Author: Dale Husband

“She’d say: ‘Ete, you’re a Laughing Sāmoan, and if you start telling your story of how you were violent and what you did to overcome that violence, that would be really awesome.’” — Eteuati Ete.

“Your pride in being Māori was always there. There was no great epiphany. No thunderbolt striking. It was how you lived your life.”

“Being able to express myself as a Cook Islander through dancing and singing and teaching is still important for me.” — Caren Rangi.

“I always loved that little kids could watch bro’Town and not feel so stink about being poor.” — Oscar Kightley

“Look, if you do a deal with us, you can call us in 200 years’ time and we’ll still be here. Someone will pick up the telephone.”

“The city can eat you up. And I don’t think I’d be writing the music I write if I was living in Auckland.”

“There’s value in going back to Pūao-te-Āta-tū. You’ve got to go back sometimes to go forward.” — Neville Baker.

“I think some of it is well-meaning and paternalistic stuff. But it’s racism nevertheless. So it doesn’t matter whether it’s malicious or accidental or just ignorant racism. It’s still racism. And the outcome is just the same.”

“People don’t realise that we’re descended from scientists. They just think we’re a bunch of indigenous people who fluked getting to places.”

We’re “a changing, creative and responsive people whose culture isn’t fixed or static”. — Sean Mallon, Senior Curator Pacific Cultures, Te Papa.

“I see moko as a reflection of our society. We’re now at a stage where we can celebrate who we are as Māori people.”