Exhibition celebrates Porirua's trailblazing Pacific women

The stories of Pacific women who helped shape Porirua have been brought into the spotlight in a new exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of Pacific Allied (Women's) Council Inspires Faith In Ideals Concerning All. Incorporated (P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. Inc.)

Marama Malama: Te Manava Moana Women at Pataka Art and Museum honours generations of women whose leadership, advocacy and service have impacted Pacific communities across New Zealand.

Photographed by Nu'ugalo Jacinta Mauga, the exhibition features portraits of local Pasifika community leaders, alongside stories recounting the legacies they have each built for future generations.

The showcase is timed with Matariki - guided by the remembrance star Pohutukawa: and also pays tribute to the pioneers whose work laid the foundations for Pacific people in Porirua.

"We made things happen here in Porirua, in New Zealand, we have made a difference!"

That is what Gagau Annandale-Stone said the exhibition celebrates.

She and her sister Sose are featured together in the exhibitions, honouring their later mother Elaine Uluave-Annandale who was the first Pacific woman elected as Porirua City Councillor in 1983. Today, her daughters carry her legacy forward, serving as government officials and civil servants.

Gagau wants people visiting the exhibition to remember the sacrifices of those who came before, and recognize the work still ongoing.

"What would I want them to feel? To just get a sense of these amazing women, this amazing community who came from somewhere else to build something here to give diversity, to give difference, to give options and alternatives, and to make this a much better and enriched culture here in Porirua, in Aotearoa."

Her sister Sose Annandale said the exhibition stands as a reminder that today's Pacific leaders are here because of yesterdays sacrifices.

"We're standing on the shoulder of these giants, and their memories, their service to this community, and what they did inspires us to do the work that we continue to do today. We do everything we can to uplift our people, but not just that, to actually honour our culture, our identity, and our sense of belonging."

Also honoured in the exhibition is Teremoana O-Maua-Hodges - a Cook Islands educator and designer of Tivaivai research methodologies.

She said seeing the portraits spark memories among visitors has been the most rewarding part of the grand opening.

"And it's going to have people who are going to come, they're going to start reflecting. Like today it took me ages to leave the room, because so many people say I remember when I was at Brandon.

"I remember when we did this, so the connections have been made. So the whole exhibition is so far successful."

O-Maua-Hodges said organisations such as P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. Inc. remain vital to ensure Pacific communities continue to have a seat at decision-making tables.

"P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. means that they are in the forefront, so we have representatives, we have voices, we have people who will be the voices of the individual Pasifika nations... So PACIFICA is going to give voices to those individual islands, huge or small, villages, family."

For Teresa Koliavu, a community support worker and volunteer school chaplain, being recognised alongside women she describes as "legends" is humbling.

"It's very overwhelming for me to be with all the, I guess, the legends of Porirua, the Pacific people, and I'm just so blessed to be amongst them as well."

She said the exhibition acknowledges the generations of Pacific women whose hard work created opportunities and opened doors for those who followed.

"It's really just recognizing all the all the mahi and all the mamas, all the things that they have done to contribute to where our Pacific people are, and how they've toiled, worked so hard, it implanted roots ... our future generation will look back and see, you know, what their mamas have done."

As P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. Inc. marks its 50th anniversary, Marama Malama: Te Manava Moana Women stands not only as a celebration of the women who shaped Pacific communities in New Zealand, but also an invitation to the next generation to carry their stories forward and take the lead to shape the future.