A visit from the Polynesian Panthers

Following our trip to Auckland in 2022 to meet the Polynesian Panthers and attend Oscar Kightley's Dawn Raids Production, we were honoured to host four of the co-founders of The Polynesian Panthers Party Legacy Trust in August.

We used this opportunity to host the premier of our Dawn Raids short film at a cinema in Wigram and have the Polynesian Panthers join us as our guests of honour. The short film was a record of our staff's experience of the Auckland trip and showcased the importance of understanding our history, in order to inspire and motivate us to assist in our communities.

In keeping with their mantra of ‘Educate to Liberate,’ we held student workshops in Christchurch and Ashburton, with the Polynesian Panthers as the key speakers.  

From feedback, it was clear that many students did not understand the struggles or the emotions the Pasifika communities endured during the Dawn Raids era.  

Over two days, our workshops engaged with more than 500 students, teachers, and participants from various schools, organisations, and families. As well as opening up challenging conversations on the impacts of racism - now and then - there was a strong message of hope and optimism.