Events

Event: Unpacking Indigenous Identities: Pacific Island Perspectives

Please join us for a panel discussion on the topic, Unpacking Indigenous Identities: Pacific Islanders Perspectives.

Thursday 29 August 2024

KG-E403

Kelvin Grove Campus

11.30am – 1.00pm

A light lunch will be served after the panel discussion

The panel will offer a nuanced exploration of the diverse and dynamic ways in which individuals from the Pacific region construct and negotiate their identities.

Panellists will discuss topics relevant to an understanding of the complex and multifaceted nature of Pacific Islanders including cultural revitalization, environmental stewardship, diasporic experiences, and the intersections of gender, class, and ethnicity within Pacific Islander communities. The panel aims to highlight the multiplicity of identities within Pacific Islander communities, challenge stereotypical representations and foster a deeper understanding of the rich tapestry of experiences and perspectives that characterize Indigenous identities in the Pacific region.

The goal is to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of identity and cultural diversity in the Pacific.

The panel will include:

Facilitator:

Danielle Watson is a Senior Research Fellow (DECRA) and Academic Lead – Research in the School of Justice. She co-leads the Small Islands Security Governance and Indo-Pacific Research Groups. Her research looks at various aspects of security in developing small island contexts.

Panellists:

Ema Vueti is the President of the Pacific Islands Council QLD. She is also a member of the Pasifika Women’s Alliance with over two decades of service to the Pacific community in Queensland and beyond.

Rev Dr Ben Wate is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Science, and Head – School of Humanities in the Faculty of Education and Humanities of the Solomon Islands National University. He is a Social Anthropologist with major interests in Gender Studies, Culture, Christian theology and Human Rights.

Lasela Kofe is a national of Tuvalu. Before joining QUT, she served as an Assistant People’s Lawyer in the Tuvalu’s Office of People’s Lawyers. She is currently an HDR candidate at QUT working on a project titled “Survivors’ Perspectives on Intimate Partner Violence Support Mechanisms in Tuvalu.

Agapetos Aia-Fa’aleava is a researcher and filmmaker in the Pasifika space in Meanjin. Agapetos creative-practice research is called “One Tatau, Two Worlds: Unexplored stories of non-Indigenous Samoan Women and Indigenous Samoa Fa’afine with the malu.” This project covers themes of identity, women’s stories, cultural appropriation versus cultural appreciation, and criticism from the digital village through the lens of the Samoan malu.

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