On Tuesday the 26th of March , some of us year 10 students participated in the Tu’u Malohi programme. Some of us did this last year as a year 9 so I was grateful for this opportunity to be a part of it again.
Our main focus for today’s activity was about the Dawn Raids. Dawn Raids was a sad racist attack that occurred in New Zealand during the 1970s. Many of our people from the Pacific had no choice but to come to New Zealand. They were immigrants and that’s how most of us migrated from the islands to New Zealand. They needed to work and sacrifice themselves to help support their families back in the islands. The police would come on the crack of the dawn and raid, evict , and arrest anyone who was overstaying. I believe that our people did nothing wrong. This was completely targeted to the brown people which was racist.
Our task was to draw or write something that relates to the Dawn Raids. We have to explain and show how we felt towards that. My drawing is down below. The water and mountain resemble the land. The pattern at the top of the drawing is a Tongan pattern called ‘Manulua’. The meaning behind the image is to allow us to stay and live here in New Zealand. The police didn’t have the right to kick us out. I’m not trying to say we own the land but we should be allowed and deserve to stay here.
Kia ora Finau.
Fantastic to hear about your experience in the Tu’u Malohi programme. Your reflection on the Dawn Raids shines a light on a crucial part of our history. I love your picture, it’s a beautiful tribute to the strength and rights of Pacific communities in New Zealand.
Nice to see you blogging, keep it up!
Mr Goodwin