Journal articles on the topic 'Pacific Peoples Education'

Even though Pacific peoples in tertiary education in Aotearoa New Zealand strive to achieve milestones which bring honour and prestige to their families and communities in New Zealand and the Pacific, socio-economic factors still hinder many from achieving their set goals. This article begins by relating the author’s own narrative as a Sāmoan living in the Pacific diaspora and working in tertiary education in Auckland. It then outlines the diverse aspirations of Pacific peoples living in New Zealand, with a focus on the educational hopes of recent migrants as well as New Zealand-born members of Pacific communities. These aspirations are presented with reference to the existing literature on Pacific success within tertiary education in Aotearoa New Zealand. We discuss how education providers support Pacific students, and the ways in which institutions are working to improve Pacific educational outcomes. It is argued that even if the New Zealand Tertiary Education Strategy (TES), the Action Plan for Pacific Education 2020- 2030 (APPE), and Unitec's Pacific Success Strategy 2019- 2022 are aligned in their goals, more effort is needed to ensure that these initiatives are implemented effectively through multi-disciplinary and value-based approaches. This article adds value by providing an insider’s perspective of migration and a first-hand account of the challenges facing students in higher education in Aotearoa New Zealand. Moreover, the analysis contributes to the repertoire of academic studies and publications that help to understand and improve the Pacific experience in tertiary education in Aotearoa New Zealand.

This essay charts (and critiques) the formal education of Pacific-heritage peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand. As a diverse minority group, the education of Pacific-heritage peoples has been an explicit strategic priority for the Ministry of Education for over two decades, although the provision and experience of education for and by Pacific-heritage peoples in this country has, at the very least, a fifty year whakapapa. The author traces the current position of Pacific peoples using a broad socio-historical lens anchored in post-structural analysis principles, with an indigenous Pacific philosophical cast, in order to present a critique of the past that illuminates the present. Why is this important? The author argues that a deepened knowledge of such developments is an imperative for informed decision making in policy and practice, and for the research that should inform both.

There is a “world of difference,” anthropologist Epeli Hauʻofa argued, “between viewing the Pacific as ‘islands in a far sea’ and as ‘a sea of islands.’” The distinction between both perspectives, he explained, is exemplified in the two names used for the region: Pacific Islands and Oceania. The former represents a colonial vision produced by white “continental men” emphasizing the smallness and remoteness of “dry surfaces in a vast ocean far from centers of power.” This understanding has produced and sustained an “economistic and geographic deterministic view” emphasizing Pacific Island nations as “too small, too poor, and too isolated” to take care of themselves. The latter, in contrast, denotes a grand space inhabited by brave and resourceful people whose myths, legends, oral traditions, and cosmologies reveal how they did not conceive of themselves in such “microscopic proportions.” Rather, Oceanic peoples have for over two millennia viewed the sea as a “large world” where peoples, goods, and cultures moved and mingled unhindered by fixed national boundaries.

Pacific indigenous social work has developed across borders reflecting the diaspora of Pacific peoples outside their homelands. It is proposed that the ‘next wave’ of Pacific social work be centred in Pacific homelands to invigorate new approaches that better address well-being for transnational Pacific peoples. The current status of Pacific social work education, professionalization and theory is discussed. It is argued that social justice, locally-led development and cultural preservation will be better realized with an expansion of Pacific social work across borders. The article reflects on decolonization, universalism–relativism, nature of social work, resourcing and collaborations for Pacific social work.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, populations of Pacific peoples increased by 45% between 2006 and 2018 (Statistics New Zealand, 2018). Consequently, teachers need to be equipped with knowledge, skills, and resources to be able to respond to Pacific learners and communities appropriately and effectively. This article presents findings from a research project that identified 90 picturebooks featuring Pacific peoples and stories published since 2013, and analysed them for representations of Pacific culture, values, and languages. In this article, we present a thematic analysis of 10 picturebooks exploring their potential as pedagogical resources to support early childhood education (ECE) teachers in developing cultural competencies for working with Pacific learners and their families.

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: Pacific peoples make up approximately 7% of the total population in New Zealand, and are over-represented in poor health statistics. There are very few Pacific peoples in the health workforce. Most Pacific patients will be seen by a non-Pacific health professional when seeking medical care. It is important for all health education institutions, therefore, to include Pacific health as part of their curricula. ASSESSMENT OF PROBLEM: This article outlines the development and evaluation of a Pacific immersion programme to teach medical students about Pacific health. The programme was developed with the assistance of local Pacific community leaders. Learning objectives for students, protocols and processes were developed. These learning objectives and feedback from medical students, staff and host families, formed the basis for evaluating the programme. RESULTS: Students found the programme to be very useful. Host families were satisfied with the experience. Staff support ensured the programme became a required part of learning at the Dunedin School of Medicine. STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVEMENT: The pilot programme was initially offered as an optional choice for students. In the future, all students at the Dunedin School of Medicine will be expected to undertake the programme. A research project looking at changes in knowledge, skills and attitudes of students after the programme will be of value. LESSONS: The programme provided a useful way for teaching Pacific health to undergraduate medical students. Other institutions could consider this method for teaching Pacific health in their curricula. KEYWORDS: Pacific health; health education; Pacific peoples

Abstract Educators are important role models for their students. Specialists and professionals working within STEM related areas can support outreach related education activities as role models for children and young people. To support improved education and health outcomes for Māori and Pacific young people in New Zealand (NZ), various strategies and interventions have been proposed. The importance of role modelling in this context is recognised. The purpose of this work was to support a STEM-related outreach education event organised by an external organisation, with a teaching contribution delivered by a Pacific Biomedical Scientist that was Immunologically based. The female Pacific Biomedical Scientist was invited to contribute to this work as a role model specifically to support improved interest and participation with STEM related learning in a workshop classroom environment. Given that context relevant science related learning was a primary focus, clinical research work was presented to the Pacific College students aged 14–16 years. The research work in part related to the autoimmune condition known as Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) that can trigger permanent heart damage known as Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) if left untreated. It is recognised that Māori and Pacific Peoples in NZ and in the Pacific Region are affected disproportionately by ARF and RHD. Verbal and written feedback from the College students highlighted the Immunology teaching session was well-received and enjoyed by the students. This work also demonstrated the importance of role modelling in the classroom blended with scientific knowledge communication in supporting positive interactions in the classroom for Pacific College students.

Abstract Immunology education remains an essential component for undergraduate Health Sciences education across the health professions. The clinical relevance of Immunology teaching can be emphasised by utilisation and appropriate reference to pertinent health conditions affecting populations locally and across the global setting. Health issues of significance to Māori and Pacific populations groups in Aotearoa/New Zealand and in the Pacific Region include Cancer and Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) and Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD). ARF is the body’s autoimmune response to untreated Group A Streptococcal (GAS) infection of the throat or skin. If left untreated, repeated or severe ARF episodes can lead to permanent cardiac damage known as RHD. RHD is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The growing global burden of cancer remains of concern, while Pacific Peoples and Māori are disproportionately affected by specific cancers. The utilisation of two areas with strong Immunological relevance for teaching examples in undergraduate Health Sciences education were shown to support improved understanding, class participation, topical interest, and research focus for Medical students engaged within Health Sciences education platforms in Aotearoa/New Zealand. This highlights the value of supporting Immunology education efforts by incorporating appropriate reference to pertinent health conditions relevant to populations groups locally and across the global setting.

Covid-19 has had a major impact on collectivist cultures and their means of social interaction and maintaining contact with those in their wider community. This has particularly been the case for Pacific peoples living in diaspora, with Covid-19 preventing travel home and social distancing and forced lockdowns restricting the ability to gather. This has also impacted vā, the Pacific concept of ‘relational space’ critical to connectivity and maintaining relationships. This paper explains the creation of virtual faikava; online meeting environments in which Pacific kava users meet, maintain vā, connect with those at home and in the wider diasporic community and learn, while consuming their traditional beverage kava.

Abstract Specialists and professionals working within STEM related fields can be important role models for students. In the right context and when effective, STEM role models can inspire and motivate children and young people to consider undertaking STEM related classes at school and college. Indigenous Māori and Pacific students in New Zealand (NZ), remain underrepresented within STEM and health related courses and pathways. The importance of role modelling in this particular context has been recognised. An Immunologically based leaning and teaching workshop effort was designed to support a wider STEM-related knowledge translation and outreach education event organised by an external organization. A female Pacific Biomedical Scientist was invited to appear as a STEM role model, and offer a teaching contribution to support increased interest, engagement and participation within the STEM related learning environment. A significant component of the STEM related teaching content was based upon cancer related Immunological content and was tailored for delivery to Pacific College students (aged 14–16 years). The cancer burden amongst Māori and Pacific Peoples in NZ and in the Pacific Region remains of concern. The feedback received from the College students highlighted this session was very well received and enjoyed by the students and was expressed in written and verbal form. Educators can be important role models for their students and for wider knowledge translation efforts. This work demonstrated the importance of role modelling in the classroom when delivering STEM related teaching content for Pacific College students.

Aotearoa New Zealand has had a long association with other states in the Pacific, notably with Pacific Island countries generally grouped as Polynesia and Melanesia. Donor-aid and the introduced ideas of consultants have been currencies in many of these well-appreciated relationships. However, more collaborative arrangements have also born significant fruit. These include the collaborative publications of the now dis-established He Pārekereke Institute for Research and Development in Māori and Pacific Education. This article offers a sketch of the potential of He Pārekereke as an example of a small-scale unit associated with a university to influence policy development. What emerges is the significance of such ventures to affect New Zealand Pacific policy in the field of education through privileging the strengths, priorities, understandings and ideas of Pacific Island peoples to balance those introduced to the region.

Abstract Connecting young people with STEM and Immunology within the classroom setting can be a challenge. Outreach education and knowledge translation efforts can be supported by appropriate Role Modelling and Contextualisation for students and young people. The purpose of this work was to support improved interest and engagement by young Pacific students within a STEM related context, within the classroom setting using an Immunology based in-class teaching focus. Pacific students remain underrepresented in STEM and health related subjects and courses. An outreach education STEM based knowledge translational programme was specifically designed for Pacific students aged 10–12 years (Year 7 & 8) by an external organisation, and included an outreach activity contribution by a female Pacific Biomedical Scientist. Context specific STEM related Immunology content was shared with the Pacific students in the form of cancer related research work and was targeted to the 10–12 year age group. The growing burden of cancer remains a significant concern for Pacific Peoples living in New Zealand and the Pacific Region. Student feedback in verbal and written form indicated this in-class session was very well received. Students engaged well with the in-class question and answer session involving the Pacific Biomedical Scientist and expressed interest in considering STEM as possible subject options. The importance of appropriate Role Modelling and Contextualization of STEM associated Immunology based teaching in the Classroom in supporting positive and constructive classroom experiences for students, was reinforced by the feedback and interactions outlined in this work.

AbstractBackgroundIn New Zealand the burden of nutrition-related disease is greatest among Māori, Pacific and low-income peoples. Nutrition labels have the potential to promote healthy food choices and eating behaviours. To date, there has been a noticeable lack of research among indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities and low-income populations regarding their perceptions, use and understanding of nutrition labels. Our aim was to evaluate perceptions of New Zealand nutrition labels by Māori, Pacific and low-income peoples and to explore improvements or alternatives to current labelling systems.MethodsMāori, Samoan and Tongan researchers recruited participants who were regular food shoppers. Six focus groups were conducted which involved 158 people in total: one Māori group, one Samoan, one Tongan, and three low-income groups.ResultsMāori, Pacific and low-income New Zealanders rarely use nutrition labels to assist them with their food purchases for a number of reasons, including lack of time to read labels, lack of understanding, shopping habits and relative absence of simple nutrition labels on the low-cost foods they purchase.ConclusionsCurrent New Zealand nutrition labels are not meeting the needs of those who need them most. Possible improvements include targeted social marketing and education campaigns, increasing the number of low-cost foods with voluntary nutrition labels, a reduction in the price of ‘healthy’ food, and consideration of an alternative mandatory nutrition labelling system that uses simple imagery like traffic lights.

This region of Southeast Asia shares more social and cultural ties with other Austronesian peoples in the Pacific than with the peoples of mainland Southeast Asia. Contemporarily, Asia Pacific is still the fastest growing economic region in the world despite economic turbulence and uncertainties in recent years due to the global economic slow-down. As one of centres of economic power, the region could hardly remain immune to the globalizing impact of economic and technological change. The purpose of this study was to explore the development of Technical and Vocational education in Malaysia and Indonesia by analyzing the history, policies, and its direction. In Malaya, the Technical and Vocational education prior to independence had projected the images of “colonial apprenticeship” with the emphasis on manual agricultural and crafts, which aimed at training the Malay students to fill positions in the Railway department under the Federated Malay States. After independence, Technical and Vocational education in Malaysia continued to grow, and some reforms have been implemented to improve the image of Technical and Vocational education itself. In Indonesia, a similar development occurred but the difference is in terms of Technical and Vocational education funding at the secondary level where there are many private Technical and Vocational schools as compared to Malaysia. There are new concepts introduced in Technical and Vocational education, such as the Tech-Prep, Time Sector Privatization and Vocational Colleges in Malaysia and Link and Match, Dual System, Product-based Curriculum, and Total Performance Management (TPM) in Indonesia, but the concepts are yet to be carried out optimally due of some constraints. The implications of this study are to identify the human capital development in the maritime Archipelago countries from the perspectives of the competitiveness and the preparation for dealing with the impact of globalization.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND CONTEXTRheumatic fever inequitably affects Māori and Pacific children in New Zealand. School-based throat swabbing services, such as the South Auckland Mana Kidz programme, are a key element of rheumatic fever prevention interventions. ASSESSMENT OF THE PROBLEMCounties Manukau has the highest national rates of rheumatic fever (4.7 per 100,000 for first recorded rates). Given these disparities, Mana Kidz undertook an exploratory, community-based initiative to improve its service delivery for Pacific Peoples. RESULTSMana Kidz held a Pacific Leaders’ Fono (meeting) to discuss initiatives to improve rheumatic fever outcomes in South Auckland focused around challenges and solutions for addressing rheumatic fever, effective engagement strategies and leadership qualities needed to drive initiatives. Oral and written responses from 66 attendees were collected and thematically analysed. Four key themes were identified around challenges and solutions for rheumatic fever: social determinants of health; cultural responsiveness; health system challenges; and education, promotion and literacy. Three effective engagement strategies were identified: by Pacific for Pacific; developing a rheumatic fever campaign; improving health services. Three key leadership attributes were identified: culturally responsive leaders; having specific expertise and skills; youth-driven leadership. STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVEMENTMana Kidz has now created Pacific leadership roles in rheumatic fever governance groups, promotes Pacific workforce development and endorses Pacific-led initiatives and partnerships. LESSONSRecognising the value of critical reflection and the importance of good governance and collaborative, right-based partnerships in health services.

Cooperative Pedagogy specific to Tongans can enhance students’ academic success in New Zealand’s tertiary education. Tongan students’ success depends on teachers’ recognition and understanding of Tongan students’ sociocultural context which involves their pule‘anga (bureaucracy), famili/kāinga (family), siasi (church) and fonua (country) relationships. Tongan students should not be treated within the Pacific groupings because ‘Pacific’ is a term of convenience for peoples who originate from different countries in the Pacific region whose cultures are uniquely different from one another. The term ‘Pacific’ tends to make these students live in the shadow of being treated as if they have the same needs in the classroom. The culturally specific needs of Pacific students are obscured by the assumption that they are homogenous. Academics and educational authorities in New Zealand need to recognise the importance of Pacific students’ culturally specific needs in their educational environments to move towards solving the problems of underachievement. This article explores the use of a culturally specific Tongan Toungāue Cooperative Pedagogy for teaching Tongan students in New Zealand tertiary education. Toungāue Cooperative Pedagogy is rooted in Tongan students’ sociocultural context which is at the heart of the Tongan society. More importantly, this proposed Toungāue Cooperative Pedagogy is transferable and could also be beneficial to other Pacific and Indigenous cultures.

Abstract Indigenous Māori and Pacific Peoples in New Zealand (NZ) remain overrepresented both in adverse health statistics and education outcomes. To improve education and health outcomes for Māori and Pacific communities, various strategies and interventions have been proposed. This includes efforts to increase the Māori and Pacific health workforce populations figures more reflective of the make-up of the NZ population. These health careers require participation in science and health related subject matter throughout high school and at higher education learning levels. Māori and Pacific students remain underrepresented amongst these groups. The purpose of this work was to support improved interest and participation in science related learning that was Immunologically focused, amongst high school students from underrepresented groups that included Māori and Pacific students. A visit was carried out by a Biomedical Scientist to an all-girls high school class comprised of students who were of predominantly Māori and Pacific heritage to teach and share about Immunology research work that was Cancer based. The female Biomedical Scientist was of Pacific heritage and was an important consideration in the application of the role modelling concept for the Pacific students within this interaction. Verbal and written feedback highlighted the session was well-received and enjoyed by those in attendance. An important observation was the positive impact and enthusiasm of the students in response to the emphasis on the Immunologically focused Cancer based examples. This work demonstrated the importance of cultural considerations blended with scientific knowledge communication and interactions in the classroom.

Abstract In New Zealand (NZ) children and young people of Māori and Pacific Peoples heritage are underrepresented in high school science and higher education science, medical and health courses. To help support improved engagement and interest in laboratory science learning that was clinically relevant amongst high school students from underrepresented groups that included Māori and Pacific students, a laboratory workshop session was arranged to incorporate a visit from a Pacific Biomedical Scientist teaching laboratory content with an Immunological focus. This visit was organised during the workshop session to support the Immunologically based teaching and also to field questions from the students directly. Amongst other discussion points, the implications of Penicillin as an antibiotic of choice to prevent the autoimmune response to Group A Streptococcal bacteria known as Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) was also discussed. It is recognised that Indigenous Māori and Pacific population groups remain disproportionately affected by Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) and Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) in NZ and in the Pacific Region. Feedback from the high school students indicated that a key source of interest remained the clinical relevance of the scientific discussion emphasised with the Pacific Biomedical Scientist. This work demonstrated the value of Immunology incorporation within the laboratory focus for this wider context and also the role modelling concept for the Pacific students in particular, both as important factors to support heightened interest and engagement levels of underrepresented high school students in science.

Abstract It is recognised that Pacific peoples living in New Zealand in the Pacific are affected disproportionately by some cancers with the burden of cancer overall remaining a significant health concern. These communities stand to benefit from research that will contribute to improvements in health outcomes. Community engagement activities and knowledge translation efforts that involve research findings of relevance to Pasifika populations are of importance in supporting the dissemination of knowledge and dialogue. Limited attempts however have been made to communicate major scientific research findings to the Pasifika audience in a manner that is culturally appropriate, clear and meaningful. The purpose of this work was to host a knowledge translation event to present research of direct relevance and importance to Pasifika communities that included a major compartment dedicated to increasing clarity and awareness of emerging cancer immunotherapeutic based strategies for treating cancer. This event was well attended by members of the Pasifika community that included health leaders and representatives, families, scientists, students, academics, health researchers, community representatives and other interested parties. Verbal and written feedback highlighted the programme overall was highly evaluated by those who were in attendance. This knowledge translation and science communication event successfully facilitated engagement and open dialogue with Pasifika members of the health workforce community that included raising awareness of immunotherapeutic strategies for cancer.

Abstract Students and young people of Indigenous Māori and Pacific Peoples heritage living in NZ, remain underrepresented for STEM and health related courses. Health and STEM focused careers require participation in science and health related subject matter throughout high school and at higher education learning levels. This work sought to support, promote and encourage positive learning experiences for STEM related teaching content that was Immunologically based for a group of high school female students from underrepresented population groups that included Māori and Pacific students. Rheumatic Fever related Penicillin research work was presented to an all-girls high school class, comprised of students who were of predominantly Māori and Pacific heritage to support appropriate knowledge translation of STEM related Immunology based work that was also relevant to Māori and Pacific communities. This was carried out by a female Pacific Biomedical Scientist. Student feedback highlighted the session was very well-received and enjoyed by those in attendance. Strong interest was also expressed by the students who participated in the Rheumatic Fever related Penicillin based focus to the in-class interactions. A key element for undertaking this work was the inclusion of a female Pacific Biomedical Scientist in the teaching, aligning with the role modelling concept important for the Pacific students in particular who were involved with this STEM related outreach effort. These findings highlight the importance and relevance of cultural context in fostering positive learning and teaching interactions in the classroom for female high school students when engaging with Immunologically based STEM related content.

Climate change is impacting the Pacific Islands first and most drastically, yet few native islanders are trained to recognize, analyze, or mitigate the impacts in these islands. To understand the reasons why low numbers of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders enter colleges, enroll in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, or undertake life sciences/STEM careers, 25 representatives from colleges and schools in seven U.S.-affiliated states and countries across the Pacific participated in a 2-day workshop. Fourteen were indigenous peoples of their islands. Participants revealed that: 1) cultural barriers, including strong family obligations and traditional and/or religious restrictions, work against students leaving home or entering STEM careers; 2) geographic barriers confront isolated small island communities without secondary schools, requiring students to relocate to a distant island for high school; 3) in many areas, teachers are undertrained in STEM, school science facilities are lacking, and most island colleges lack STEM majors and modern labs; and 4) financial barriers arise, because many islanders must relocate from their home islands to attend high school and college, especially, the costs for moving to Guam, Hawai’i, or the U.S. mainland. Most solutions depend on financial input, but mechanisms to increase awareness of the value of STEM training are also important.

Historians need social theories to conduct their research whether they are acknowledged or not. Positivist social theories underpinned the professionalization of the writing of history as well as the establishment of the social sciences as “disciplines,” in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. August Comte's “science of society” and theories of evolution were attractive to U.S. historians and other researchers dealing with rapid social and economic changes taking place under the banner of American and Western “progress.” Progressive and “pragmatic” approaches were taken in dealing with the social wreckage created by the expanding industrialization, increasing urbanization, and huge influx of southern and eastern European immigrants. In addition, social theories and philosophical trends also served as the ideological underpinning for historians writing about the “white man's burden” that was said to have brought European and American “civilization” to the indigenous peoples in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the islands of the Pacific who came to be dominated by military might with collaboration from local elites.

Abstract The global burden of cancer is growing. The impact on Pacific communities living in New Zealand (NZ) and in the Pacific Region is significant and remains of concern. Pacific Peoples in NZ and in the Region remain overrepresented in adverse health statistics and outcomes. To improve health outcomes for Pacific communities, various strategies that include increasing the Pacific Health workforce have been proposed. These career pathways require participation in STEM and health related courses at high school and higher education learning levels. Pacific students remain underrepresented amongst these groups. This work sought to use Immunology based examples for improving the interest, engagement and participation of underrepresented student groups in High School the science laboratory. A teaching session was organized to include cancer related Immunology teaching content that was associated with subsequent laboratory workshop activities and was presented by a Pacific Biomedical Scientist. A question and answer was also set-up for the students to support their STEM learning in this context. Feedback indicated students who attended the teaching session found the Immunology related content helpful for their understanding of the overall STEM related laboratory and workshop content. Enthusiastic in-class interactions and engagement was observed. This work demonstrated the value of designing an in-class/laboratory environment that supports positive interactions and participation by students, by incorporating Immunology within the laboratory focus that is appropriately delivered and contextualized.

One of New Zealand’s leading daily newspapers, The Dominion Post, greeted its readers on 20 May 2008 with a front page headline declaring that Pacific migrants were a ‘drain on the economy’. This was claimed in a study released by Massey University economist Dr Greg Clydesdale, who reportedly found that ‘Pacific Islanders’ crime rates, poor education and low employment were creating an underclass and a drain on the economy’. Pacific peoples were angered and dismayed by the Clydesdale claims, their publication on the front page of the Dominion Post, and racially prejudiced responses on talkback radio and the internet. No evidence was provided to support the claim that they were an underclass or a drain on the economy. The Dominion Post said it published the story because of Clydesdale’s status as an academic. Massey University said Clydesdale was exercising his academic freedom. This article is a case study of the controversy examining the intersecting responsibilities of academics, media and universities in response to a group vulnerable to racial stereotypes.

This article focuses on a seminar-conference held in Hawaii in 1936 on the “educability” of native peoples. The seminar-conference was convened by New Zealand anthropologist Felix Keesing and Yale education professor Charles Loram and supported by the Carnegie Corporation, among other organizations. Conference delegates-who came from across the Pacific, including the U.S. mainland, Australia, and New Zealand, and from as far as South Africa-joined to discuss the future of colonial education. The residential conference, which lasted several weeks, resulted in published proceedings and the establishment of extensive transpacific networks. One in a series of international congresses on education that took place during the interwar years, the 1936 Hawaii conference offers unique insight into the transnational dialogue among academics, education practitioners, colonial administrators, and, in some cases, Indigenous spokespeople, concerning the modernization of colonialism and new forms of citizenship in the era of progressive education and cultural internationalism.

Worldwide, Indigenous youth face ongoing challenges and inequalities. Increasing our understanding of life course patterns in Indigenous youth will assist the design of strategies and interventions that encourage positive development. This study aimed to increase understanding of resilience and positive development in Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth across Australia and the United States of America. The Australian sample comprised 9680 non-Indigenous and 176 Pacific Islander and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The USA sample comprised 2258 non-Indigenous and 220 Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian and Native American/American Indian peoples. Data were used to examine how Indigenous background, volunteering, and community involvement at average age 15 years (Grade 9) predicted five young adult positive development indicators: Year 12 (Grade 12) school completion, tertiary education participation, independent income, paid employment, and intimate relationship formation from age 18 to 28 years. Multilevel regression analyses revealed that while Indigenous youth showed slower increases in positive young adult development over time, when adjusting for socioeconomic disadvantage, there was a reduction in this difference. Moreover, we found that Grade 9 community involvement and volunteering were positively associated with young adult development for Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth. Findings indicate the importance of addressing structural inequalities and increasing adolescent opportunities as feasible strategies to improve positive outcomes for young Indigenous adults.

IntroductionType 2 diabetes is common in Māori and Pacific peoples and in those living in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation in New Zealand (NZ). People with type 2 diabetes often have multimorbidity, which makes their diabetes management more complex. The Diabetes Community Exercise and Education Programme (DCEP) is an interprofessional, patient-centred, whānau (family)-supported package of care specifically developed to engage with Māori and Pacific people and those living in deprived areas. We have previously demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of the DCEP. This study aims to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the DCEP through a pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT).Methods and analysis220 adults (age ≥35 years) with type 2 diabetes will be recruited from general practices in the lower South Island of NZ (Dunedin and Invercargill) to participate in an RCT. Participants will be randomised to intervention (DCEP) and control (usual care) groups. The DCEP participants will have their exercise goals agreed on with a physiotherapist and nurse and will attend two 90 min exercise and education sessions per week for 12 weeks. The primary outcome measure is blood glucose control (glycated haemoglobin). Secondary outcome measures include quality of life assessed using the Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life questionnaire. Data will be collected at four time points: baseline, end of the 12-week intervention (3 months), 6 months postintervention (9 months) and 12 months after the intervention ends (15 months). We will also conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis and a qualitative process evaluation.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been approved by the Health and Disability Ethics Committee, Ministry of Health (HDEC17/CEN/241/AM01). A key output will be the development of an evidence-based training package to facilitate implementation of the DCEP in other NZ regions.Trial registration numberACTRN 12617001624370 p; Pre-results.

Abstract Purpose: This article presents an approach for incorporating indigenous culture into language and literacy intervention for middle school students. The approach is centered on the use of environmental education curriculum. Method: Seven over-arching standards for effective pedagogy in facilitating the learning of indigenous students are discussed. These standards are based on 25 years of ongoing research at the Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE). Application of the standards is illustrated through use of the Shadow of the Salmon curriculum being developed by the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and Salmon Defense. This curriculum is grounded in the cultural beliefs, values, and traditions of indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Conclusion: Speech-language pathologists can draw from resources available through other disciplines, such as environmental science, to generate culturally responsive pedagogy and materials that promote language and literacy skills for students of indigenous background.

Abstract There is increasing recognition of traditional knowledge as an important store of information and practices for building adaptive capacity for climate change in the Pacific. However, empirical research and documentation of how Pacific Islanders experience climate change, identify relevant adaptation options, and mobilize their adaptive capacity, including traditional knowledge, remains limited. Given this context, indigenous islander perspectives on traditional knowledge and its role in building their adaptive capacity are examined in this article. The author draws on research with the Nakanamanga-speaking peoples of Tongoa Island, Vanuatu. This research documents traditional knowledge relating to weather and climate observations; resource use and management; social networks; local leadership; and values and beliefs in these indigenous communities and reveals differing perspectives about its potential to enhance local adaptive capacity. It highlights indigenous concerns about self-reliance, cultural continuity, and how the transition to a cash economy, the valorization of Western education and lifestyles, and rural–urban migration have had adverse implications for traditional knowledge and its retention. It further reveals potential trade-offs for indigenous communities on Tongoa Island, where traditional governance, tenure systems, and values enable flexibility and collective action that build adaptive capacity but can also promote conservative attitudes and limit uptake of new information and practices.

Rates of diabetes are high in many communities of Pacific Island peoples, including people from Fiji. This qualitative study explores knowledge and attitudes towards diabetes among i-Taukei Fijians to facilitate the cultural tailoring of diabetes prevention and management programs for this community. Fijians aged 26 to 71 years (n = 15), residing in Australia, participated in semi-structured interviews; 53% (n = 8) were male. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, then thematically analyzed. Diabetes is recognized as an important and increasing health problem requiring action in the i-Taukei Fijian community. Widespread support for culturally appropriate lifestyle interventions utilizing existing societal structures, like family networks and church groups, was apparent. These structures were also seen as a crucial motivator for health action. Intervention content suggestions included diabetes risk awareness and education, as well as skills development to improve lifestyle behaviors. Leveraging existing social structures and both faith and family experiences of diabetes within the Fijian community may help convert increased awareness and understanding into lifestyle change. Ongoing in-community support to prevent and manage diabetes was also regarded as important. We recommend building upon experience from prior community-based interventions in other high-risk populations, alongside our findings, to assist in developing tailored diabetes programs for Fijians.

Education in Oceania continues to reflect the embedded implicit and explicit colonial practices and processes from the past. This paper conceptualises a cultural approach to education and leadership appropriate and relevant to the Republic of the Marshall Islands. As elementary school leaders, we highlight Kanne Lobal, a traditional Marshallese navigation practice based on indigenous language, values and practices. We conceptualise and develop Kanne Lobal in this paper as a framework for understanding the usefulness of our indigenous knowledge in leadership and educational practices within formal education. Through bwebwenato, a method of talk story, our key learnings and reflexivities were captured. We argue that realising the value of Marshallese indigenous knowledge and practices for school leaders requires purposeful training of the ways in which our knowledge can be made useful in our professional educational responsibilities. Drawing from our Marshallese knowledge is an intentional effort to inspire, empower and express what education and leadership partnership means for Marshallese people, as articulated by Marshallese themselves. Introduction As noted in the call for papers within the Waikato Journal of Education (WJE) for this special issue, bodies of knowledge and histories in Oceania have long sustained generations across geographic boundaries to ensure cultural survival. For Marshallese people, we cannot really know ourselves “until we know how we came to be where we are today” (Walsh, Heine, Bigler & Stege, 2012). Jitdam Kapeel is a popular Marshallese concept and ideal associated with inquiring into relationships within the family and community. In a similar way, the practice of relating is about connecting the present and future to the past. Education and leadership partnerships are linked and we look back to the past, our history, to make sense and feel inspired to transform practices that will benefit our people. In this paper and in light of our next generation, we reconnect with our navigation stories to inspire and empower education and leadership. Kanne lobal is part of our navigation stories, a conceptual framework centred on cultural practices, values, and concepts that embrace collective partnerships. Our link to this talanoa vā with others in the special issue is to attempt to make sense of connections given the global COVID-19 context by providing a Marshallese approach to address the physical and relational “distance” between education and leadership partnerships in Oceania. Like the majority of developing small island nations in Oceania, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) has had its share of educational challenges through colonial legacies of the past which continues to drive education systems in the region (Heine, 2002). The historical administration and education in the RMI is one of colonisation. Successive administrations by the Spanish, German, Japanese, and now the US, has resulted in education and learning that privileges western knowledge and forms of learning. This paper foregrounds understandings of education and learning as told by the voices of elementary school leaders from the RMI. The move to re-think education and leadership from Marshallese perspectives is an act of shifting the focus of bwebwenato or conversations that centres on Marshallese language and worldviews. The concept of jelalokjen was conceptualised as traditional education framed mainly within the community context. In the past, jelalokjen was practiced and transmitted to the younger generation for cultural continuity. During the arrival of colonial administrations into the RMI, jelalokjen was likened to the western notions of education and schooling (Kupferman, 2004). Today, the primary function of jelalokjen, as traditional and formal education, it is for “survival in a hostile [and challenging] environment” (Kupferman, 2004, p. 43). Because western approaches to learning in the RMI have not always resulted in positive outcomes for those engaged within the education system, as school leaders who value our cultural knowledge and practices, and aspire to maintain our language with the next generation, we turn to Kanne Lobal, a practice embedded in our navigation stories, collective aspirations, and leadership. The significance in the development of Kanne Lobal, as an appropriate framework for education and leadership, resulted in us coming together and working together. Not only were we able to share our leadership concerns, however, the engagement strengthened our connections with each other as school leaders, our communities, and the Public Schooling System (PSS). Prior to that, many of us were in competition for resources. Educational Leadership: IQBE and GCSL Leadership is a valued practice in the RMI. Before the IQBE programme started in 2018, the majority of the school leaders on the main island of Majuro had not engaged in collaborative partnerships with each other before. Our main educational purpose was to achieve accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), an accreditation commission for schools in the United States. The WASC accreditation dictated our work and relationships and many school leaders on Majuro felt the pressure of competition against each other. We, the authors in this paper, share our collective bwebwenato, highlighting our school leadership experiences and how we gained strength from our own ancestral knowledge to empower “us”, to collaborate with each other, our teachers, communities, as well as with PSS; a collaborative partnership we had not realised in the past. The paucity of literature that captures Kajin Majol (Marshallese language) and education in general in the RMI is what we intend to fill by sharing our reflections and experiences. To move our educational practices forward we highlight Kanne Lobal, a cultural approach that focuses on our strengths, collective social responsibilities and wellbeing. For a long time, there was no formal training in place for elementary school leaders. School principals and vice principals were appointed primarily on their academic merit through having an undergraduate qualification. As part of the first cohort of fifteen school leaders, we engaged in the professional training programme, the Graduate Certificate in School Leadership (GCSL), refitted to our context after its initial development in the Solomon Islands. GCSL was coordinated by the Institute of Education (IOE) at the University of the South Pacific (USP). GCSL was seen as a relevant and appropriate training programme for school leaders in the RMI as part of an Asia Development Bank (ADB) funded programme which aimed at “Improving Quality Basic Education” (IQBE) in parts of the northern Pacific. GCSL was managed on Majuro, RMI’s main island, by the director at the time Dr Irene Taafaki, coordinator Yolanda McKay, and administrators at the University of the South Pacific’s (USP) RMI campus. Through the provision of GCSL, as school leaders we were encouraged to re-think and draw-from our own cultural repository and connect to our ancestral knowledge that have always provided strength for us. This kind of thinking and practice was encouraged by our educational leaders (Heine, 2002). We argue that a culturally-affirming and culturally-contextual framework that reflects the lived experiences of Marshallese people is much needed and enables the disruption of inherent colonial processes left behind by Western and Eastern administrations which have influenced our education system in the RMI (Heine, 2002). Kanne Lobal, an approach utilising a traditional navigation has warranted its need to provide solutions for today’s educational challenges for us in the RMI. Education in the Pacific Education in the Pacific cannot be understood without contextualising it in its history and culture. It is the same for us in the RMI (Heine, 2002; Walsh et al., 2012). The RMI is located in the Pacific Ocean and is part of Micronesia. It was named after a British captain, John Marshall in the 1700s. The atolls in the RMI were explored by the Spanish in the 16th century. Germany unsuccessfully attempted to colonize the islands in 1885. Japan took control in 1914, but after several battles during World War II, the US seized the RMI from them. In 1947, the United Nations made the island group, along with the Mariana and Caroline archipelagos, a U.S. trust territory (Walsh et al, 2012). Education in the RMI reflects the colonial administrations of Germany, Japan, and now the US. Before the turn of the century, formal education in the Pacific reflected western values, practices, and standards. Prior to that, education was informal and not binded to formal learning institutions (Thaman, 1997) and oral traditions was used as the medium for transmitting learning about customs and practices living with parents, grandparents, great grandparents. As alluded to by Jiba B. Kabua (2004), any “discussion about education is necessarily a discussion of culture, and any policy on education is also a policy of culture” (p. 181). It is impossible to promote one without the other, and it is not logical to understand one without the other. Re-thinking how education should look like, the pedagogical strategies that are relevant in our classrooms, the ways to engage with our parents and communities - such re-thinking sits within our cultural approaches and frameworks. Our collective attempts to provide a cultural framework that is relevant and appropriate for education in our context, sits within the political endeavour to decolonize. This means that what we are providing will not only be useful, but it can be used as a tool to question and identify whether things in place restrict and prevent our culture or whether they promote and foreground cultural ideas and concepts, a significant discussion of culture linked to education (Kabua, 2004). Donor funded development aid programmes were provided to support the challenges within education systems. Concerned with the persistent low educational outcomes of Pacific students, despite the prevalence of aid programmes in the region, in 2000 Pacific educators and leaders with support from New Zealand Aid (NZ Aid) decided to intervene (Heine, 2002; Taufe’ulungaki, 2014). In April 2001, a group of Pacific educators and leaders across the region were invited to a colloquium funded by the New Zealand Overseas Development Agency held in Suva Fiji at the University of the South Pacific. The main purpose of the colloquium was to enable “Pacific educators to re-think the values, assumptions and beliefs underlying [formal] schooling in Oceania” (Benson, 2002). Leadership, in general, is a valued practice in the RMI (Heine, 2002). Despite education leadership being identified as a significant factor in school improvement (Sanga & Chu, 2009), the limited formal training opportunities of school principals in the region was a persistent concern. As part of an Asia Development Bank (ADB) funded project, the Improve Quality Basic Education (IQBE) intervention was developed and implemented in the RMI in 2017. Mentoring is a process associated with the continuity and sustainability of leadership knowledge and practices (Sanga & Chu, 2009). It is a key aspect of building capacity and capabilities within human resources in education (ibid). Indigenous knowledges and education research According to Hilda Heine, the relationship between education and leadership is about understanding Marshallese history and culture (cited in Walsh et al., 2012). It is about sharing indigenous knowledge and histories that “details for future generations a story of survival and resilience and the pride we possess as a people” (Heine, cited in Walsh et al., 2012, p. v). This paper is fuelled by postcolonial aspirations yet is grounded in Pacific indigenous research. This means that our intentions are driven by postcolonial pursuits and discourses linked to challenging the colonial systems and schooling in the Pacific region that privileges western knowledge and learning and marginalises the education practices and processes of local people (Thiong’o, 1986). A point of difference and orientation from postcolonialism is a desire to foreground indigenous Pacific language, specifically Majin Majol, through Marshallese concepts. Our collective bwebwenato and conversation honours and values kautiej (respect), jouj eo mour eo (reciprocity), and jouj (kindness) (Taafaki & Fowler, 2019). Pacific leaders developed the Rethinking Pacific Education Initiative for and by Pacific People (RPEIPP) in 2002 to take control of the ways in which education research was conducted by donor funded organisations (Taufe’ulungaki, 2014). Our former president, Dr Hilda Heine was part of the group of leaders who sought to counter the ways in which our educational and leadership stories were controlled and told by non-Marshallese (Heine, 2002). As a former minister of education in the RMI, Hilda Heine continues to inspire and encourage the next generation of educators, school leaders, and researchers to re-think and de-construct the way learning and education is conceptualised for Marshallese people. The conceptualisation of Kanne Lobal acknowledges its origin, grounded in Marshallese navigation knowledge and practice. Our decision to unpack and deconstruct Kanne Lobal within the context of formal education and leadership responds to the need to not only draw from indigenous Marshallese ideas and practice but to consider that the next generation will continue to be educated using western processes and initiatives particularly from the US where we get a lot of our funding from. According to indigenous researchers Dawn Bessarab and Bridget Ng’andu (2010), doing research that considers “culturally appropriate processes to engage with indigenous groups and individuals is particularly pertinent in today’s research environment” (p. 37). Pacific indigenous educators and researchers have turned to their own ancestral knowledge and practices for inspiration and empowerment. Within western research contexts, the often stringent ideals and processes are not always encouraging of indigenous methods and practices. However, many were able to ground and articulate their use of indigenous methods as being relevant and appropriate to capturing the realities of their communities (Nabobo-Baba, 2008; Sualii-Sauni & Fulu-Aiolupotea, 2014; Thaman, 1997). At the same time, utilising Pacific indigenous methods and approaches enabled research engagement with their communities that honoured and respected them and their communities. For example, Tongan, Samoan, and Fijian researchers used the talanoa method as a way to capture the stories, lived realities, and worldviews of their communities within education in the diaspora (Fa’avae, Jones, & Manu’atu, 2016; Nabobo-Baba, 2008; Sualii-Sauni & Aiolupotea, 2014; Vaioleti, 2005). Tok stori was used by Solomon Islander educators and school leaders to highlight the unique circles of conversational practice and storytelling that leads to more positive engagement with their community members, capturing rich and meaningful narratives as a result (Sanga & Houma, 2004). The Indigenous Aborigine in Australia utilise yarning as a “relaxed discussion through which both the researcher and participant journey together visiting places and topics of interest relevant” (Bessarab & Ng’andu, 2010, p. 38). Despite the diverse forms of discussions and storytelling by indigenous peoples, of significance are the cultural protocols, ethics, and language for conducting and guiding the engagement (Bessarab & Ng’andu, 2010; Nabobo-Baba, 2008; Sualii-Sauni & Aiolupotea, 2014). Through the ethics, values, protocols, and language, these are what makes indigenous methods or frameworks unique compared to western methods like in-depth interviews or semi-structured interviews. This is why it is important for us as Marshallese educators to frame, ground, and articulate how our own methods and frameworks of learning could be realised in western education (Heine, 2002; Jetnil-Kijiner, 2014). In this paper, we utilise bwebwenato as an appropriate method linked to “talk story”, capturing our collective stories and experiences during GCSL and how we sought to build partnerships and collaboration with each other, our communities, and the PSS. Bwebwenato and drawing from Kajin Majel Legends and stories that reflect Marshallese society and its cultural values have survived through our oral traditions. The practice of weaving also holds knowledge about our “valuable and earliest sources of knowledge” (Taafaki & Fowler, 2019, p. 2). The skilful navigation of Marshallese wayfarers on the walap (large canoes) in the ocean is testament of their leadership and the value they place on ensuring the survival and continuity of Marshallese people (Taafaki & Fowler, 2019; Walsh et al., 2012). During her graduate study in 2014, Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner conceptualised bwebwenato as being the most “well-known form of Marshallese orality” (p. 38). The Marshallese-English dictionary defined bwebwenato as talk, conversation, story, history, article, episode, lore, myth, or tale (cited in Jetnil Kijiner, 2014). Three years later in 2017, bwebwenato was utilised in a doctoral project by Natalie Nimmer as a research method to gather “talk stories” about the experiences of 10 Marshallese experts in knowledge and skills ranging from sewing to linguistics, canoe-making and business. Our collective bwebwenato in this paper centres on Marshallese ideas and language. The philosophy of Marshallese knowledge is rooted in our “Kajin Majel”, or Marshallese language and is shared and transmitted through our oral traditions. For instance, through our historical stories and myths. Marshallese philosophy, that is, the knowledge systems inherent in our beliefs, values, customs, and practices are shared. They are inherently relational, meaning that knowledge systems and philosophies within our world are connected, in mind, body, and spirit (Jetnil-Kijiner, 2014; Nimmer, 2017). Although some Marshallese believe that our knowledge is disappearing as more and more elders pass away, it is therefore important work together, and learn from each other about the knowledges shared not only by the living but through their lamentations and stories of those who are no longer with us (Jetnil-Kijiner, 2014). As a Marshallese practice, weaving has been passed-down from generation to generation. Although the art of weaving is no longer as common as it used to be, the artefacts such as the “jaki-ed” (clothing mats) continue to embody significant Marshallese values and traditions. For our weavers, the jouj (check spelling) is the centre of the mat and it is where the weaving starts. When the jouj is correct and weaved well, the remainder and every other part of the mat will be right. The jouj is symbolic of the “heart” and if the heart is prepared well, trained well, then life or all other parts of the body will be well (Taafaki & Fowler, 2019). In that light, we have applied the same to this paper. Conceptualising and drawing from cultural practices that are close and dear to our hearts embodies a significant ontological attempt to prioritize our own knowledge and language, a sense of endearment to who we are and what we believe education to be like for us and the next generation. The application of the phrase “Majolizing '' was used by the Ministry of Education when Hilda Heine was minister, to weave cultural ideas and language into the way that teachers understand the curriculum, develop lesson plans and execute them in the classroom. Despite this, there were still concerns with the embedded colonized practices where teachers defaulted to eurocentric methods of doing things, like the strategies provided in the textbooks given to us. In some ways, our education was slow to adjust to the “Majolizing '' intention by our former minister. In this paper, we provide Kanne Lobal as a way to contribute to the “Majolizing intention” and perhaps speed up yet still be collectively responsible to all involved in education. Kajin Wa and Kanne Lobal “Wa” is the Marshallese concept for canoe. Kajin wa, as in canoe language, has a lot of symbolic meaning linked to deeply-held Marshallese values and practices. The canoe was the foundational practice that supported the livelihood of harsh atoll island living which reflects the Marshallese social world. The experts of Kajin wa often refer to “wa” as being the vessel of life, a means and source of sustaining life (Kelen, 2009, cited in Miller, 2010). “Jouj” means kindness and is the lower part of the main hull of the canoe. It is often referred to by some canoe builders in the RMI as the heart of the canoe and is linked to love. The jouj is one of the first parts of the canoe that is built and is “used to do all other measurements, and then the rest of the canoe is built on top of it” (Miller, 2010, p. 67). The significance of the jouj is that when the canoe is in the water, the jouj is the part of the hull that is underwater and ensures that all the cargo and passengers are safe. For Marshallese, jouj or kindness is what living is about and is associated with selflessly carrying the responsibility of keeping the family and community safe. The parts of the canoe reflect Marshallese culture, legend, family, lineage, and kinship. They embody social responsibilities that guide, direct, and sustain Marshallese families’ wellbeing, from atoll to atoll. For example, the rojak (boom), rojak maan (upper boom), rojak kōrā (lower boom), and they support the edges of the ujelā/ujele (sail) (see figure 1). The literal meaning of rojak maan is male boom and rojak kōrā means female boom which together strengthens the sail and ensures the canoe propels forward in a strong yet safe way. Figuratively, the rojak maan and rojak kōrā symbolise the mother and father relationship which when strong, through the jouj (kindness and love), it can strengthen families and sustain them into the future. Figure 1. Parts of the canoe Source: https://www.canoesmarshallislands.com/2014/09/names-of-canoe-parts/ From a socio-cultural, communal, and leadership view, the canoe (wa) provides understanding of the relationships required to inspire and sustain Marshallese peoples’ education and learning. We draw from Kajin wa because they provide cultural ideas and practices that enable understanding of education and leadership necessary for sustaining Marshallese people and realities in Oceania. When building a canoe, the women are tasked with the weaving of the ujelā/ujele (sail) and to ensure that it is strong enough to withstand long journeys and the fierce winds and waters of the ocean. The Kanne Lobal relates to the front part of the ujelā/ujele (sail) where the rojak maan and rojak kōrā meet and connect (see the red lines in figure 1). Kanne Lobal is linked to the strategic use of the ujelā/ujele by navigators, when there is no wind north wind to propel them forward, to find ways to capture the winds so that their journey can continue. As a proverbial saying, Kanne Lobal is used to ignite thinking and inspire and transform practice particularly when the journey is rough and tough. In this paper we draw from Kanne Lobal to ignite, inspire, and transform our educational and leadership practices, a move to explore what has always been meaningful to Marshallese people when we are faced with challenges. The Kanne Lobal utilises our language, and cultural practices and values by sourcing from the concepts of jouj (kindness, love), kautiej (respect), and jouj eo mour eo (reciprocity). A key Marshallese proverb, “Enra bwe jen lale rara”, is the cultural practice where families enact compassion through the sharing of food in all occurrences. The term “enra” is a small basket weaved from the coconut leaves, and often used by Marshallese as a plate to share and distribute food amongst each other. Bwe-jen-lale-rara is about noticing and providing for the needs of others, and “enra” the basket will help support and provide for all that are in need. “Enra-bwe-jen-lale-rara” is symbolic of cultural exchange and reciprocity and the cultural values associated with building and maintaining relationships, and constantly honouring each other. As a Marshallese practice, in this article we share our understanding and knowledge about the challenges as well as possible solutions for education concerns in our nation. In addition, we highlight another proverb, “wa kuk wa jimor”, which relates to having one canoe, and despite its capacity to feed and provide for the individual, but within the canoe all people can benefit from what it can provide. In the same way, we provide in this paper a cultural framework that will enable all educators to benefit from. It is a framework that is far-reaching and relevant to the lived realities of Marshallese people today. Kumit relates to people united to build strength, all co-operating and working together, living in peace, harmony, and good health. Kanne Lobal: conceptual framework for education and leadership An education framework is a conceptual structure that can be used to capture ideas and thinking related to aspects of learning. Kanne Lobal is conceptualised and framed in this paper as an educational framework. Kanne Lobal highlights the significance of education as a collective partnership whereby leadership is an important aspect. Kanne Lobal draws-from indigenous Marshallese concepts like kautiej (respect), jouj eo mour eo (reciprocity), and jouj (kindness, heart). The role of a leader, including an education leader, is to prioritise collective learning and partnerships that benefits Marshallese people and the continuity and survival of the next generation (Heine, 2002; Thaman, 1995). As described by Ejnar Aerōk, an expert canoe builder in the RMI, he stated: “jerbal ippān doon bwe en maron maan wa e” (cited in Miller, 2010, p. 69). His description emphasises the significance of partnerships and working together when navigating and journeying together in order to move the canoe forward. The kubaak, the outrigger of the wa (canoe) is about “partnerships”. For us as elementary school leaders on Majuro, kubaak encourages us to value collaborative partnerships with each other as well as our communities, PSS, and other stakeholders. Partnerships is an important part of the Kanne Lobal education and leadership framework. It requires ongoing bwebwenato – the inspiring as well as confronting and challenging conversations that should be mediated and negotiated if we and our education stakeholders are to journey together to ensure that the educational services we provide benefits our next generation of young people in the RMI. Navigating ahead the partnerships, mediation, and negotiation are the core values of jouj (kindness, love), kautiej (respect), and jouj eo mour eo (reciprocity). As an organic conceptual framework grounded in indigenous values, inspired through our lived experiences, Kanne Lobal provides ideas and concepts for re-thinking education and leadership practices that are conducive to learning and teaching in the schooling context in the RMI. By no means does it provide the solution to the education ills in our nation. However, we argue that Kanne Lobal is a more relevant approach which is much needed for the negatively stigmatised system as a consequence of the various colonial administrations that have and continue to shape and reframe our ideas about what education should be like for us in the RMI. Moreover, Kannel Lobal is our attempt to decolonize the framing of education and leadership, moving our bwebwenato to re-framing conversations of teaching and learning so that our cultural knowledge and values are foregrounded, appreciated, and realised within our education system. Bwebwenato: sharing our stories In this section, we use bwebwenato as a method of gathering and capturing our stories as data. Below we capture our stories and ongoing conversations about the richness in Marshallese cultural knowledge in the outer islands and on Majuro and the potentialities in Kanne Lobal. Danny Jim When I was in third grade (9-10 years of age), during my grandfather’s speech in Arno, an atoll near Majuro, during a time when a wa (canoe) was being blessed and ready to put the canoe into the ocean. My grandfather told me the canoe was a blessing for the family. “Without a canoe, a family cannot provide for them”, he said. The canoe allows for travelling between places to gather food and other sources to provide for the family. My grandfather’s stories about people’s roles within the canoe reminded me that everyone within the family has a responsibility to each other. Our women, mothers and daughters too have a significant responsibility in the journey, in fact, they hold us, care for us, and given strength to their husbands, brothers, and sons. The wise man or elder sits in the middle of the canoe, directing the young man who help to steer. The young man, he does all the work, directed by the older man. They take advice and seek the wisdom of the elder. In front of the canoe, a young boy is placed there and because of his strong and youthful vision, he is able to help the elder as well as the young man on the canoe. The story can be linked to the roles that school leaders, teachers, and students have in schooling. Without each person knowing intricately their role and responsibility, the sight and vision ahead for the collective aspirations of the school and the community is difficult to comprehend. For me, the canoe is symbolic of our educational journey within our education system. As the school leader, a central, trusted, and respected figure in the school, they provide support for teachers who are at the helm, pedagogically striving to provide for their students. For without strong direction from the school leaders and teachers at the helm, the students, like the young boy, cannot foresee their futures, or envisage how education can benefit them. This is why Kanne Lobal is a significant framework for us in the Marshall Islands because within the practice we are able to take heed and empower each other so that all benefit from the process. Kanne Lobal is linked to our culture, an essential part of who we are. We must rely on our own local approaches, rather than relying on others that are not relevant to what we know and how we live in today’s society. One of the things I can tell is that in Majuro, compared to the outer islands, it’s different. In the outer islands, parents bring children together and tell them legends and stories. The elders tell them about the legends and stories – the bwebwenato. Children from outer islands know a lot more about Marshallese legends compared to children from the Majuro atoll. They usually stay close to their parents, observe how to prepare food and all types of Marshallese skills. Loretta Joseph Case There is little Western influence in the outer islands. They grow up learning their own culture with their parents, not having tv. They are closely knit, making their own food, learning to weave. They use fire for cooking food. They are more connected because there are few of them, doing their own culture. For example, if they’re building a house, the ladies will come together and make food to take to the males that are building the house, encouraging them to keep on working - “jemjem maal” (sharpening tools i.e. axe, like encouraging workers to empower them). It’s when they bring food and entertainment. Rubon Rubon Togetherness, work together, sharing of food, these are important practices as a school leader. Jemjem maal – the whole village works together, men working and the women encourage them with food and entertainment. All the young children are involved in all of the cultural practices, cultural transmission is consistently part of their everyday life. These are stronger in the outer islands. Kanne Lobal has the potential to provide solutions using our own knowledge and practices. Connie Joel When new teachers become a teacher, they learn more about their culture in teaching. Teaching raises the question, who are we? A popular saying amongst our people, “Aelon kein ad ej aelon in manit”, means that “Our islands are cultural islands”. Therefore, when we are teaching, and managing the school, we must do this culturally. When we live and breathe, we must do this culturally. There is more socialising with family and extended family. Respect the elderly. When they’re doing things the ladies all get together, in groups and do it. Cut the breadfruit, and preserve the breadfruit and pandanus. They come together and do it. Same as fishing, building houses, building canoes. They use and speak the language often spoken by the older people. There are words that people in the outer islands use and understand language regularly applied by the elderly. Respect elderly and leaders more i.e., chiefs (iroj), commoners (alap), and the workers on the land (ri-jerbal) (social layer under the commoners). All the kids, they gather with their families, and go and visit the chiefs and alap, and take gifts from their land, first produce/food from the plantation (eojōk). Tommy Almet The people are more connected to the culture in the outer islands because they help one another. They don’t have to always buy things by themselves, everyone contributes to the occasion. For instance, for birthdays, boys go fishing, others contribute and all share with everyone. Kanne Lobal is a practice that can bring people together – leaders, teachers, stakeholders. We want our colleagues to keep strong and work together to fix problems like students and teachers’ absenteeism which is a big problem for us in schools. Demetria Malachi The culture in the outer islands are more accessible and exposed to children. In Majuro, there is a mixedness of cultures and knowledges, influenced by Western thinking and practices. Kanne Lobal is an idea that can enhance quality educational purposes for the RMI. We, the school leaders who did GCSL, we want to merge and use this idea because it will help benefit students’ learning and teachers’ teaching. Kanne Lobal will help students to learn and teachers to teach though traditional skills and knowledge. We want to revitalize our ways of life through teaching because it is slowly fading away. Also, we want to have our own Marshallese learning process because it is in our own language making it easier to use and understand. Essentially, we want to proudly use our own ways of teaching from our ancestors showing the appreciation and blessings given to us. Way Forward To think of ways forward is about reflecting on the past and current learnings. Instead of a traditional discussion within a research publication, we have opted to continue our bwebwenato by sharing what we have learnt through the Graduate Certificate in School Leadership (GCSL) programme. Our bwebwenato does not end in this article and this opportunity to collaborate and partner together in this piece of writing has been a meaningful experience to conceptualise and unpack the Kanne Lobal framework. Our collaborative bwebwenato has enabled us to dig deep into our own wise knowledges for guidance through mediating and negotiating the challenges in education and leadership (Sanga & Houma, 2004). For example, bwe-jen-lale-rara reminds us to inquire, pay attention, and focus on supporting the needs of others. Through enra-bwe-jen-lale-rara, it reminds us to value cultural exchange and reciprocity which will strengthen the development and maintaining of relationships based on ways we continue to honour each other (Nimmer, 2017). We not only continue to support each other, but also help mentor the next generation of school leaders within our education system (Heine, 2002). Education and leadership are all about collaborative partnerships (Sanga & Chu, 2009; Thaman, 1997). Developing partnerships through the GCSL was useful learning for us. It encouraged us to work together, share knowledge, respect each other, and be kind. The values of jouj (kindness, love), kautiej (respect), and jouj eo mour eo (reciprocity) are meaningful in being and becoming and educational leader in the RMI (Jetnil-Kijiner, 2014; Miller, 2010; Nimmer, 2017). These values are meaningful for us practice particularly given the drive by PSS for schools to become accredited. The workshops and meetings delivered during the GCSL in the RMI from 2018 to 2019 about Kanne Lobal has given us strength to share our stories and experiences from the meeting with the stakeholders. But before we met with the stakeholders, we were encouraged to share and speak in our language within our courses: EDP05 (Professional Development and Learning), EDP06 (School Leadership), EDP07 (School Management), EDP08 (Teaching and Learning), and EDP09 (Community Partnerships). In groups, we shared our presentations with our peers, the 15 school leaders in the GCSL programme. We also invited USP RMI staff. They liked the way we presented Kannel Lobal. They provided us with feedback, for example: how the use of the sail on the canoe, the parts and their functions can be conceptualised in education and how they are related to the way that we teach our own young people. Engaging stakeholders in the conceptualisation and design stages of Kanne Lobal strengthened our understanding of leadership and collaborative partnerships. Based on various meetings with the RMI Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL) team, PSS general assembly, teachers from the outer islands, and the PSS executive committee, we were able to share and receive feedback on the Kanne Lobal framework. The coordinators of the PREL programme in the RMI were excited by the possibilities around using Kanne Lobal, as a way to teach culture in an inspirational way to Marshallese students. Our Marshallese knowledge, particularly through the proverbial meaning of Kanne Lobal provided so much inspiration and insight for the groups during the presentation which gave us hope and confidence to develop the framework. Kanne Lobal is an organic and indigenous approach, grounded in Marshallese ways of doing things (Heine, 2002; Taafaki & Fowler, 2019). Given the persistent presence of colonial processes within the education system and the constant reference to practices and initiatives from the US, Kanne Lobal for us provides a refreshing yet fulfilling experience and makes us feel warm inside because it is something that belongs to all Marshallese people. Conclusion Marshallese indigenous knowledge and practices provide meaningful educational and leadership understanding and learnings. They ignite, inspire, and transform thinking and practice. The Kanne Lobal conceptual framework emphasises key concepts and values necessary for collaborative partnerships within education and leadership practices in the RMI. The bwebwenato or talk stories have been insightful and have highlighted the strengths and benefits that our Marshallese ideas and practices possess when looking for appropriate and relevant ways to understand education and leadership. Acknowledgements We want to acknowledge our GCSL cohort of school leaders who have supported us in the development of Kanne Lobal as a conceptual framework. A huge kommol tata to our friends: Joana, Rosana, Loretta, Jellan, Alvin, Ellice, Rolando, Stephen, and Alan. References Benson, C. (2002). Preface. In F. Pene, A. M. Taufe’ulungaki, & C. Benson (Eds.), Tree of Opportunity: re-thinking Pacific Education (p. iv). Suva, Fiji: University of the South Pacific, Institute of Education. Bessarab, D., Ng’andu, B. (2010). Yarning about yarning as a legitimate method in indigenous research. International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies, 3(1), 37-50. Fa’avae, D., Jones, A., & Manu’atu, L. (2016). Talanoa’i ‘a e talanoa - talking about talanoa: Some dilemmas of a novice researcher. AlterNative: An Indigenous Journal of Indigenous Peoples,12(2),138-150. Heine, H. C. (2002). A Marshall Islands perspective. In F. Pene, A. M. Taufe’ulungaki, & C. Benson (Eds.), Tree of Opportunity: re-thinking Pacific Education (pp. 84 – 90). Suva, Fiji: University of the South Pacific, Institute of Education. Infoplease Staff (2017, February 28). Marshall Islands, retrieved from https://www.infoplease.com/world/countries/marshall-islands Jetnil-Kijiner, K. (2014). Iep Jaltok: A history of Marshallese literature. (Unpublished masters’ thesis). Honolulu, HW: University of Hawaii. Kabua, J. B. (2004). We are the land, the land is us: The moral responsibility of our education and sustainability. In A.L. Loeak, V.C. Kiluwe and L. Crowl (Eds.), Life in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, pp. 180 – 191. Suva, Fiji: University of the South Pacific. Kupferman, D. (2004). Jelalokjen in flux: Pitfalls and prospects of contextualising teacher training programmes in the Marshall Islands. Directions: Journal of Educational Studies, 26(1), 42 – 54. http://directions.usp.ac.fj/collect/direct/index/assoc/D1175062.dir/doc.pdf Miller, R. L. (2010). Wa kuk wa jimor: Outrigger canoes, social change, and modern life in the Marshall Islands (Unpublished masters’ thesis). Honolulu, HW: University of Hawaii. Nabobo-Baba, U. (2008). Decolonising framings in Pacific research: Indigenous Fijian vanua research framework as an organic response. AlterNative: An Indigenous Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 4(2), 141-154. Nimmer, N. E. (2017). Documenting a Marshallese indigenous learning framework (Unpublished doctoral thesis). Honolulu, HW: University of Hawaii. Sanga, K., & Houma, S. (2004). Solomon Islands principalship: Roles perceived, performed, preferred, and expected. Directions: Journal of Educational Studies, 26(1), 55-69. Sanga, K., & Chu, C. (2009). Introduction. In K. Sanga & C. Chu (Eds.), Living and Leaving a Legacy of Hope: Stories by New Generation Pacific Leaders (pp. 10-12). NZ: He Parekereke & Victoria University of Wellington. Suaalii-Sauni, T., & Fulu-Aiolupotea, S. M. (2014). Decolonising Pacific research, building Pacific research communities, and developing Pacific research tools: The case of the talanoa and the faafaletui in Samoa. Asia Pacific Viewpoint, 55(3), 331-344. Taafaki, I., & Fowler, M. K. (2019). Clothing mats of the Marshall Islands: The history, the culture, and the weavers. US: Kindle Direct. Taufe’ulungaki, A. M. (2014). Look back to look forward: A reflective Pacific journey. In M. ‘Otunuku, U. Nabobo-Baba, S. Johansson Fua (Eds.), Of Waves, Winds, and Wonderful Things: A Decade of Rethinking Pacific Education (pp. 1-15). Fiji: USP Press. Thaman, K. H. (1995). Concepts of learning, knowledge and wisdom in Tonga, and their relevance to modern education. Prospects, 25(4), 723-733. Thaman, K. H. (1997). Reclaiming a place: Towards a Pacific concept of education for cultural development. The Journal of the Polynesian Society, 106(2), 119-130. Thiong’o, N. W. (1986). Decolonising the mind: The politics of language in African literature. Kenya: East African Educational Publishers. Vaioleti, T. (2006). Talanoa research methodology: A developing position on Pacific research. Waikato Journal of Education, 12, 21-34. Walsh, J. M., Heine, H. C., Bigler, C. M., & Stege, M. (2012). Etto nan raan kein: A Marshall Islands history (First Edition). China: Bess Press.

Polynesia has a particular place in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The region that heralded the Church’s first overseas missions includes seven of the world’s top ten nations in terms of the proportion of Mormons in the population, and it is home to six Mormon temples. The Polynesian Latter-day Saint population is increasing in both percentage and absolute numbers, and peoples in the Pacific “islands of the sea” continue to play a central role in the Mormon missionary imaginary. This article explores Polynesians in the LDS Church and critically evaluates different theories seeking to explain this growing religious affiliation. Scholars of Mormonism and commentators explain this growth in terms of parallels between Mormonism and indigenous Polynesian traditions, particularly family lineage and ancestry, and theological and ritual affinities. After evaluating these claims in light of scholarly literature and interviews with Latter-day Saints, however, I conclude that other reasons—especially education and other new opportunities—may equally if not more significantly account for the appeal of Mormonism to Polynesians.

Abstract Background. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 2nd leading cause of cancer death in Guam, a U.S. unincorporated territory where CHamoru (Chamorro) and Filipinos comprise over 60% of the population. CHamoru have higher age-adjusted mortality rates (23.2) than the U.S. (14.2) and the overall population in Guam (17.3). Only 53.9% of persons aged 50 and above have met USPSTF screening standards compared to 74.3% in the U.S. In addition, CRC diagnoses occur in the late stages; 75.0% at Stage 3, while 18.0% occur at Stage 1. Research on early CRC onset among Pacific Island peoples are limited; data from the Guam Tumor Registry indicates 10% of colorectal cancer cases from 2013 – 2017 were diagnosed before age 50. Specific aims of this pre-pilot study are to examine cognitive and cultural beliefs associated with CRC and screening, recommendations for culturally relevant prevention, and age-specific education interventions. Methods: Qualitative methods were employed via focus groups (FG) and in-depth key informant interviews (KII) to allow for participant perspectives and facilitate storytelling, a practice in the Pacific that creates a familiar and safe space for expression. A 3-member community council comprised of a CRC surgeon, community-based organization representative, and CRC survivor advised on recruitment, data analysis, and reporting. Purposive and snowball sampling was utilized due to stigma/sensitivity related to screening. Focus groups were age and gender specific, e.g., men in their 40s, women aged 50+, etc. KII were conducted with cultural experts and cancer survivors. Data on knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs and screening education recommendations was collected. Three levels of qualitative coding for thematic codes were performed and included input from community council and KIs. Translations from CHamoru to English were applied as necessary. Results: Five FGs and four KIIs (N=29) were conducted with persons aged 40 and above. Focus group participants were CHamoru (60%), Filipino (32%), mixed ethnicity (8%), female (56%), male (44%), and had a primary care provider (84%). Mean age was 55.0. Overall, 24.0% reported ever having had a FIT/FOBT test and 56.0% ever having had a colonoscopy. Data analysis for FGs and KIIs will be finalized in September. Initial reviews indicate mixed methods of delivery for community health educator interventions, e.g., use of a culturally relevant video, storytelling from CRC survivors, and efforts to educate families as a whole, as opposed to limiting education to screening-age adults. Conclusion: This study explores culturally relevant components of an education intervention providing a pre-emptive look at screening education for persons aged 40 and above. Findings may give insight toward age-specific and culturally-tailored CRC screening education with use of community health educators as a novel intervention for CHamoru and Filipino families and to create a pilot education intervention to improve CRC screening participation in these underserved minority populations. Citation Format: Tressa P. Diaz, Angela Sy, Elizabeth Elmore, Santino Camacho, Marc Rollon. Tailoring a culturally relevant and age-specific colorectal cancer screening education intervention for CHamoru and Filipinos in guam [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Colorectal Cancer; 2022 Oct 1-4; Portland, OR. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(23 Suppl_1):Abstract nr A025.

The population diversity of New Zealand is due to the unique fusion of indigenous peoples of Polynesian origin (Māori), western European colonization (Pākehā), and more recent (20th century) immigration from the Pacific region (Pasifika). However, disparities in tertiary education indicate that Māori and Pasifika students are more likely to drop out during their first year of study and are less likely to complete their qualification than their Pākehā peers. Higher levels of course engagement may increase first-year grades, elevate academic performance, and encourage persistence between the first and second years of study. Therefore, a Student Course Engagement Questionnaire was used to quantify engagement in a compulsory first-year undergraduate Human Anatomy and Physiology course in a New Zealand university. A data mining technique was used to assign students into a low-engagement/low-achievement cluster, and a high-engagement/high-achievement cluster. The skills, emotional, and participation-interaction components of engagement were lower in Pasifika students: these students’ academic grade was lower than those of both Māori and Pākehā students. The strongest predictors of cluster membership were skills engagement and emotional engagement, suggesting that these components outweighed other aspects of course engagement. Māori and Pasifika students were overrepresented in the low-engagement/low-achievement cluster, and underrepresented in the high-engagement/high-achievement cluster. We suggest that embedding study skills within course delivery, and constantly emphasizing their importance, would likely increase student course engagement. Also, we report that both Māori and Pasifika students remain more disengaged than their Pākehā peers.

RESUMENEste artículo se ocupará de los procesos académicos, sociales, culturales y políticos que dieron origen a un movimiento intelectual y pedagógico del Pacifico Sur colombiano, con especial énfasis en los territorios afronariñenses. Vale aclarar que en materia de obras escritas se destacan los pensadores negros del departamento del Chocó quienes, incursionaron en el siglo XX en variados campos del conocimiento y desarrollaron una crítica fuerte al sistema de enseñanza nacional. En cambio, las experiencias educativas surgidas en la cotidianidad de los pueblos negros del suroccidente colombiano, se incubaron y consolidaron en los valles interandinos (norte del Cauca y sur del Valle), así como en Buenaventura y la Costa de Nariño. Estas subregiones, especialmente la costa del departamento de Nariño, asumieron la escuela como escenario para la eclosión del pensamiento ancestral afrocolombiano y las tradiciones culturales de sus pueblos en un intento por concretar en la práctica una ecuación política que involucra la Territorialidad como práctica de la educación.Costa de Nariño. Etnoeducación. Sistema de educación propia. comunidades afronariñenses. Territorialidad. Conflicto armado. ABSTRACTThis article will deal with the academic, social, cultural and political processes that gave rise to an intellectual and pedagogical movement in the Colombian South Pacific, with special emphasis on the Afro-Afro territories. It is worth clarifying that in terms of written works, the black thinkers of the department of Chocó stand out, who ventured into various fields of knowledge in the 20th century and developed a strong criticism of the national education system. On the other hand, the educational experiences that emerged in the daily life of the black peoples of southwestern Colombia were incubated and consolidated in the inter-Andean valleys (north of Cauca and south of the Valley), as well as in Buenaventura and the Costa de Nariño. These subregions, especially the coast of the department of Nariño, assumed the school as the setting for the emergence of Afro-Colombian ancestral thought and the cultural traditions of their peoples in an attempt to put into practice a political equation that involves Territoriality as a practice of education.Costa de Nariño. ethno-education. self-education system. afronariñenses communities. Territoriality. Armed conflict. RESUMOEste artigo discutirá aspectos acadêmicos, sociais, culturais e políticos que deram origem a um movimento intelectual e pedagógico no Pacífico Sul colombiano, com especial ênfase para os territórios de afronariñenses. Vale ressaltar que, em termos de obras escritas se destacam os pensadores negros do departamento de Chocó, que influenciaram no século XX, em diferentes áreas do conhecimento e desenvolveram uma forte crítica do sistema de educação nacional. Por outro lado, as experiências educativas que surgiram da cotidianidade dos povos negros do sudoeste colombiano, incubaram e se consolidaram nos vales interandinos (norte de Cauca e sul do Valle), bem como em Buenaventura e a costa de Nariño. Estas sub-regiões, especialmente a costa do departamento de Nariño, assumiram a escola como cenário para o surgimento do pensamento ancestral afro-colombiano e das tradições culturais de seus povos na tentativa de concretizar na prática, uma educação política que envolve a Territorialidade como prática de educação.Costa de Nariño. Etno-educação. Educação Própria. Comunidades afronarinenses. Territorialidade. Conflito armado.SOMMARIOQuesto articolo tratterà dei processi accademici, sociali, culturali e politici che hanno dato origine a un movimento intellettuale e pedagogico nel Sud Pacifico colombiano, con un'enfasi speciale sui territori afro-afro. Vale la pena chiarire che in termini di opere scritte, spiccano i pensatori neri del dipartimento di Chocó, che si sono avventurati in vari campi del sapere nel XX secolo e hanno sviluppato una forte critica al sistema educativo nazionale. D'altra parte, le esperienze educative emerse nella vita quotidiana dei popoli neri della Colombia sud-occidentale sono state incubate e consolidate nelle valli interandine (a nord di Cauca ea sud della valle), così come a Buenaventura e la Costa de Nariño. Queste sottoregioni, in particolare la costa del dipartimento di Nariño, hanno assunto la scuola come scenario per l'emergere del pensiero ancestrale afro-colombiano e delle tradizioni culturali dei loro popoli nel tentativo di mettere in pratica un'equazione politica che coinvolge la territorialità come pratica educativa.Costa di Nariño. Etnoeducazione. Sistema educativo proprio. Comunità africane. Territorialità. Conflitto armato.

This article reports on a study that investigated the education pathways of 464 young people. We were interested in the effects of New Zealand citizenship and Pacific ethnicity on pathways so compared findings for three groups residing in Australia: Pacific youth with New Zealand citizenship, Pacific youth with Australian citizenship, and non-Pacific youth with Australian citizenship. Findings showed that the first group was significantly less likely than others to have gained a university qualification. Pacific youth, regardless of citizenship, were more likely than non-Pacific peers to have a vocational qualification rather than a university qualification. No evidence suggests this resulted from lack of motivation or lack of ability. However, two inter-related factors explained outcomes for the Pacific cohort: likelihood of low socio-economic status and first-in-family to attend university. We propose that Pacific communities’ collectivist orientation may also restrict opportunities for Pacific youth seeking higher education pathways. We therefore argue that until Pacific young people are better represented in higher education cohorts, they should be a targeted equity group, and that the Australian government’s decision to exclude many of these young people from higher education loans is an anomaly in the context of its ‘widening participation’ agenda for Australian higher education.

Good journalism remains central to the needs of the Pacific and her people. Good journalism education is central to this issue of Pacific Journalism Review, which features a selection of papers on journalism education in the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand. Drawn mostly from the papers presented to the Fourth World Journalism Education Congress (WJEC16), and the preconference organised by the Journalism Education and Research Association of Australia (JERAA) and the Pacific Media Centre with the Media Educators Pacific (MeP) at the Auckland University of Technology in July, they all reflect the importance of good journalism and good journalism education. Speaking at the opening of the preconference, University of Auckland Associate Professor Toeolesulusulu Damon Salesa said the profession was vital for bringing the Pacific community together. Dr Salesa, director of the newly founded New Zealand Institute for Pacific Research, which sponsored five Pacific media educators to attend the conferences, said journalism helped people engage in the public sphere.

Since 1982, Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP) has been intent on “growing leaders” within Asian Pacific American (APA) communities across the country. LEAP’s founders had a simple yet powerful idea: In order for APA communities to realize their full potential and to foster robust participation in the larger democratic process, those communities must develop leaders in all sectors who can advocate and speak on their behalf. A national, nonprofit organization, LEAP achieves its mission by: Developing people, because leaders are made, not born; Informing society, because leaders know the issues; and Empowering communities, because leaders are grounded in strong, vibrant communities.

This article offers some background on a current issue in Pacific regionalism with reference to the problems of the University of the South Pacific (USP). The South Pacific region’s greatest assets are its people. The development of the region depends greatly on the education and training of its people. Training and education are important at all levels (primary, secondary and tertiary), particularly higher education. Higher education in the South Pacific region emerged after the post-World War II and independence movement period. This started with the University of Papua New Guinea being the first official institution of higher learning to be established in the South Pacific region. Its establishment paved the way for the founding of the USP which was designed to cater to the higher education needs of 14 Pacific Island states excluding Papua New Guinea. The formation of the USP meant that the member nations within the sphere of its coverage were not able to develop their own national institutions of higher learning due to the funding model of the USP donors. This was until Samoa went against the grain and established the National University of Samoa which triggered the emergence of national institutions of higher learning throughout the region

Aim: The aims of this paper are to quantify the impact of parental education on the five-year incidence of mental health conditions (MHC) in Pacific young people and to investigate the influence of other factors. Method: The analyses in this paper used data extracted from Aotearoa/New Zealand’s Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI). Data relating to 383,595 young people (48,768 Pacific), identified in the 2013 Census, aged 12-24 years, and their parents’ were used. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the incidence of children with MHC from 2013-2018. Results: Mental health conditions were identified in one of five Pacific young people. Irrespective of ethincity, increased parental education was associated with decreased MHC. However, the association was only significant for those in specialist mental health care (OR=0. 897, 95%CI:0.881-0.913) but not for those seen in other health settings (OR=0. 989, 95%CI:0.974-1.004). The association, for specialist settings, was not mediated by the contribution of other factors (OR=0.941, 95%CI:0.926-0.958). However, increased parents education with the addition of social, cultural and economic advantages the number of Pacific children seen in the specialist mental health setting could be nearly halved. Conclusion: The findings show that a parental educational advantage exists for children who access specialist mental health care. However, there are more complex but far greater opportunities for the health of Pacific families if a coordinated education, housing, employment and health solution were possible. The gains from a multi-disciplinary Pacific solution exist in terms of reduced severity for and level of care to Pacific children with MHC.

AbstractIn a number of studies, using the Adolescent Coping scale as a measure of coping, we are able to see clearly that young people from different communities cope in different ways. For example, in studies of Australian, Columbian, German, Irish and Palestinian young people it was found that coping varied in the different countries, but even within the same country, such as Australia, there are variations in coping across ethnic communities. These findings are confirmed by a recent smaller scale investigation that found that a group of students who were labelled ‘Australian minority group’ (comprising of Asian, African, Pacific Islanders and Middle Eastern students) used more spiritual support and resorted to social action more than did Anglo-Australian students. Of particular note is that the Australian minority group were found to significantly decrease their use of self-blame after participating in a school-based coping skills program, while Anglo-Australian students increased their use of physical recreation. These findings collectively demonstrate the impact of ethnic identity in both the act of coping and the acquisition of coping skills.

Learning online from home bubbles through the use of information communication technology (ICT) stretches the engagement and enactment of vā (relational connections) between students and lecturers as well as Pacific people in the community. In this paper, talanoa is used to capture students’ online learning experiences and their perceived understanding of connections. Such experiences are embodied in people’s interactions, conversations, problem-solving, knowledge sharing and exchange of ideas and practice. As the vā space online between lecturer and student as well as people in the community is physically mama’o (distanced), the perceived space of learning connection raises concern over ethics and practice. Engaging in open talanoa of the uncertainties linked to online interactions within the post-Covid context and the place of vā ethics can lead to talanoa mālie that highlight possibilities and solutions.

A key reason for many leadership development programmes in Pacific Islands countries is to teach ethics to Pacific Islands leaders. However, as interventions, these programmes are exclusively reliant on Western ideas about ethics and ethics education. To counter such impositions, this paper discusses the nature of indigenous clan ethics and how ethics education is undertaken in an indigenous Solomon Islands clan. Based on an insider-research project of the Gula'alā people of the Solomon Islands, the paper reports on the differences of indigenous ethics education to how ethics is taught, as reported in the global literature and seen in leadership development programmes in Pacific Islands countries.

The article examines regional folklore as a field of interaction between academic musical culture in the Far East of Russia and China. The beginning of the systematic study of the academic musical culture of the Russian Far East is associated with the formation of the regional creative association of composers of the Far East (Union of Composers), which is succeeded today by the Far Eastern Branch of the Union of Composers of Russia. The article notes the multi-ethnicity of the region and the special role of the “dialogue of cultures” in the composers’ works. The author analyzes the culture of indigenous peoples and the East Slavic migratory culture of the Russian Far East, as well as the original culture of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region outside the Russian borders. There is highlighted the commonality of some features of the traditional Far Eastern folklore of Russia and China. The article considers the concept of “academic musical culture”, which includes the composers’ works successively connected with the foundations of Western European music formed in the period of the 17th—19th centuries, the composers’ works of the 20th century, including modern techniques, the musical performance, musical performance infrastructure, educational space and academic musicology.The paper highlights the composers of the region, the main focus of their work, the researchers of the academic musical culture of the region, whose works are significant in understanding the processes of development of modern national musical culture. The article covers the Chinese academic compositional works known in Russia, as well as the range of scientific interests of Russian researchers-orientalists and researchers of musical culture from China.There is recognized the need for cultural understanding of the stated problem through the study of academic music art, traditional music culture, music science, and music education. The author interprets the role of music and computer technologies in musical culture and education in the Far East of Russia and China as the most important component for interaction in the field of academic musical culture, focuses on the problems of informatization of modern music education.The article draws a conclusion about the unique experience of composing in China based on the traditional music of the Russian Far East. The pentatonic basis of Chinese music is especially distinguished as being close to the modal organization of the music of Far Eastern ethnic groups, which is also the basis of the folklore music of Russian Far Eastern composers. The author sees such a palatal proximity as a basis for the interaction of the cultures of the Far Eastern region. The article recognizes this aspect as important from the point of view of creating an integral multicultural space based on the principles of humanism.

Asia and the Pacific, excluding New Zealand, now provide over half of Australia's total immigrant intake. The Asian countries also account for more than half of tourists to Australia and the large majority of fee-paying overseas students enrolled in its tertiary and secondary education institutions. This article examines the growth and diversification of these permanent, long and short-term movements of people from Asia and the Pacific and the growth in immigrant and local-born Australians departing Australia to live and work in Asia. The occasional controversies surrounding the growth of Asian arrivals and Australia's current push to integrate with the booming Asian economies are examined. The article concludes with a general discussion of the economic, social, cultural, and international consequences of the two-way movements of people between Australia and its Asian and Pacific neighbors.

COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted research regarding data collection methods during lockdowns and border closures. Consequently, online methods have become the present-day benchmark. This article shares our experiences adapting to COVID-19 while conducting focus groups and online interviews. Guided by the Samoan methodology Teu le va that recognises the special relationships between people from a Samoan context and the Talanoa method of storytelling of the Pacific people, we provide insights concerning the practical and cultural challenges of collecting data during lockdowns that strengthened the continuation and completion of the project. We demonstrate the importance of flexibility in the research design regarding apprehension, health, and research in New Zealand. We highlight the value of a multifaceted approach to recruiting participants, incorporating the services of Pacific leaders, and utilising telephone calls and letter writing for participants without digital access. Furthermore, we reveal an unexpected side-effect of COVID-19 regarding the ‘Pacific digital divide.’ The paper concludes with several avenues for future research on redesigning data collection methods during COVID-19.

Objective: To compare ethnic groups for the 12 month prevalence of mental disorders and 12 month treatment contact in Te Rau Hinengaro: The New Zealand Mental Health Survey. Method: Te Rau Hinengaro: The New Zealand Mental Health Survey, undertaken in 2003 and 2004, was a nationally representative face-to-face household survey of 12 992 New Zealand adults aged 16 years and over, including M ori (n = 2595), Pacific people (n = 2236) and a composite Other ethnic group (predominantly European) (n = 8161). Ethnicity was measured using the 2001 census ethnicity question. A fully structured diagnostic interview, the World Health Organization World Mental Health Survey Initiative version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0) was used to measure disorder. The overall response rate was 73.3%. Results: The 12 month prevalence of any mental disorder was highest in M ori (29.5%; 26.6, 32.4), followed by Pacific people (24.4%; 21.2, 27.6) and Others (19.3%; 18.0, 20.6). Adjustment for age, sex, education and household income reduced differences: Māori (23.9%; 21.3, 26.4), Pacific (19.2%; 16.4, 22.1) and Other (20.3%; 18.9, 21.6). A similar pattern was seen for serious disorder and most individual disorders or disorder groups. After adjustment, M ori were most different from Pacific people and Others for substance use disorder. Both M ori and Pacific people had a higher prevalence of bipolar disorder than Others. Pacific people had the lowest prevalence of major depressive disorder. Among those with disorder, the proportion with a visit for mental health problems to any service was highest among Others (41.1%; 38.1, 44.1), with M ori (32.5%; 28.3, 36.7) intermediate and Pacific (25.4%, 19.4, 31.4) lowest. Adjustment did not alter ethnic differences in service contact. Conclusion: M ori, and to a lesser extent Pacific people, have a higher prevalence of 12 month mental disorders than Others. Differences are reduced after adjusting for sociodemographic correlates. Relative to need, Pacific people in particular and M ori are less likely than Others to have contact with services (health or non-health), regardless of sociodemographic circumstances.

I know it seems somewhat unconventional to begin this paper with the words of my eldest son’s Year 12 speech, especially when the first few stanzas reflect deficit profiling of Cook Islands Māori people. But this paper is not focused on deficit profiling at all—far from it. However, as I pondered on Fa’avae’s abstract in this Waikato Journal of Education volume, I was moved by his inclusion of Pacific educator’s voices from Realm nations with the intent to provide an “analytical lens centred on unpacking stories and insights” (Fa’avae, 2022), focused on change in Pasifika/Pacific education, in Aotearoa NZ. The emphasis on voices and stories reminded me of the purpose of my son’s speech in high school—one that was inspired by the young writer Joshua Iosefa’s 2012 spoken word poem titled ‘Brown Brother’ (Iosefa, 2012). In his article Fa’avae advocates for a greater presence of Pacific educators and leaders from Aotearoa NZ’s Realm Nations in higher education, enabling their (our) voices, knowledges, and Indigenous languages, with the intent to inspire and empower others into this space, and prioritising insights often ignored. This paper is my response to his article.

Abstract Barriers to acquiring and using a shared sign language alienate deaf children and adults from their fundamental human rights to communication, education, social and economic participation, and access to services. International data collected by the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) identify that in economically developing countries, deaf individuals are at particularly high risk of marginalization, which applies to countries in the Pacific region. This report provides a snapshot of the status of deaf people as sign language users in six Pacific nations: Fiji, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste and Kiribati. Information was contributed by sign language interpreters from these countries during a panel convened at the first Oceania regional conference of the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters, in Fiji, 2018. The report outlines conditions for education through sign language and the emergence of sign language interpreting as a means of increasing access and social equity for deaf people in these countries, albeit this remains largely on a voluntary basis. While Fiji and PNG governments have recognized the status of sign languages in their respective countries and allocated some resources to the inclusion of sign language users, practical support of deaf sign language users tends to be progressed on grounds of disability rights rather than language rights; e.g., several Pacific countries have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights for People with Disabilities, which includes provisions for sign language users, and deaf advocacy efforts have gained political traction from alliance with disability organizations.