This year it’s the 20^th anniversary of the Pasifika Fusion Festival!  

The 2024 secondary school Pasifika Fusion festival takes place on July 3-4 at the Regent. Pasifika Fusion is a celebration of many Pacific cultures and comprises cultural performances, essay writing, wearable arts, poetry and many other cool things! 

The theme this year is Triumphant Pasifika Legacies: A Reflection on the Dawn Raids. Pasifika youth can engage in activities that honour the struggles and resilience of past generations who were impacted by the Dawn Raids while contributing to a positive and inclusive futures for Pasifika peoples in New Zealand and beyond.  

On the 23^rd of April the library was delighted to receive a donation of Pasifika Fusion festival DVDs and Pasifika Fusion Founder Tiana Faulolo’s thesis ‘How Pacific Leadership contributes to educational community development in Aotearoa, New Zealand’ for the library archives. These wonderful taonga will add to the history archived for this region.  

For the presentation in the Central Library, Pasifika Fusion committee members were joined by special guests Polynesian Panthers Dr Lupematasila Misatauveve Melani Anae, Rev. Alec Toeafoa and Tigilau Ness.   

For further information about The Dawn Raids check out these books and links to online resources. 

Once a Panther: Our history. Our words. (stuff.co.nz) 

Six-part podcast series marks the 50th anniversary of the Polynesian Panthers, a movement that sprung up in response to the systemic racism experienced by Pasifika in the 70s. 

Dawn Raids in the Archive (ngataonga.org.nz) 

On the 50th anniversary of the Dawn Raids, a look at how the events are represented in the Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision archive.