What do our megalithic monuments and artefacts tell us about our past? How might these inform our present? We're joined by Elijah Lemusuifeauali'i an academic, educator, community connector and traditional carver. In this episode he shares insight into some of the megalithic monuments & artefacts of the Moana and some of his work on Pacific identities in the diaspora. While his ancestral ties are to Samoa & Aotearoa, Elijah shares how his experiences in another part of the Moana,...

What does it mean to wear the tattoos/markings of your culture? What, if any, are the responsibilities to these markings? Why was Tongan tattooing lost?In this episode we talanoa (talk) with Tongan tufunga tātatau (tattoo artist) Su'a Suluape Aisea Toetu'u about the history of the Tongan tātatau, its significance in pre-Chrisitan Tongan society and his efforts in reviving this art of tattooing amongst Tongans. Additionally, we give our thoughts on a recent reel that has gone viral callin...

EP06 with Mike Tavioni A master carver, multidisciplinary artist & knowledge holder, Papa Mike shares his knowledge & insight into our ancestral origins, culture, language. He offers wisdom in reminding us of that sometimes change within our cultures & languages signify that they are alive. Send us a textThe Moanan is not just an educational platform but an online community — connecting diasporas all over the world. We’d love to connect!Find us on all podcast streaming ...

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 x Island Roots, Auckland WaysSaturday 5th October 1pm - 4:30pmMāngere Arts Centre, Corner Bader Drive ...

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 a textThe Moanan is not just an educational platform but an online community — connecting diasporas all over the world. We’d love to connect!Find us on all podcast streaming and social media platforms — including Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.Email: h...

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 colonial history, culture, diasporic & homeland experience.Send us a textThe Moanan i...

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 systems can be applied to contemporary issues, particularly in areas like environmental stewardship...

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) perspective. He also shares insights into how we, as Indigenous peoples, can honour and connect to o...

Send us a textWe 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: @themoananEmail: [email protected] contact us via instagram or email! The Moanan is not just an educational platform but an online...

Send us a Text Message.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.The Moanan is not just an educational platform but an online community — connecting diasporas all over the world. We’d love to connect!Fi...

Send us a Text Message.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.The Moanan is not just an educational platform but an online community — connecting diasporas all over the world. We’d love ...

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 big thank you to everyone that’s engaged with the podcast, we’re stoked that we’ve been able...

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 The Moanan is not just an educational platform but an online community — connecting diasporas all over the world. We’d love to connect! Find us on all podcast streaming and social media...

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. The Moanan is not just an educational platform but an online community — connecting diasporas all over the world. We’d love to...

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 Polynesia and South America plus much more.  The Moanan is not just an educational platform but an...

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. The Moanan is not just an educational platform but an online community — connecting diasporas all over the world. We’d love to connect! Find us on all...

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...

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 Moana and gives some specific examples of how this is manifested. A search of ‘Richard Moyle’...

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 🌊. The Moanan is not just an educational platform but an online community — connecting diasporas all over the world. We’d love to connect! Find us on all podcast streaming and social media platforms —...

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 Makaurau, Tongatapu and Rarotonga, some of which he shares in this episode.  The Moanan is not...

In this episode, we chat with Sonny Natanielu about indigenous Pacific voyaging/navigation and experiences of being Moanan in the West. The Moanan is not just an educational platform but an online community — connecting diasporas all over the world. We’d love to connect! Find us on all podcast streaming and social media platforms — including Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Email: [email protected]

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. The Moanan is not just an educational platform but an online community — connecting diasporas all over the world. We’d love to connect! Find us on all podcast streaming and social media platforms — including Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Email: [email protected]