As the call for a New Zealand government apology for the Dawn Raids of the 1970's gathers momentum, the desire for meaningful reparations does too.
The Polynesian Panthers at a protest rally in the 1970s. Photo: John Miller
The Polynesian Panthers political and social justice movement called for both, but what shape or form they may take had yet to be determined.
The Panthers' call for an apology came as part of their 50th anniversary commemorations.
One of the original members and Pacific Studies academic at the University of Auckland, Misataueveve Dr Melani Anae, said they met with the Ministry for Pacific People's in February.
"Where it was agreed that the Polynesian Panther Party has statistical, moral and racial grounds for seeking an apology because of the plethora of books, articles, statements, documentaries that we have which tell us the story about the Dawn Raids and the Polynesian Panthers."
Misataueveve said they were also talking about reparations to accompany an apology but nothing has been confirmed.
"We are working with the ministry to the best of both of our capabilities to have a positive outcome about the apology."
For many Pacific people, the legacy of the Dawn Raids was visceral and had been left to fester.
Misataueveve Dr Melani Anae Photo: Supplied
A former race relations commissioner, Joris de Bres, who was Secretary of the Citizens Association for Racial Equality (CARE) during the Dawn Raids era said an apology would be significant.
"Because this has been a pain, a sore that is still felt in the Pacific community and I guess a whole new generation of people are learning about that but I know that the older Pacific community still have this in their hearts and it's a very heavy burden."
He said for New Zealand itself, it was part of growing up and confronting its history.
"We need to come to terms with these things to know that our government at the time was openly, overtly racist about Pacific peoples in New Zealand and used them in a populist way to get elected."
Green MP, Teanau Tuiono Photo: RNZ / Jogai Bhatt
The Green Party MP and Pacific Peoples spokesperson, Teanau Tuiono, said an apology was long overdue but people had to understand exactly what it was for.
He contrasted it with the 2002 apology for the New Zealand administration allowing the Spanish flu into then Western Samoa killing more than a fifth of the population.
"That apology was made but then if you talk to people, they don't actually understand or they don't even know about, say for example, what happened with the Mau movement, what happened with the pandemic back then and New Zealand's incompetence in that. So with an apology there must come education."
Tuiono said ensuring the story of the Dawn Raids and the Polynesian Panthers was taught in schools would be an important part of that.
He said learning from history also helped to ensure exploitation didn't continue and he cited the treatment of Pacific seasonal horticultural workers.
"With RSE workers as well, knowing that we still have issues with overstayers, so I'm also supportive of having pathways for residency for overstayers and in this context I'm thinking about Pasifika overstayers as well."
A former Minister for Pacific People's in a previous Labour administration, Luamanuavao Dame Winnie Laban, who lived through the Dawn Raids said an apology was important but it was action that would give it substance.
She wanted New Zealand to look at what more could do for Pacific neighbours.
"New Zealand trades $1.9-billion to the region and the return is miniscule. Schemes like RSE are important, because why?
"Our people come and work here, they send money back home and they contribute to building houses, starting their own businesses. And also to see the economy thrive in the islands in which they come from."
Luamanuvao said helping re-gear their economies would help them retain their skilled youth who they lost to Australia and New Zealand.
For New Zealand's Pacific people, she wanted a commitment to lifting education, health and employment levels and said that would give real meaning to any apology.
Joris de Bres said with the largest Pacific caucus ever in government there was an opportunity to address the structural discrimination and lift people's social and economic circumstances.
"I guess it's part of the necessary process of lifting the state and status of Pacific peoples in New Zealand who are still very much at the bottom of the ladder economically and socially, and suffer the worst health outcomes. And these things are not unrelated to racism."
Former Race Relations Commissioner Joris De Bres, says people have nothing to fear from Maori wards. Photo: Glenn Jeffrey
