This is a dedicated space for sharing stories, dialogue and resources about the Dawn Raids and the Understanding Dawn Raids project.
Talanoa is an Indigenous form of knowledge sharing. The concept is widely understood across the Pacific; however, nuances vary across different locations and cultural settings.
This space is part of an ongoing effort to record, and share lived experiences of the Dawn Raids era. Community stories are vital in ensuring this history is remembered, understood, and passed on.
If you would like to share a story on our platform, please get in touch at [email protected]
Community stories
‘I was there’: Matua Robert ‘Bobby’ Mervyn Clement Newson
A Vietnam veteran and former police officer, Matua Bobby reflects on his experiences during the Dawn Raids: as a Māori constable, as the husband of Tongan Gemma, and as a father and grandfather.
Beyond the Dawn Raids: A talanoa with To‘alepai Lui Tautolo
To‘alepai reflects on experiences of racism and on more than four decades in the airline industry, revealing how mobility between the village and diaspora has been central to sustaining Pacific relationships and community life.
Cherie Tautolo: Reflecting on my father’s story
This blog brings together Cherie Tautolo’s response after listening to her father, To‘alepai Lui Tautolo, share some of his life story in Aotearoa.
From a beneficiary to tangata Tiriti: A journey of belonging and responsibility
Tongan teacher and punake, a master artist of poetry, music and choreography, Mele Suipi Fakatava Lātū reflects on the unstable sense of belonging that Pacific families faced after the Dawn Raids.
Overstayers: Reflecting on the Dawn Raids in 2024
Overstayers is a powerful theatrical production by Hans Masoe that reflects on the lived realities of Pacific migrants who arrived, worked and built their lives in Aotearoa during the era of the Dawn Raids.
Polynesian Panthers story
‘The Polynesian Panther story is the story of Pacific in New Zealand, and also the story of New Zealand becoming more and more aware of its real self.’
--Melani Anae
Project stories
Letters Home by Noelle Moa
Manatū Taonga commissioned Noelle to create visual elements for the Understanding Dawn Raids. In response, she developed a bespoke series of 38 linocut prints titled Letters Home, informed by the long history of movement across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.
Acknowledging the Dawn Raids: The 2021 Government Apology
This speech was delivered on 1 August 2021 by the then Prime Minister, Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, as part of the New Zealand Government’s formal apology for the Dawn Raids of the 1970s.
Dawn Raids apology: A personal journey
On Sunday 1 August 2021, Manatū Taonga representatives, including Solicitor Malama Mahe, travelled to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland to attend the Government's formal apology for the Dawn Raids. This is Malama's personal account of the ceremony.
Understanding Dawn Raids name
The title ‘Understanding Dawn Raids’ draws inspiration from Understanding Polynesians (1974) and Understanding Pakehas (1975), booklets produced by the government’s Vocational Guidance Council at a time of social tension and growing concern about race relations in Aotearoa.
Guides for teachers
Teaching about the Polynesian Panthers and the Dawn Raids
Histories of the dawn raids and Polynesian Panther Party enable teachers and students to explore topics of power and colonisation.
Using government apologies to teach and learn about history
Overview of New Zealand government apologies, and classroom-based ideas and activities intended for students between Years 7 and 13.