Popular sources, including podcasts, blogs, social media posts, websites, plays and poetry, offer valuable insights into how the Dawn Raids have been interpreted and discussed over time.
They highlight the ongoing impact of the Dawn Raids on public awareness and show how histories of race, immigration, and justice, continue to shape contemporary conversations in Aotearoa New Zealand.
‘Bunga’, by SWIDT, Music Video, 2019
Creative responses to historical events like the Dawn Raids enable artists to engage with and reinterpret the past, offering new perspectives and fostering greater understanding.
This music video by Onehunga-based hip hop collective SWIDT highlights the systemic racism experienced by the Pasifika communities.
Waking Up to the Dawn Raids podcast, 2021
Episode 1: Waking Up to the Dawn Raids (Aotearoa) | Untold Pacific History. A podcast presented by Koroi Hawkins, RNZ, 18 May 2021. The series Untold Pacific History aims to bring to light the often forgotten or untold stories of the Pacific region, encouraging broader conversations about New Zealand’s colonial past and its lasting impact on indigenous communities. This episode delves into the social and economic landscape of 1970s Aotearoa, exploring the global political factors that contributed to an economic downturn and the subsequent shift in public sentiment against so-called ‘illegal immigrants’.
‘Raiding the Dawn’. Poem by Marina Alefosio, 2021
‘Raiding the Dawn’, performed by Marina Alefosio at the 2021 Dawn Raids Apology, powerfully addresses history, identity, and hope for Pasifika communities in Aotearoa.
My Village – Lo‘u Nu‘u, audio walking tour created by the Pua brothers, 2022
My Village - Lo‘u Nu‘u Walking Tour
Join Urban Street Historian Sofi Ulugia-Pua and his ’āiga (family) on My Village - Lo‘u Nu‘u, an immersive walking tour with 11 stops along Karangahape Road, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
Through short audio stories, this tour transports you back to the 1970s, offering insights into vibrant community life and key locations like the ASB Bank, Pacific Islanders Congregational Church, Samoa House, and Pigeon Park. Enjoy music recommendations at various stops, with transcripts and audio available online.
Developed as part of the Urban Walking Festival, this resource is available in web and app form on the STQRY platform. Visit the Auckland Stories site.
Niu Dawn: Whakaako kia whakaora / Educate to Liberate Project
A public art project responding to Pasifika migration to Aotearoa, the Dawn Raids of the 1970s, and the legacy of the Polynesian Panthers. Created by Huriana Kopeke‑Te Aho, Numa McKenzie, and Toa Sieke Taihia in collaboration with Emory Douglas, Tigilau Ness, and Chris McBride, the mural and website connect histories of resistance and social justice with ongoing struggles for equity. Inspired by global Black and Brown liberation movements, Niu Dawn is a resource that affirms hope, education, and collective wellbeing for future generations.
More creative resources
Podcasts
- ‘Black Sheep: The story of White Supremacy’, Presented by William Ray, RNZ, 26 Mar. 2019
- ‘Once a Panther’. Written and Produced by Brad Flahive and Alex Liu, 2020, Stuff
- ‘The Aotearoa History Show: Season 2 Ep 14: New Zealand's Pacific Empire’. Written and Produced by William Ray, RNZ, 3 Nov. 2022
- ‘Under The Whāriki – Ep 9 | The Dawn Raids and 70s Pasifika Experience (with Ma'ata Lavulo)’. Hosted by Anatola Finau and Tahu Hollis, Creative Nātives, 25 Jul. 2023
- ‘Culture 101: Why Polynesia remains still there, still strong in inner city Tamaki Makaurau’. Hosted by Perlina Lau and Mark Amery, RNZ, 8 Oct. 2023
Blogs
- E-tangata, ‘Will ‘Ilolahia: ‘Once a Panther, always a Panther’ by Dale Husband, 2016
- Object Space, ‘The Single Object: The wood planks that hid Polynesian students from the police’ by Nina Tonga, 2019
- UoA, ‘A history lesson in Pacific "leeching"’ by Tara Leota-Seiuli, Torisse Laulu and Dr David Tokiharu Mayeda, 2018
- E-Tangata, ‘The terror of the dawn raids’ by Melanie Anae, Oct. 2020
- New Zealand Geographic, ‘Evicted from Aotearoa’ by Don Rowe, 2021
- E-Tangata, ‘Policing the Dawn Raids’ by Kim Workman, 2021
- UoA, ‘Dawn raids’ long racist shadow persists’ by Dylan Asafo, 2021
- E-Tangata, ‘The Dawn Raids: Why apologise? ’ by Joris De Bres, 2021
- The Spinoff, ‘Dawn raids ceremony explained: Why Jacinda Ardern sat under a woven mat’ by Apulu Reece Autagavaia, 2021
- E-Tangata, ‘The Dawn Raids Apology’, Aug. 2021
- E-Tangata, ‘Dawn Raids Apology: A Poem’ by Tusiata Avia, Aug. 2021
- The Spinoff, ‘The unwelcome return of dawn raid tactics’ by Catherine McGregor, 2023
- E-Tangata, ‘Compliance visit? It’s still a dawn raid’ by Pakilau Manase Lua, 2023
- Coconet.TV, ‘The Polynesian Panthers: What you need to know’, n.d.
- New Zealand Geographic,‘ Oscar Kightley wishes his play wasn’t relevant’ by Tulia Thompson, n.d.
- MoE, ‘Dawn Raids’ (New Zealand), n.d.
- Education Gazette, ‘Embracing Cultural Awareness through the history of the dawn raids’, 22-Feb-24
- Coconet.TV, ‘The Treaty of Waitangi and vā between Maori and Pacific peoples in Aotearoa, New Zealand ’ by Lupematasila Misatauveve Dr Melani Anae, QSO, 2022
- E-Tangata, ‘Oscar Kightley: Waking up to the Dawn Raids’ transcript of interview by Jack Tame, 2022
- Ngā Tamatoa the movement. ‘I am Hana’, n.d., Website.
Social media
- ‘Emily Muli describes her Tongan Grandmother's experience during the dawn raids era’. Humans of South Auckland Official, 2020, Social Media, Facebook post.
- ‘Apology Live Stream on YouTube’. Aug. 2021, Social Media, Livestream.