Porirua exhibit brings voices of Pasifika’s ‘sheroes’ into the light

For five decades, the archival history of Aotearoa New Zealand has been missing the voices of Pasifika women who rebuilt their communities in the wake of the 1970s Dawn Raids.

A groundbreaking new exhibition at Pātaka Art + Museum is changing that, bringing these unsung leaders out of the background and directly into the light.

Marama Malama: Te Manavā Moana Women contains striking portraits by Samoan-Kiwi artist Nu'ugalo Jacinta Mauga and voice recordings of their lived experiences in their words.

The exhibition commemorates the 50th anniversary of P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. Inc and honors trailblazing women of their Whitireia branch who have helped shape Porirua’s Pacific hub. These community leaders represent Niue, the Cook Islands, Sāmoa, Kiribati, Fiji, Tokelau, Tahiti, Tuvalu, Hawai'i, and Tonga.

"Women are often the force behind change," Nu'ugalo tells Island Time.

"The men are sometimes up the front, but the women know what's going on, they work behind the scenes. They never stand in the light."

Pātaka's Māori and Pacific curator Jacki Leota-Mua found during her research of the public archives that only a single historical recording of a Pacific woman's voice from the era.

For Leota-Mua, capturing these unfiltered stories provides a crucial cultural anchor for the next generation.

"In this era of AI, where you don't know what truth is...to hear this truth from these mamas, it's not an echo chamber, it's not AI generated," Leota-Mua says.

Watch Nu'ugalo Jacinta Mauga and Jacki Leota-Mua's full interview below.

"History is always written by men...but we're celebrating the sheroes. Her story, rather than his story."

Over six months of building trust and guided by alofa, Nu'ugalo collaborated with the elders to ensure the imagery reflected their true power.

"We had to force some of them to stand in the light,” Nu'ugalo jokes.

“This is just a dream project. But I was not prepared for how deeply it would connect with me on many sorts of personal levels. I learned so much from these women and I'm so proud of our culture the way we really hold up our elders.

“You know I'm not just going and like just taking a picture, it's a joint sort of thing that happens. It's a reminder of what these women have done for us."

P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A Inc at Parliament Photo/pacifica.org

The exhibition title plays on profound linguistic connections across the Moana.

Words such as marama in Vosa vaka-Viti meaning a woman of rank. Malama taken from the Sāmoan word malamalama which can translate to understanding/knowledge/insight or in some contexts light. Manavā, where the vā represents the sacred, relational space of the heart and breath.

The content spans from the late pioneers, like Elaine Uluave-Annandale, Porirua’s first Pacific Councilor, to living legends like Mama Aka'iti (Te-Tua-O-Terai Akaiti Eitiare-Samuel), who shares painful memories of 1970s workplace racism, and union delegate Siuga-O-Fao Paula Masoe, who fought for a living wage for night cleaners.

Full names of participants featured in the exhibition:

• Motuhele Tukuniu Pahetogia

• Kura Maeva Hakirere Eitiare Edward with Te-Tua-O-Terai Akaiti Eitiare-Samuel

• Siuga-O-Fao Maria Paula Masoe

• Teremoana O-Maua-Hodges KSM

• Tumai Toimata (Benson)

• Teresa Biudede LakoiiIgiladi Donato Koliavu

• Kalisi Pou Viliamu-Hope with Ioana Viliamu-Amusia, Kale Vaega, Kalisi Pou Viliamu-Hope, Frances Pedro (and the late Faatali Viliamu Leiua)

• Sose Annandale with Gagau Annandale-Stone

• Lēo’o Jenny Taotua O’Carroll, the current P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A Inc President

• Elaine Uluave-Annandale QSM

• Jasmine Underhill née Pamatatau MNZM, Aotearoa’s first Pacific woman to hold the office of Deputy Mayor (1986–2004).

• And the late Le’autulī’ilagī Taotua Malaetā Fa’asapisapi Sauvao MNZM

Photographer and graphic designer, Nu'ugalo Jacinta Mauga. Photo/LinkedIn

Supported by the New Zealand Oral History Fund and local councils, the exhibition officially opens with a public ceremony on Saturday 27 June, coinciding with Matariki - the season of remembrance.

To bring the gallery directly into the community, three-meter-tall versions of Mauga’s powerful portraits will also illuminate the Te Manawā CBD, the heart of Porirua for a full year.

Marama Malama: Te Manavā Moana Women is on display at Pātaka Art + Museum’s Bottle Creek Gallery from 20 June - 16 August 2026. Free entry.