you to everyone who responded!  We cover topics from non-Moanans practicing & selling kava, to ever changing Moanan cultures of the diaspora, ideas of blood quantum and much more.  We want to say a...

Final guest for season one! In this episode, Bradford Haami (Ngāti Awa), an accomplished author, researcher & lecturer covers a range of mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge):  Pepeha & Whakapapa (genealogy) Connections between Māori and the rest of the Moana Indigenous spirituality and Christianity Send us Fan Mail The Moanan is a Pacific-lef social enterprise based in Auckland, Aotearoa. We...

Our guest this week is Manase Lua, a matāpule from his village of Vaini in the Kingdom of Tonga. A keen learner of Moanan history, a community & cultural leader, our talanoa with Manase took us on a journey to learn about our ancestral links across the Moana. We also talk about the lived reality of our diasporic experience as Moanans growing up in the west. Send us Fan Mail The Moanan is a Pac...

Kia orana! In this episode we sat down with archeologists & cultural educator Ma’ara Maeva - a native to Mauke, Cook Islands. In our talanoa he walked us through the journey of our earliest  ancestors of the Pacific and the evidence of their migration from South East Asia into the Moana.  Throughout this episode Ma’ara shares some incredible archeological facts such as the links between Polyne...

Bula vinaka! This week we are joined by multi disciplinary artist Daren Kamali from Fiji who shares his knowledge and experience of the Ulucavu - the Fijian wig making custom. He shares the spiritual & culture knowledge that underpins this practice along with his experience reviving a practice that was lost for over a hundred years. Send us Fan Mail The Moanan is a Pacific-lef social enterpris...

In part 2 of our chat with Professor Richard Moyle, he shares with us research he conducted on the island of Takū (PNG). In this episode he shares histories and knowledges of the indigenous spirituality that is practiced in this remote part of the Pacific. He also shares how these practices have similarities and links with Samoa and Tonga.  links to Richard Moyle's work: https://archives.libr...

We sat down with Professor Richard Moyle, an ethnomusicologist, who has spent over 50 years working in the Pacific recording music to understand its social function in Pacific societies. His records have helped to preserve a knowledge of ancient song, chants & dances from around the Moana. In this episode Richard speaks to the spiritual, social & cultural function music plays across the Mo...

In this episode, we chat with Julia Mage’au Gray, a traditional skin marker (tattooist) & multidisciplinary artist from Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬  Julia shares knowledge about the ancient practice of women’s skin marking as well as her experience as an indigenous woman living in the West 🌊. Send us Fan Mail The Moanan is a Pacific-lef social enterprise based in Auckland, Aotearoa. We're buildi...

In this episode, we sat down with artist Benjamin Work. Raised in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland, NZ) and of Tongan and Scottish ancestry, Benjamin shares his experiences of connecting with his Tongan heritage and shares knowledge of ancient Tonga and its neighbouring islands. His 2022 exhibition and book ‘Motutapu’ (sacred island), looked into the shared history throughout the Moana - including Tāmaki...

Welcome to the Moanan Podcast! Connecting Pacific Knowledge to Pacific People.  This episode is a quick introduction to who we, what we’re about and what we want to do. Send us Fan Mail The Moanan is a Pacific-lef social enterprise based in Auckland, Aotearoa. We're building a global community of thinkers, creatives, and change-makers rooted in Oceania. Whether you're from the islands or...

In this episode, we chat with Sonny Natanielu about indigenous Pacific voyaging/navigation and experiences of being Moanan in the West. Send us Fan Mail The Moanan is a Pacific-lef social enterprise based in Auckland, Aotearoa. We're building a global community of thinkers, creatives, and change-makers rooted in Oceania. Whether you're from the islands or just island-curious, join our co...