Wednesday, December 2, 2009

[pima.nius] Re: Keeping one’s Pacific Islands identity vital in new land

3:13 PM |

Keeping one's Pacific Islands identity IS vital. Cultural identity
comes with diversity of knowledge, diet and environmental adaptation.
We humans follow the same rules of nature. Diversity of any species
is essential for survival into the future. As environmental conditions
change and the boom/bust nature of capitalism becomes inappropriate
for a sustainable global economy, diversity is essential for survival.
The concept of a "New World Order" global mono culture is as short
sighted as Monsanto selling only one species of wheat to farmers as
rainfall and temperature conditions change. Suddenly grain collectors
have to scramble up mountains into hidden valleys to regain the
diversity of species before the wheat becomes extinct.
The lies of 9/11 and 7/7 have left the credibility of western
democracy in tatters, so personally I would be erring on the side of
caution when shaking hands with the devil.


On Dec 3, 5:02 am, pima news <pima.n...@gmail.com> wrote:
> *
> *
>
> *Keeping one's Pacific Islands identity vital in new land*
>  [image: Tikoruru (left) and Uriana in Manukau sitting cross-legged in their
> ordinary clothes with a bowl of coconut as their snack. Photo: T.Korauaba.]
>
> Tikoruru (left) and Uriana in Manukau sitting cross-legged in their ordinary
> clothes with a bowl of coconut as their snack. Photo: T.Korauaba.
>
> *Pacific Scoop:
> By Taberannang Korauaba, contributing writer.*
>
> Keeping your identity must go hand in hand with your effort to adjust to the
> New Zealand society, thanks to two I-Kiribati young mothers.
>
> On Sunday, November 29, Tikoruru Angirerei of Manukau, and Uriana Kamaunea
> of Otahuhu, both in their early thirties, were having a catch up work with
> their study and family not realising though that they have a lot of things
> in common.
>
> They came to New Zealand three years ago under the Pacific Access Category.
> The scheme, also known as PAC, was introduced by the Labour-led government
> in 2003 to bring in Pacific island families from countries such as Tonga,
> Samoa, Kiribati and Tuvalu to work and live permanently in New Zealand.
> Kiribati has a quota of seventy five families every year.
>
> Secondly, they all started from scratch when they arrived in New Zealand
> following in the footsteps of other Pacific island immigrants who came here
> in the early 1950s who worked either on a farm or employed to do general
> labour work.
>
> And thirdly, they are now working for Big Bear Educare – a multi-cultural
> early childhood centre in Manukau. And fourthly, they are studying towards a
> Diploma in Early Childhood Pasifika programme at the New Zealand Childcare
> Association, *Te Tari Puna Ora O Aotearoa* in Otahuhu.
>
> And fifthly, they still hold on to their Kiribati made blouse or tops called
> *tibuta*. Similar to the Samoan *pula tasi*, the Rotuman *mon uma*, the
> Hawaiian mu'u mu'u and the Papua New Guinean *meri* blouse, the *tibuta* has
> become a popular national blouse and is often made of cotton, to counter the
> hot and humid weather in Kiribati. And the two have decided to wear it this
> summer.
> Historically, the *tibuta* was a blouse that evolved from the original
> Mother-Hubbard that the early missionaries, or more specifically their
> wives, who came to Kiribati from the 1880s introduced.
> Sixthly, both have little babies and they still have memories about their
> hut – an open house with a raised platform *bwia* inside where women and men
> sleep. Both were wearing lavala and *tibuta* sitting cross-legged with
> coconut as their snack costing them just $2.
>
> "We didn't plan to wear these clothes, it's a coincidence, and perhaps it
> shows our strong desire to be called Kiribati mothers," says Uriana.
>
> Tikoruru is now in her second year while Uriana is in her first year. They
> all have teaching backgrounds, attended the same institute, graduated the
> same year and worked at the same school on the islands before they migrated
> to New Zealand.
>
> "New Zealand has its own rules, but they do not, however, stop us from
> maintaining our career as teachers," they said.
>
> Kiribati (pronounced: Kiribas), a former British colony, also known as the
> Gilbert, is a South Pacific nation with a population of around 95,000 living
> on the islands with the majority living in the capital Tarawa. According to
> estimates, there are about 2,000 I-Kiribati people in New Zealand mainly in
> Auckland.
>
> Their advice to their fellow mothers from the Pacific islands, who probably
> have a teaching background or interested in early childhood programme, is to
> get out of their home now, enrol in the ECE programme and enjoy it.
>
> ENDS
>  ------------------------------
>
> Article printed from Pacific.scoop.co.nz: *http://pacific.scoop.co.nz*
>
> URL to article: *http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2009/12/5395/*
>
> Click here <http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2009/12/5395/print/#Print> to print.
>
> Copyright © 2009 pacific. All rights reserved.

--
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pacific islands media association
pima.nius@gmail.com
aotearoa, new zealand
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