O le Pasefika.
The first slide is a poem titled ‘Imua’ I wrote in college during the height of the protests at Mauna Kea. It remains one of my favorite pieces I’ve written—a reminder of where Pasifika people come from, our kinship with the Earth and each other, connected by the ocean. Pictured to the right is my Uncle Penei, Afioga (high chief) Tupa’imatuna showing his Pe’a.
The following slides are images of my brothers, my father Eteuati Ma’ilo, my grandfather Afioga (high chief) Ma’ilo Sautia and grandmother Lagi Ma’ilo, and my sister. The last slide is a picture of me performing a taualuga on my 16th birthday. This is where I come from, this is who I am.
I’ve always had some qualms with the term ‘AAPI’, but nevertheless am appreciative for the small percentage of Pasifika voices amplified throughout the month. In honor of amplifying our voices, I thought I’d share a bit of my work, my tupuga, my family.
How lucky am I to be a descendant of Oceania 🩵
For the culture. For the community. For those who came before me.
Ahíyi’é, fa’afetai tele lava @readthetease for allowing me to share my mana’o alongside other Indigenous voices 🤍❤️💛🖤 This is so so special to me, I’m honored to be featured in this piece. Link in my bio to read xx
#indigenous #nativeamericanheritagemonth
