Collectivism in Pacific General Assembly - Pegasus Health participation in the Pacific Community and learnings

By Esala Vakamacawai and Jen Walker.

Pacific Peoples are diverse, with distinct traditions, languages, and cultures. Despite these differences, there exist cultural similarities linked to pre-colonial inter-island trading, marriage, and reciprocity. The collective sharing of these cultures and traditions was evident at a recent Pacific General Assembly Hui held between Pacific Peoples and tangata whenua in Ōtautahi Christchurch. It was organised by Tangata Atumotu Trust to highlight the value of rangatiratanga, or self-determination, through collective cultural representation.

For Pegasus Health, equity and rangatiratanga are key values that guide its practice. Pegasus Health was represented at the hui by its Manager of Pacific Health who participated in the celebration of gifting on behalf of the Ōtautahi Pacific community. The gift of kete (Māori) or ketekete (Fijian) is fitting, signifying a diverse culture woven together in unity to represent the collective voice of Pacific Peoples in Christchurch. The blending of tangata whenua and Pacific Peoples’ cultures at the hui recognised that in Aotearoa, 25% of Pacific Peoples also have whakapapa Māori, underscoring our shared genealogical ties.

Esala Vakamacawai, the Manager of Pacific Health at Pegasus Health Charitable Trust, presents a gift to Tangata Whenua. The gift symbolises the willingness of Pacific Peoples to be represented and heard at the national level.

The Pacific community leaders at the hui used the event to select someone of both traditional and legal standing to be their representative and speak on their behalf at the national level. They picked former Labour government minister Aupito Tofae Su'a William Sio. He will become the voice of Pacific Peoples in New Zealand and receive and represent community-based information from regional advisory boards across the country. His selection shows that a collective approach is crucial in determining a better outcome for the health and well-being of the Pacific community, and the hui symbolised the strength of having a united voice in decision-making, summed up by Japanese poet Ryunosuke Satoro who wrote, ‘Individually we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.’

Autonomy within a culturally diverse community empowers participation regardless of age, population size, ethnicity and gender.  While cultural representation is essential in a diverse Pacific community, we should acknowledge that in Aotearoa, some ethnic groups have greater numbers than others. For example, Samoans at have the biggest population at 49%, followed by Cook Islands Maoris at 21%, Tongans at 20%, and Niueans at 8%, and Fijians 5% of the Pacific population (Lilo et al., 2020). The risk is that when we focus on the majority, the minority becomes excluded, creating an environment that negatively impacts their health and well-being. For Fijians at the hui, witnessing their culture and traditions performed was a breakthrough, as a participant observed:

“Au dau masuta lo tu me na dua na siga, me na bau laurai talega na noda itovo ni kai Viti.” 
(It has always been my prayer that a day will come when Fijian culture and tradition will be showcased in a Pacific community event).

A key takeaway from the hui was the understanding that equity in our diverse Pacific community is essential for improving the participation and involvement of the target population. If the same view is incorporated into non-government organisations and primary healthcare practice, we will see an improvement in health-seeking behaviours leading to better health literacy and outcome.

A Cook Islands Māori cultural group and a Fijian warrior perform during the Hui. The collaboration of the two cultures is a sign of peace within the community.