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Access to links that broadcast different aspects of the Dawn raids can be found here!

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Mulligan, J. (Host). (2018, March 7). The Dawn Raids. [Radio program]. In RNZ (Producer), Jesse Mulligan, 1-4 pm. Auckland, NZ: Radio New Zealand.

Kightley, O. (Host). (2018, January 27). Oscar Kightley - Dawn Raids revisited. [Radio program]. In RNZ (Producer), Saturday morning. Auckland, NZ: Radio New Zealand.

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Mulligan, J. (Host). (2018, March 7). The Dawn Raids. [Radio program]. In RNZ (Producer), Jesse Mulligan, 1-4 pm. Auckland, NZ: Radio New Zealand. Kightley, O. (Host). (2018, January 27). Oscar Kightley - Dawn Raids revisited. [Radio program]. In RNZ (Producer), Saturday morning. Auckland, NZ: Radio New Zealand.

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"Sione and Setaita are a middle-aged Tongan couple who live with their two sons Tesimoni ( 20 ) and Masiu ( 6 ) In Grey-Lynn, Auckland. They came to New Zealand little more than six months ago, and speak very little English. Both parents work in factories. When the Overstayers Registered was opened they all signed. They Understood that this would help them stay a little longer, perhaps permanently, and also they would not need to worry about the police.

On Sunday 31 October 1976 at 6 o’clock in the morning the police knocked on the door while they were All still asleep. Tesimoni went to the door, and was asked for his passport. He told them it was in the bedroom, and went to get it. The three police officers showed no warrant but walked straight in behind Him; Tesimoni showed them his passport and a letter from the  Labour Department confirming that he was a Registered overstayer. The police then picked up his parents’ passport, saw that their permits had expired too and went to wake them up.

Sione woke to find three policemen in his bedroom and told them to get u#out of the house but his wife held him back, not wanting to make trouble. The police told them to get dressed and one even stayed with them while they did so. The other two checked every room, asking everyone there for their passports, and arrested two of them.

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Watch a video wherein an apology made a significant indent on the lives of many Pacific New Zealanders.

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PM Jacinda Ardern delivers formal apology for the 1970s dawn raids | nzherald.co.nz

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The first formal apology from the government to the public (Polynesians) about the injustice that occurred during the Dawn Raids

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The above is a document from immigration during the Dawn raids of the 1970's

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Read the story of the man who founded the Polynesian Panthers- a key group in combating the Dawn Raids

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The Polynesian Panther Party, which celebrates its 45th anniversary on June 16, was an activist group led by young, New Zealand-born Pacific Islanders who'd been raised in Auckland's inner-city suburbs - among them, Will 'Ilolahia, who was the Panthers' chairman for its first five years. He talks to Dale about the turbulent times that gave birth to the Panthers, and the path that led him there. Will, let's start with your story, mate. Can you tell us about your folks, your background, where you grew up?
I'm a New Zealand-born Tongan. Born here in the 50s. My dad was the butler for the governor-general so I was born in the middle of Tāmaki Makaurau, in central Auckland.

In the 60s, I was part of a bunch of Tongans who were sent over to England to be schooled to become English-Tongans. Didn't last long in England so came back here to continue school at Mt Albert Grammar. I was a prefect. Played league and basketball. Made the New Zealand secondary schools basketball team back in 1970, but because of injuries I didn't play. Then I went to Auckland University. Graduated with a double major in sociology and anthropology.

I completed my BA in Ohura Prison, in Taranaki, while serving the full six months sentence for assault causing grievous bodily harm. I got into a fight with six racists at a party. I went there to pick up my wife - it was a work party and she was the only Polynesian there - and they wouldn't let me enter. Called me nigger, bunga. It got ugly.

During that time, I was part of the Polynesian Panthers. I grew up with a lot of first generation New Zealand-born Islanders, and Māori who came up from the country.

We were involved in a little group called the Niggs, short for Niggers, which developed into the Polynesian Panthers once we realised the issues that we were facing was more than just street politics.
Did I hear that right? Your dad was a butler to the governor-general? Tell us more about your parents and where they're from.
My dad's name is Molimea 'Ilolahia. He was from Masilamea in Tongatapu.

My mother's name is Lusitania Naufahu. Her first cousin is the grandfather of Rene and Joe Naufahu, the actors. My mum is from Kolonga and Nuku'alofa in Tongatapu. And, also, we're descendants of 'Ulukalala, which is the royal family. We're related to the royal family by marriage also. I'm third cousin to the present queen.

Because my mother was of noble heritage, she couldn't marry my dad in Tonga because he was a commoner and a widower, and the marriage would have been annulled. That's the reason I was born here.

The way it went was that my dad was making moves on my mother. He was working in the British High Commission, in Nuku'alofa, as a houseboy when the governor-general (Cyril Newall, governor-general from 1941-46) came to Tonga on one of his regular visits. And the British High Com persuaded Newall to talk to Queen Salote, who was the reigning monarch at that time. The idea was for my dad to come over here and train as a butler and then return to the royal family at the end of that time.

But, also, the British High Com had explained to Newall that the other reason for getting my dad to come to New Zealand was so that he was able to marry my mother. So that's how it happened.

And he continued on working as a butler for governors-general until the early 80s.
How did your mum and dad feel about your activities with the Polynesian Panthers?
My Panther days caused a bit of a ruckus with my parents. I always remember my dad questioning me when I was involved with Bastion Point: "Why for you get involved in that, my son? You're not a Māori."

And when I explained the situation of Ngāti Whātua, Dad just couldn't believe that the inherited land for Ngāti Whatua was taken off them. Because us Tongans inherit land by right. Three weeks after that talk, Dad sent up six truckloads of kai from all the Tongan churches to support the Bastion Point protesters.

In the Panther days we had a lot of non-support from our parents because they were very appreciative that they were able to come to Aotearoa and get work. And because of the traditional Polynesian humbleness, they questioned our right to stand up and protest. And we explained to them that we had a right because we were New Zealand-born.
That's a beautiful story. You mentioned a trip to England. Can you tell us more about that?
In the 60s, King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, the son of Queen Salote, was given a lot of scholarships and opportunities for Tongans to travel overseas to learn, and I was part of a batch of about five that got sent to England to pick up that offer. That included the king's son who became King George V. He was more English than the English. He's the one who had the London cab as his royal limousine. He stayed there and went right through to Sandhurst.

But, I suppose being brought up in New Zealand and the green, green grass of home - the cold weather and Coronation Street- type housing just didn't cut it with me.

But, during my time in England, I had close friendships. I had a friend from Trinidad, George Washington, who was our neighbour in London. That was my first experience of racism when I noticed how this young guy from Trinidad was picked on when we went to school. I was about 10, 11 years old. Ironically, I was romanticised as the South Sea Islander while my brother from the Carribean was given the hard yakka.

When I came back to New Zealand, I went to Mt Albert Grammar and also picked up the Black Panther book, Seize The Time, the story of the Black Panther Party written by Bobby Seale, the chairman of the Black Panthers. And I started to realise that what was happening to George Washington in England was actually happening to me here in Aotearoa.
It was a time of global change. Were you conscious when you got involved with the Black Panthers about the civil rights push in the United States and how marginalised black people were globally? And what sort of impact do you think the civil rights movement of the States had on Pasifika politics and, indeed, New Zealand?
It definitely had an impact on us. That's why we set up the Polynesian Panthers. We read about what the Black Panthers were going through and then realised that, apart from the constitutional right of carrying a gun, it was very similar.

So we actually adapted their programme for our work here in Aotearoa. And that's how we set up the Polynesian Panthers. And it was at a time, when, globally, young people were starting to speak out.

There was also the Vietnam War and we were very involved in that area because of the fact that out of the 36 Kiwis that were killed in Vietnam, 24 were Māori or Pacific Island. My brother was an SAS member. He was caught up in that conflict, so it brought it to my own home how some of our people were getting used to fight in a war that we felt wasn't our war. It was part of American imperialism.

So that's my experience that's moulded me to be the person that I think I am today. We have the term that once you're a Panther, you're always a Panther. And so, I just don't like when I hear or see things where people are getting abused or discriminated against and that's why I was involved at Bastion Point and also the Springboks Tour of '81.

To the extent that, after the Springboks Tour, I was put on trial. I was facing 24 charges of inciting a riot, 12 of assault to cause grievous bodily harm. I was facing 10 years in jail if I was found guilty. In the court, it was pointed out that I was one of the organisers of the Patu squad. And if you remember from the footage of the Patu squad, we were the ones that took on the police, the Red Squad.

In my trial, it was brought out that of the 36 members of the Red Squad, 24 were permanently injured after our battle. They couldn't go back to work. It was lucky that none of us died. I was identified as instrumental in recruiting street gangs. It was probably the first time you had members of the Black Power, King Cobra, Mongrel Mob and all the other street gangs, united, to take on the police in the Red Squad.

If it wasn't for Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who was flown over by HART (Halt All Racist Tours) appearing as a star witness, I'm not quite sure whether I'd still be alive today. I got found not guilty (along with nine other Patu defendants, including Hone Harawira). And when I was coming out of the courthouse, the Red Squad guys there told me that they'd come after me, so I decided to self-exile myself. I went and lived in Tonga, and that's where I started with the late George Mann, the first national rugby league team in Tonga. And later, in 1988, I was hired by the International Rugby League Board to help set up the local club competition.
It's time for us to acknowledge those in that movement, the Polynesian Panthers. One of its major roles was to help people to get on their feet. Who are some of the names we should note, all these years later, for being part of that movement and perhaps, in their own way, contributing to social change in Aotearoa. Give us some names from yesteryear.
Our Minister of Culture and Fine Arts was Tigilau Ness, who's a musician now and father of Che Fu. Che's mother Miriama Rauhihi from Foxton - she was our full-time worker. Melani Anae, she's a senior lecturer in Pacific Studies at Auckland University. Reverend Wayne Toleafoa, who became the Navy chaplain. His brother Alec Toleafoa who is also a reverend. Scribe's dad, John Luafutu, he was a member of our prison chapter. Fuimaono Norman Tuiasau worked with the Papua New Guinea legal service and also with the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs. Zac Wallace, the actor. He was a member of our Paremoremo Prison chapter. After he came out of prison he took on the role of Te Wheke in Utu. There was quite a few of us that was there and quite a few of them have passed away.
Ngā Tamatoa surfaced at the same time. Obvious parallels?
Yes, and we actually, from our side of the street, we always looked at them like our academics. We ended up doing a lot of their street activities. Like petitioning for te reo - we helped to get our communities to sign. A lot of our members were involved in quite a few Māori issues because we thought that, to get better rights for Pacific Islanders, we needed to first get rights for tangata whenua. So, for example, the security on the (1975) Land March, were actually mostly Panthers. There was a lot of collaboration with Ngā Tamatoa. We were a part of the He Taua attack on the engineers at Auckland University that got that particular situation solved.
Dawn raids. How unjust were they and how did you as Pasifika men and women feel about the awful treatment meted out to your own during that uncomfortable period of New Zealand's history?
The dawn raids happened in '76. By that time, we were already five years in existence. This year, on June 16, is our 45th anniversary. Back in '76, a lot of our community members and our own members were picked on for being so-called overstayers.

We always emphasised the fact that, pre-European, Pacific people had travelled back and forth to Aotearoa. We share the story of Kupe and Maui in our pepeha. And so, we didn't feel it was correct to call us overstayers. So we got challenged by our community to get something solved.

One of the reasons we called ourselves Panthers was the definition of the black panther. As a cat, it never attacks unless it's forced to - for survival, in self-defence. But, when it does attack, it wipes out its aggressor. Absolutely and completely.

So the analogy we used in regards to the dawn raids was, we saw that our community was attacked by the Immigration people. The immigration issue was used by the National Party as an election tactic to get more votes, by blaming us Pacific Islanders as the overstayers. So, we had a big hui and on the one hand, there were members who wanted to go and have a big scrap with the police. And on the other hand, those that wanted to just send in petitions and all that. But the decision that was made, suggested by one of our Panther youth leaders, Henry Nee Nee, was that we dawn-raid the ministers. So we dawn-raided the ministers. And three weeks later there were no more raids. We kept our kaupapa in regard to the Black Panther. So we wiped out our aggressor completely.
I'm pleased that you touch on the stories of Kupe and Maui. We know now that Māori and Pasifika are indisputably, genetically linked. That our stories are intertwined. Back in the day, it would be fair to say that many Māori felt that Pasifika people were on the other side - it was Us and Them. But nowadays, it's not so much like that. What differences have you noted as we acknowledge each other perhaps more respectfully than we have in the past? And as that shared heritage is acknowledged by both Pasifika and Māori?
That was one of the reasons we called ourselves Polynesians, Dale, because at that time there was a lot of friction between Māori and Pacific. Mainly Māori believed the old Divide-and-Rule tactics used by the colonial power - that we were coming over here to take their jobs and that kind of stuff. And, unfortunately, our Pacific people believed that Māori were lazy and didn't seize the opportunity because they had all this land and it had come to nothing.

So, our work in the Polynesian Panthers was to bridge that understanding. That's probably why I've got a bit more interest in Māori. Also, when I went back to Tonga, when I was self-exiled, I spent two years studying under the cultural advisor to Queen Salote. He taught me about my whakapapa, and he took me back to 2000 BC.

And he talked about the times when Kupe travelled to Aotearoa, and the history back in the islands. We have the same story of Kupe chasing a wheke, an octopus. Our story from Tonga was that Kupe was a member of the royal ariki and he had to leave the islands because he was becoming too burdensome on the people.

That understanding that we're all the same is probably why I spent a lot of time trying to educate my own people about Māori. That we are whānaunga. And I always used to say, in trying to explain the situation, that I felt the only difference between Māori and Pacific Islanders was Māori came over here by waka. Us Islanders waited for Pākehā to get us a jet 'cause it was far easier.
What do you make of challenging comments made by Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, the sportsman that's come out saying that we're being denied our own history, that it's been a cultural genocide that's resulted in us - our young people - not growing up with the majesty or grandeur of our history? We're the greatest navigators the Pacific has ever seen. We were sophisticated scientists, agriculturalists and the like. But a lot of the richness of that history has been denied us so therefore we don't have the pride in our history that we should.
Yeah, just recently, the New Zealand government dismissed the petition done by tamariki to have the land wars explained fully in the curriculum. And again, that's just the way the system uses divide and rule to conquer us.

And this is the same thing that's happened with us in the Pacific. Some of us knew our history because we've been able to get the kōrero from our elders that's been passed down word-for-word. But, unfortunately, a lot of the urban Pasifika people are denied that knowledge.

And you only have to go to university or pick up a book by Captain Cook who says that he was quite shocked by the way the waka or vaka were so massive and were able to travel so quickly around the Pacific. We administered an area in the Pacific that is a third of the world. So that took a lot of knowledge and expertise. We have a history that actually stands up in the world.
What are you anticipating from this coming together of the Pasifika people and Māori? What thoughts about our collective futures from you, Will?
Well, it's even more enforced now in regard to our bloodlines. For example, I'm Tongan, and more than 60 percent of Pacific Islanders in Aotearoa are New Zealand-born. A growing number of those New Zealand-born are part-Māori. So what I can say is, at the moment, we're more intertwined now than we were ever before. We all whakapapa back to Hawaiki.

Thank you for reading E-Tangata. If you like our focus on Māori and Pasifika stories, interviews, and commentary, we need your help. Our content takes skill, long hours and hard work. But we're a small team and non-profit, so we need the support of our readers to keep going. If you support our kaupapa and want to see us continue, please consider contributing $5 or $10 a month.

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Will 'Ilolahia: Once a Panther, always a Panther - E-Tangata

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The Polynesian Panther Party, which celebrates its 45th anniversary on June 16, was an activist group led by young, New Zealand-born Pacific Islanders who'd been raised in Auckland's inner-city suburbs - among them, Will 'Ilolahia, who was the Panthers' chairman for its first five years.

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"I can think of one instance, at a church service at 64 Crummer Road, all of a sudden, the doors were knocked in and the place was swarming with police, officials, and dogs. They asked for passports. There were 18 that didn’t have them, including the priest. They were taken to Mt Eden. There was great shame in seeing the people taken away and it was seen in the court the next day."

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"When they turn came they were taken into a courtroom together. During the brief hearing they said nothing. They understood very little of what was happening but no-one offered them an explanation or interpreted for them. The magistrate, Mr Gillard remanded them without plea and set bail at $400 plus two sureties. The Immigration officer who was prosecuting was not sure that he had a case against them and asked whether the two sureties were really required but Mr Gillard snapped back that setting bail was the prerogative of the court, it was not a political matter and he wanted no political arguments in the judicial process.

When the lawyer arrived in court he tried to have the bail reduced. He asked for a rehearing and just before 12 Sione and Setaita were recalled. Mr Gillard refused to dispense with the sureties but lowered the bail to $200. Friends tried to arrange the sureties but before they could do so Sione and Seataita were taken away to Mt. Eden prison- where they were again out in separate cells. An hour or so later they were back to Court again. This time the Immigration officer told the magistrate that there were no charges against them and so at about 3 in the afternoon they were finally released.

Throughout the whole time from 6 on Sunday morning to 3 on Monday afternoon Sione and Satiata understood very little of what was going on and were continually worried about their child. No one spoke to them in their own language and they hardly had any time to talk to each other. They could not understand why no one seemed to know or care that they had signed the register. When they were finally released no explanation or apology was given, and they were left t find their own way home. The Minister of Immigration, Mr Gill, later apologised on television for the ‘mistake’. The family did not see this and at no time have they received any direct apology or explanation from Mr Gill, his department, or any of the other agencies involved…"

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"One woman in the who house spoke English told the police that Sione and Setatita has signed the register, but they told her to keep quiet or she will be arrested too. Then they took Sione, Setatita and the other two away leaving six year old Masiu crying, distressed and bewildered at what happened to his mother and father. They were packed into a police car and taken to Auckland Central Police station, where they were searched, photographed and their fingerprints taken. Setaita asked if she could stay with her husband, but they were put in separate cells. Both were very upset and asked if they could contact their younger son but they were not allowed to use the telephone. On Sunday night the police did go back to their home and found the boy still crying, but they gave no message to his parents.

While Sione and Setatita were in the police cells their friends tried to get help. They finally contacted a lawyer at about 10pm on Sunday night. He telephoned immigration and was told that the police had the overstayers register. So he rang the police who said they had no list and anyway there was no need to check because the officer must have checked before arresting them. He persisted however and asked them to look up the register since he understood that Sione and Setaita has signed it. When he rang back ten minutes later the police said they could not find the list, but would not release the couple.

On Monday morning Sione and Setaita were taken to court, where a duty solicitor tried to help them, but they could not understand what he was saying. Meanwhile the lawyer their friends had contacted found that the Immigration who was prosecuting had not been able to check the register either, and was therefore going to ask that Sione and Setaita be remanded for a week. The lawyer was not able to get to Court for the hearing but they were not aware that he was acting for them anyway.

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"A young policeman, about 22 years old, came into my room . . . I asked him what he was doing in my bedroom. He did not answer. I was really frightened. He went to the bathroom, inspected it, came back and pulled the covers off my bed . . . He pulled open the wardrobe, fiddled with the clothing, checked everything. The same policeman went into the adjoining room where my two nephews, aged 19 and 20 years, were asleep. The policeman shone the light into their eyes, saying “get up and get out” . . . . My nephews were very frightened. The police then started dragging them out to their van."

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Episode 1- The Dawn Raids Untold Stories

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Episode 1- The Dawn Raids Untold Stories

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A documentary showcasing the untold, unheard Stories of the Dawn raids. Have A Watch!

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Untold Pacific History | Episode 1: The Dawn Raids | RNZ

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A cartoon from the raids showing an argument with society- right VS wrong

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This is an article showing critical information about the backlash the Dawn Raids had

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Survivors of abuse from the Pacific community will give evidence before the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry at an upcoming public hearing, 'Tulou - Our Pacific Voices: Tatala e Pulonga'. Experts will also give evidence.

The public hearing, starting on Monday 19 July, will open with a traditional Pacific ceremony and be held at Fale o Samoa in Māngere, Auckland. See below for the witness list and full schedule.

'Tulou - Our Pacific Voices: Tatala e Pulonga' is the first of its kind not only for New Zealand, but for Pacific survivors, Pacific communities and the wider Pacific region.

We know Pacific people were abused in the care of State and faith-based institutions between 1950 and 1999. The Royal Commission acknowledges the harm suffered by an individual Pacific survivor is not experienced alone and the effects can flow on to the rest of their community.

Part of the investigation is considering the impacts of the dawn raids on individuals and the wider Pacific community.

The public hearing is one part of the wider Pacific investigation. We are also conducting private sessions with survivors, reading written statements, and using research to help inform our reporting.

This hearing is open to the public and it will be livestreamed on our website. Further information about the Royal Commission's investigation into Pacific people's experiences can be found here.

The public hearing will take place at Fale o Samoa, 141 Bader Drive, Māngere, Auckland. MEDIA: To attend a Royal Commission public hearing, you must adhere to our Media Guidelines which include applying to attend/report before a public hearing - For this hearing you must apply to report by close of day Sunday 11 July using the form in the Media Guidelines.
The public hearing is one element of the investigation. Survivors and other witnesses are also able to provide statements in private interview sessions or through written statements. While the public hearing hears a portion of a witness's account, the Inquiry records and considers their entire evidential statement.
Media enquiries: 027 298 2094; media@abuseincare.org.nz
Witness list and schedule
Monday 19 July
9.30am (Approx.) Opening ceremony 11.45am (Approx.) Opening statements 12.15pm (Approx.) Associate Professor Hon. Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban DNZM QSO
Associate Professor Hon. Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban DNZM QSO is a former New Zealand politician, of Samoan heritage. She became the country's first female Member of Parliament of Pacific Island descent. Luamanuvao will provide contextual background on the migration of Pacific peoples to Aotearoa, lived experience of growing up in Aotearoa during the 1950s to present, her career experience in the community and Government, and insights into abuse and neglect of Pacific peoples in care.
3.45pm (Approx.) Fa'amoana Luafutu
Fa'amoana Luafutu came to New Zealand from Samoa when he was 8 years old. On the first day of school his teacher was unable to pronounce his name and told him that his name would now be 'John'. Fa'amoana spent time in Owairaka Boys' Home, Kohitere Boys' Training Centre and other foster placements where he experienced abuse. He has told his story through theatre, writing, creative arts and music in the hope that sharing his experience through these mediums will help Pacific people in their own journeys.

Tuesday 20 July
10.00am (Approx.) Tigilau Ness

Tigilau Ness is a first-generation New Zealand-born Niuean. A musician, political activist and member of the Polynesian Panthers, Tigilau will speak about his involvement in the social movement against the targeting of Pacific Islanders in the 1970s and 1980s and abuse of Pacific peoples while in State care.
2.15pm (Approx.) Survivor witness

This survivor witness is a 66-year old man of Tongan descent. He and his family were dawn raided by the police in 1976. He will speak to the abusive treatment he and his family received, and the significant psychological impacts of the dawn raid which are far-reaching and still present to this day.
3.45pm (Approx.) Mr CE
Mr CE will share his experience of migrating from Samoa with his family at a young age and his pathway into care following serious physical violence at home. Mr CE spent periods of time at Weymouth Boys' Home, Hokio Beach School and Owairaka Boys' Home where he experienced all forms of abuse. Samoan was Mr CE's first language before he entered State care. Following State care, he could no longer speak Samoan and will describe the impacts of the loss of his cultural identity.
4.25pm (Approx.) Ngatokorima Mauauri, also known as Allan Mana

Ngatokorima Allan Mauauri grew up immersed in both his Cook Island and Māori heritage. Very early in his life he was exposed to family violence and gang life which led to him spending periods of his youth in various State care placements including foster care, Whakapakiri, Dingwall Trust, and Weymouth Boys' Home. He speaks about navigating Pacific and Māori cultures, gang life and the impact of the abuse he suffered in State care.

Wednesday 21 July
10.00am (Approx.) Joanna 'Ilolahia
Joanna 'Ilolahia is of Tongan and Palangi descent. She was unaware of her Tongan ethnicity or culture growing up and speaks about the racism experienced within her family. Joanna shares her experience of sexual abuse by a Reverend of the Anglican Church, followed by placements in various care settings including family homes, foster homes, and State residences including Kingslea Girls Home where she experienced many forms of abuse.
2.15pm (Approx.) Dr Seini Taufa

Dr Seini Taufa is the Research and Evaluation Lead for Moana Research. At the University of Auckland she taught in the areas of Social, Community and Pacific Health. Dr Taufa serves in various advisory groups and will outline how Pacific ethnicities have been recorded since 1950, the inadequacies in ethnicity recording and the impacts of this on Pacific peoples in general.

Thursday 22 July
10.00am (Approx.) Pulotu Arthur Gus Solomon

Pulotu Arthur Gus Solomon was a watchman at Owairaka Boys' home in 1962, when he was 26 years old. He witnessed abuse and was told to stay silent. He is now 77 years old, and this is the first time he has publicly shared what he witnessed at Owairaka. He has come forward to support the voices of survivors. His daughter, Tupe Solomon-Tanoa'i, will be reading his statement on his behalf.
11.45am (Approx) Ms CU

Ms CU shares her experience of coming forward to the Catholic Church and the police about the abuse her relative suffered by a Catholic Priest. She describes the complexities of this disclosure within a Tongan cultural framework and the impacts this experience has had on her and her wider family.
2.55pm (Approx.) William Wilson

William Wilson is a former student of Wesley College in South Auckland. He will speak to the ongoing physical abuse he received from prefects and senior students at the boarding school in the 1990s and the abuse he witnessed. William will describe the long-lasting impacts the abuse has had on him and his Samoan cultural identity.

Friday 23 July
10.00am (Approx.) Ms TU

Ms TU is of Samoan heritage. She was adopted out at birth and placed with a Palagi family. Ms TU shares her adoption story, the impacts of the disconnection from her Samoan heritage and cultural roots, and the abuse and neglect she suffered in her adoption placement.
12.00pm (Approx) Mr VT

Mr VT migrated from Samoa with his family in the 1980s. At primary school he came to the attention of the State due to physical violence in the home. Mr VT had many State care placements where he experienced different forms of abuse. Mr VT will speak to the circumstances leading to his entry into care, the abuse he experienced in care and the lasting impacts of that abuse.
3.00pm (Approx.) Dr Sam Manuela

Dr Sam Manuela is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland. Dr Manuela developed the first Pacific identity and wellbeing model. He will be providing his expert opinion on the links between cultural identity and wellbeing for Pacific people in New Zealand.

Monday 26 July
10.00am (Approx.) Rachael Umaga
Rachael Umaga is of Samoan descent. She will give evidence about her experiences as a patient in psychiatric units in Wellington. Rachael will describe the lack of care she received, the on-going practice of over-medicating patients, and her concerns about the current model of care in psychiatric units. Her experiences in psychiatric care have impacted her significantly including her lifestyle, career and her health.
2.15pm (Approx.) Antony Dalton

Antony Dalton is of Samoan, Jewish, German and Gypsy descent. As a child, he suffered an accident that left him with a catastrophic brain injury. Antony will speak about the abuse he experienced at school and residences from teachers and other pupils, and his confusion and frustration at the way he was treated.
3.45pm (Approx.) Leota Dr Lisi Petaia

Leota Dr Lisi Petaia is the only Pacific forensic psychiatrist in the world. She will be providing her expert opinion on the importance of striking a balance between cultural and clinical approaches to care for Pacific patients in psychiatry.

Tuesday 27 July
10.00am (Approx.) Leota Scanlon

Leota Scanlon, a 58-year old man of Samoan descent, was a patient at the Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit. Leota will talk about the abuse he suffered at Lake Alice, including electric shocks, paraldehyde injections, physical abuse and seclusion. He will share the ongoing effects of this abuse on his life including his mental health, lack of education and his relationships with his family.
2.15pm (Approx.) Mr TY
Mr TY is a Samoan male who was placed in Owairaka and Kohitere after running away from home at the age of 12. Mr TY ran away because of the abuse he was experiencing at home. He lived in a treehouse for three months before he was picked up by police and taken to Owairaka. Mr TY spent a lot of time in secure units and at the age of 60, is still haunted by the trauma he experienced in there.
3.45pm (Approx.) Billy Puka Tanu

Billy Puka Tanu is of Tokelauan and Māori descent. He talks about the key factors which led to him being placed in care, followed by his experiences of extensive abuse and differential treatment whilst in State care and in the care of the Salvation Army. He speaks to the long-lasting impacts of that abuse and shares his ideas for transformative change.

Wednesday 28 July
10.00am (Approx.) David Crichton

David Crichton (formerly David Mohi) spent around 17 years in care across numerous care placements. Only upon receiving his care files at the age of 30 did he discover his Samoan ethnicity and knowledge about his Samoan family. David speaks to the significant impacts resulting from the loss of his cultural identity, his experience of the Ministry of Social Development historical claims process and the difficulties in accessing his records from the various institutions who were responsible for his care.
2.15pm (Approx.) Folasaitu Dr Julia Ioane

Folasaitu Dr Julia Ioane is a Samoan clinical psychologist and senior lecturer in psychology. She is experienced in working with children and young people involved in care and protection and youth justice matters. She has adapted Western models of psychology, including therapeutic models and contextualising practice, to the worldviews of her Pacific clients. Folasaitu Dr Julia Ioane will discuss the themes shared by Pacific survivors of abuse in care and trauma approach and analysis within a Pacific cultural framework.

Thursday 29 July
10.00am (Approx.) Talanoa panel
Friday 30 July
10.00am (Approx.) Survivor witness

This survivor witness is of Samoan and Māori descent. He grew up in Wairoa and attended a Catholic primary school where he was sexually abused by a Catholic Priest. He talks about the impacts of this abuse and his work as an advocate for male victims of sexual abuse.
Closing statements

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Dawn raids a focus as Pasifika survivors of abuse give evidence

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Survivors of abuse from the Pacific community will give evidence before the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry at an upcoming public hearing, 'Tulou - Our Pacific Voices: Tatala e Pulonga'. Experts will also give evidence. The public hearing, starting on Monday 19 July, will open with a traditional Pacific ceremony and be held at Fale o Samoa in Māngere, Auckland.

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Above is a link to some cartoons that depict the racism happening during the Dawn Raid era (1970's)

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After the Second World War many Māori moved into New Zealand cities, especially Auckland, to take up work opportunities. This brought Māori into closer contact with Pākehā, and they suffered discrimination in such matters as housing, employment and petty law enforcement. The Auckland Committee on Racism and Discrimination (ACORD) emerged to fight such intolerance, and published a leaflet on violence and racism around 1973. It included these cartoons about police harassment of Māori and Pacific Islanders.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, David Wickham Collection
Reference: 94-106-19/07-01

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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After the Second World War many Māori moved into New Zealand cities, especially Auckland, to take up work opportunities. This brought Māori into closer contact with Pākehā, and they suffered discrimination in such matters as housing, employment and petty law enforcement. The Auckland ...