If anyone's coming from Sydney to Tonga (and doesn't have the requisite ten bags of luggage) and you can accommodate carrying a back-pack for me.

That would be awesome.

Buzz me at samtaufa@gmail.com

Talanoa Oceania - Be There or be rocked!

Talanoa Oceania are gatherings for people from the South Seas (or Pacific Islanders, abbreviated as PIs), who currently live in Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand. Several reasons make these gatherings necessary, including the following:

1. PIs are torn between where we live and our home islands, partly because we have not been welcomed (to our new locations) and released (from our island homes)

2. PIs continue to look for direction from our home islands partly because a sea of talanoa[1] has not been gathered to root us in our current locations

3. PIs are searching for creative and meaningful ways of continuing to be connected to our island cultures, churches and homes

4. PIs often misunderstand other cultures partly because we are confused about who we are, in our current locations, and we are consequently easily misunderstood

5. PIs are not homogenous, and we need to name and come to terms with our differences

Talanoa Oceania 2008: Mana, Vanua, Talanoa

Under the shadows of those needs, the Talanoa Oceania 2008 gathering will provide opportunities for presentations on three significant PI concepts: Mana, Vanua, Talanoa. These concepts have multiple meanings in the various language and island groups:

· Mana can mean sacred, magic, courage, power, transformation, creativity, healing, imagination, and so forth

· Vanua (fonua, fenua, whenua, etc) can mean land, womb, home, identity, roots, tradition, and so forth

· Talanoa can mean story, storytelling, conversation, orality, empty-talk, and so forth

Call for presentations:

Persons who are related (by birth and/or migration) to the South Seas are invited to propose presentations for the 2008 gathering. The presentations should address at least one of the five needs and at least one of the three concepts outlined above, and they may be offered from and/or address any of the areas of interest to PIs, such as:

§ art, handicraft & body-art

§ poetry, lyrics & rhythms

§ performance, dance & storytelling

§ Pacific, oceanic & indigenous studies

§ academic, theological & island disciplines

§ ministerial, cultural & ethnic praxis

§ and so forth

Presentations by Women and Second Gens are especially encouraged; all presenters are also urged to help PI communities respond to:

§ the challenges of global warming and our drifting generations

§ the realities of dispersion, diaspora and cultural confusions

To propose a presentation for the Talanoa Oceania 2008: Mana, Vanua, Talanoa gathering, please send the following information to Jione Havea {email: jhavea@csu.edu.au; Postal address: United Theological College, 16 Masons Drive, North Parramatta, NSW 2151, Australia; Fax: (+612) 9683-6617}:

1. Your full name, and the island group(s) to which you relate

2. Current email and mailing addresses (tin-can-mail is possible!)

3. Descriptive title of presentation (no more than 20 words)

4. Short description of presentation (no more than 300 words)

Deadline for proposals:

Jan 31, 2008 (pālangi time!)

Unsure of what to do:

If you are interested in participating in the 2008 gathering but are unsure with how you might make a contribution, please contact one of the persons listed below and we will talk with you about how you might present and participate at this event.

Date & venue:

September 29 – October 01, 2008

Centre for Ministry, 16 Masons Drive, North Parramatta, NSW 2151, Australia

Next Talanoa Oceania: Aotearoa/New Zealand (date to be determined)

Contacts in the Southern Sea of Islands:

Fe‘iloakitau Tevi (fkt@wcc-coe.org)

Koila Olsson (arietakoilaolsson@yahoo.com)

Tevita K. Havea (tkhavea@ptc.ac.fj)

Samiuela L.V. Taufa (samtaufa@gmail.com)

Contacts in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Tevita Finau (tfinau@gmail.com)

Aso Saleupolu (asos@methodist.org.nz)

Fei Taule‘ale‘ausumai (fei_taulealea@xtra.co.nz)

Nasili Vaka‘uta (nvakauta@gmail.com)

Contacts in Australia

Seforosa Carroll (sefc@bigpond.com)

Vinnie Ravetali (vravetali62@yahoo.com)

Salesi Faupula (salesif@nsw.uca.org.au)

Filimone Oliveti (filimone7@optisnet.com.au)

Jione Havea (jhavea@csu.edu.au)

Katalina Tahaafe-Williams (katalinatw@nsw.uca.org.au)

Liva Tukutama (livasoffice@netspeed.com.au)

---

[1] When someone from the South Seas shares a talanoa (story), it is not just about sharing information and entertaining listeners. A talanoa also has to do with locating identity (in space and in relationships), with offering instructions (to listeners), with explaining struggles and journeys, with customs and rituals, with hope and more. Sharing of talanoa can also make storytellers and their people vulnerable, as if they have become telenoa (Samoan: naked), so it is a sharing that needs to be offered and received responsibly.

2007.06.01 Tonga Time

Well, the www.nomoa.com machine's going to have to take a walk to another house, which is big hooots for Ma'ata and Pulu 'Anau, but it also means we'll be off the air for an unkown amount of time.

See you all on the otherside

and apologies to the two or three people who follow my wwwwaaaantsss, raanntttzzz

And just when I was working on the family again http://www.nomoa.com/family/ ? I've lost the data I collected since 1999, so I'm having to find someone to cry on and to get the dump from them.

We'll be back, and we'll still be just as ugly 8-)

Saturday night I thought it was about time to update the Gallery software, so off we go to try and get an update.

Two late nights later I've totally lost, blown away the original Gallery and possibly lost some Forum posts (apologies to everyone.) But the Gallery is back up (for me and the other two that browse to it?)

I love Gallery, but this continuing problem with updates is beginning to be frustrating. Of course, one of the frustrations is my continual lack of know-how for doing the upgrades properly (which isn't helped by only having one site where I've got the software.) Since the site's been hacked a number of times previously, we're really into upates now and better this pain than the whole site going down badly from being hacked.

The last major problem again my fault as I moved from version 1 to version 2 pre-betas. This problem was somehow related to the integration between Xaraya and Gallery2 which wouldn't work after I updated Gallery2 2.1 to Gallery 2.2 svn. I needed the svn update of Gallery so I can update the code readily and I was previously using the CVS version.

1. Gallery 2.1 cvs updated to Gallery 2.2 svn
2. Gallery2/Xaraya Integration module would not configure (no matter how much time and cpu I gave it)
3. No error messages were shown, but it would not configure.
4. Gallery2 2.2svn full new install configures properly with Xaraya

What did we lose ? Mostly data, because the photos are sane. But that data made the place more interesting.

The photos, albums aren't in the same place they were last time, so the earlier photo links do not work properly. The album names and descriptions are zapped as well, so although I was able to recover the original structure before the blow-away, they don't really mean much even in context.

I would look at putting the photos up @ flickr.com or zooomr.com but haven't quite got those fixed up yet.

And now, it's too late to be putting up any of the images I've snapped in the past week because we're closing down to pack for Tonga.

Steps to minimise further problems in the future.

1. Name Album Folders descriptively
2. Name photos with the description details
3. Hierarchy like crazy (done)
4. Backup files before updates
5. Backup database before updates
6. install on temp directory for testing
7. install on temp database for testing
8. install xaraya on temp database for testing
9. install xaraya on temp for testing
10. (8 & 9 seem to have been the key factors in this week's horror)
11. Do not do the install/update over the week-end (or at least if you plan on having a busy Sunday, like usual)

Hope to see you after the jump, and hopefully I can get in on the imagery from Tonga too? (here's to slow bandwidths and immesurable patience.)

The new flea market shopping from the convenience of
your home at the only Tongan free virtual flea market online.

Come and visit www.maketi.to and place you ad, sell or buy your stuff, listen to nice Tongan songs and help us to grow.

thanks
maketi.to team

Finally got RSS and ATOM working (somewhat) for those of you who don't want to waste browsing and know how to use news aggregators then head then use the links below:

http://www.nomoa.com/index.php?theme=rss or

http://www.nomoa.com/index.php?theme=atom

to read the latest updates to the main website.

I hear there's a way to invoke this feature with our forum, and I'll tell you all about it once I find out how.

Hmmm, I've been playing around with some new clothes so decided to put them on www.nomoa.com to see how well they match what we need ?

There's still a number of things to iron-out but we hope to bring something more useable ? and less security problematico.

ciao,

Sam T.

We seem to be having some problems with the forums and we need to test run requiring all posts to be from registered users. We will start this most probably Monday or Tuesday next week (depending on where in the world you are.)


Sam T.

College student needs to learn more about Tonga than esd found online. Interested in helping? Just a few emails would do a great service!

New Zealand continues its war against Tongan Officialdom with what continues to be a widely reported discrimminatory Immigration Procedures. New Zealand's immigration officials introduced pregnancy tests last year to stem the flow of Pacific Island women giving birth while visiting New Zealand.

In the above article mentioned on Stuff.co.nz and The Washting Times a serious diplomatic blunder occurs. Unfortunately that's not the end of the story.

Returning from Australia last week we discovered that if you are a Tonga, Samoan, or Fijian you aren't even allowed on New Zealand soil without a VISA. It doesn't matter if the only reason you put your foot on NZ soil is to get it off into another plane or boat. To get on a plane from anywhere to Tonga, and that plane for some reason refuels or stops in NZ, you have to get a Transit Visa.

Not that anyone at the stupid airport actually checks visas for the gazillions of people sitting inside the transit/departure lounges. But to make officialdoms happy you have to queue at their interminably busy counter and pay your money so you can sit inside the airport. That is highway robbery, let alone all the other racist things that can be said about it.

The only redeeming thing you can suggest for this NZ tax is you can probably get better food if you actually use the Transit Visa to leave the terminal and go somewhere else to eat.

Sam T.

An Australian Warship, HMAS PARRAMATTA, will visit the Kingdom of Tonga from 14 to17 June 2004 as part of the ongoing Defence Relationship with Tonga.

This will be HMAS PARRAMATTA�s first overseas visit since Commissioning on 4 October 2003.

The main purpose of the visit is to promote continuation of the strong relationship between the Australian Defence Force and Tonga. It will also be an opportunity for the crew to undergo recreation prior to participating in Exercise RIMPAC - an annual United States led multilateral exercise involving seven countries.

Further information on HMAS PARRAMATTA�s visit to Tonga visit can be obtained by contacting the Australian Maritime Surveillance Adviser, Lieutenant Commander Mark Korsten, on 18248 or msat@defence.gov.to

Further information on HMAS PARRAMATTA can be found at http://www.navy.gov.au/ships/parramatta/default.htm.

details @matangitonga.to or fax (676) 24749

Please be informed that our beloved friend, sister, wife, and mother, 'Ukaline Liliane 'Akilisi Tupou has passed away this 14th day of June at approx. 6am at her Pili residence in Tonga.

Liliane was well known by her peers as 'Akilisi and spent her most of her life in the LDS Church Educational System. She was also well known for her loving nature and strong faith in the church. 'Akilisi is survived by her husband 'Alipate Tupou, and six children, 'Alisi, Maggie, Siaosi, Uolini, Marice, and Jordan Tupou. Not to mention her two grandchildren, Sione Hingano, and 'Ukaline Foua. She will be sorely missed by all who knew this wonderful woman.

A church service will be held in the weekend (19th June) and then the burial will be held.

Title: News Contribut(ions)ers (please read)

Tuesday May 11, 2004

Your news/article contributions provide a great resource to all members of our community.

We welcome news information on this site that has anything of interest to members of the community. If you would like to post news, general or specific information please read the following.

Yes this site has been remiss in recent past on the way it publishes news articles sourced from other websites and news outlets. We would like everyone to follow the current protocol of ensuring reference to the quoted source, and most importantly to not copy paste more than sufficient material to provide a quick synopsis of the referenced news/article.


BASICS
* Ensure news/articles source is referenced
* Do not copy paste complete articles

HOW
* Reference Original Author (if known)
* Reference Main Site of news/article
* Reference specific page (if possible)
* BLOG

WHY
* Common courtesy
* Professional courtesy
* Some people actually get paid for their work, let's support them ?
* A lot of the articles posted here in the past is probably copyrighted

** HOW
=========================

Reference Original Author (if known)
-------------------------------------
Most articles are published by some human some where, if they put their monika to the article, please go ahead and use it when referring/using the article.

Reference Main Site of news/article
-------------------------------------
Please put a reference to the original article's website (e.g. http://www.nomoa.com)

Reference specific page (if possible)
-------------------------------------
Even better, if you have the specific page of the article that would be much better placed.

BLOG
-------------------------------------
The simplest approach to referencing news articles on the site is to reference it as is done by many 'blogs' on the Internet.

The general 'blog' approach, I've seen, for referencing an article somewhere else on the Internet goes something like this:

a) you read the article
b) you write a small opinion on the article
c) you refer readers to the article to make their own conclusions
(including web link)

U.S. Troops Prepare to Enter Najaf
By DENIS D. GRAY, AP

NAJAF, Iraq (April 25) - U.S. troops will likely enter parts of Najaf soon in a move to clamp down on the rebel militia of a radical Shiite cleric but will stay away from sensitive holy sites in the center of the city to avoid rousing the anger of Shiites, a U.S general said Sunday.

Shiite leaders have warned of a possible explosion of anger among the country's Shiite majority if U.S. troops enter Najaf, and until now U.S. commanders have been saying troops would not go in.

With the new move, the military seeks to impose a degree of control in Najaf, while hoping that a foray limited to the modern parts of the ancient holy city would not inflame Shiites. Brig. Gen. Mark Hertling did not say when troops would move in, or how many.

American officials were attempting a similar limited step in the war-torn city of Fallujah, the other main front of fighting in Iraq this month.

U.S. troops will begin patrols alongside Iraqi security forces in Fallujah, a top Iraqi negotiator, Hachim al-Hassani, said Sunday - an apparent attempt to restore control over the insurgent stronghold without a full-scale Marine assault, which would spark new bloodshed.

But like a previous agreement aimed at reducing the violence in the city, the new step hinged greatly on the response of Sunni guerrillas, who are called on to turn in their heavy weapons and not carry any weapons in public.

"We hope the U.S. soldiers will not be attacked when they enter the city. If they are attacked, they will respond and this will lead to problems," al-Hassani told The Associated Press.

He said Fallujah residents have promised no attacks will take place. But U.S. officials have questioned whether Fallujah civic leaders who have been negotiating with the Americans have enough influence with the city's guerrillas. Guerrillas have not been abiding by a previous call from the civil leaders to surrender their heavy weapons, U.S. commanders say.

Violence across the country flared Saturday, killing 33 Iraqis in various attacks and four U.S. soldiers whose base was hit by two rockets north of Baghdad.

On Sunday, a rocket hit near a hospital in the northern city of Mosul, killing three people - including two women working at the hospital - doctors said. Elsewhere the city, a mortar hit a residential area, killing one Iraqi.

In Baghdad, a roadside bomb hit a U.S. military convoy in an eastern neighborhood, setting a Humvee on fire. Witnesses reported U.S. casualties, but there was no immediate confirmation from the military.

Meanwhile, U.S. military officials in the Gulf were trying to determine the launching point of an unprecedented suicide boat attack on two offshore oil terminals that are the sole outlet of Iraqi crude from the south. The attacks, using explosive-packed dhows, killed two U.S. Navy sailors and forced the shutdown of the two terminals for several hours.

Asked if the attackers came from inside Iraq or neighboring Iran or Kuwait, Navy Commander James Graybeal, of the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, said, "That's what were trying to determine."

Insurgents often attack oil pipelines in Iraq and have repeatedly shut down exports from northern oil fields to Turkey.

Saturday's bombings were the first such maritime attack on the industry and appeared to be a new tactic in the Iraqi conflict - resembling al-Qaida-linked attacks in 2000 and 2002 against the USS Cole and a French oil tanker off the coast of Yemen that killed 17 American sailors and a tanker crewman.

The blasts Saturday caused little damage to the facilities, and Sunday morning tankers resumed loading crude at the two terminals, al-Basra and Khawr al-Amara, about 100 miles in Gulf waters off the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr, said Shamkhi Faraj, head of the State Oil Marketing Organization.

The new steps in Najaf and Fallujah came after President Bush held a conference call Saturday with his top commander in the Middle East, Gen. John Abizaid, over the situation in Iraq.

U.S. commanders have been threatening a full-scale offensive to take Fallujah and uproot insurgents unless guerrillas hand over their heavy weapons within days.

But a new assault would revive bloody fighting that killed hundreds of Iraqis this month, helped set off a surge of guerrilla attacks across the country that killed at least 109 U.S. troops killed in Iraq since the beginning of April - the deadliest period ever in Iraq for the Americans.

The Fallujah siege also fueled anti-U.S. sentiment, rallying the Sunni minority and angering even U.S. allies among the Iraqi leadership.

Al-Hassani told The Associated Press that joint U.S.-Iraqi patrols would begin in the city on Tuesday, when orders will be issued forbidding Fallujah residents from carrying weapons in the streets.

He said 75 families who fled Fallujah during the fighting will be allowed to return on Sunday. "If things go well, all families will be allowed to return," he said. Nearly a third of the city's 200,000 residents fled the city since the siege began on April 5.

The attempt to have guerrillas hand over their heavy weapons will continue, he said. So far, insurgents have only turned in a small number of weapons, most of them rusted, broken or otherwise unusable, U.S. commanders have said.

The new U.S. intention to move into parts of Najaf also carried heavy risks

"We probably will go into the central part of the city. Will we interfere in the religious institutions? Absolutely not," Hertling, a deputy commander of the 1st Armored Division, told reporters outside Najaf.

He did not say when the move would occur, but it appeared unlikely for several days.

Hertling said the move aimed to tighten the clampdown on radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his militia.

"It's not going to be large-scale fighting, the likes of other places, but it's going to be critical," he said. "We're going to drive this guy into the dirt."

"Either he tells his militia to put down their arms, form a political party and fight with ideas not guns - or he's going to find a lot of them killed," he said.

Also, an Army reservist missing in Iraq since a convoy attack April 9 was confirmed dead. The remains of Sgt. Elmer Krause, 40, were found Friday, according to a statement Saturday from the Department of Defense. It gave no other details. Another soldier and a U.S. contract worker abducted in the same attack remain unaccounted for.

The latest deaths brought to 109 the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq since the beginning of April. At least 718 servicemembers have died in Iraq since the March 2003 invasion.

Anywhere from 900 to 1,200 Iraqis have been killed in April - depending on various reports of the death toll from Fallujah.


04/25/04 07:52 EDT

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, April 21) � Fiji�s former first lady, Lala Mara, has approved the government�s proposal to hold a state funeral for the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara.

A cabinet sub-committee led by Home Affairs Minister Joketani Cokanasiga consulted with Lady Mara on its plans today.

The national period of mourning officially begins today and will continue until May 3 when the former president and prime minister will be laid to rest at the chiefly village of Tubou, Lakeba.

Cokanasiga says the body of Ratu Mara will be taken from hospital to Government House in Suva on 28 April where it will lie in state until 30 April. All members of the public are welcome to pay their respects.

On 30 April, Ratu Mara�s body will be escorted by service personnel to the Roman Catholic Church at the center of the capital, for a two hour memorial service.

After the service, the funeral proceedings will continue to the Kings Wharf where Ratu Mara�s body will board the Government vessel Tovuto, for the overnight trip to Lakeba, Lau.

The Tovuto is expected to dock at Lakeba at first light on 1 May.

The body of Ratu Mara will again lie in state at his home in the chiefly Tubou village from 1 May to 3 May.

Ratu Mara will be buried at the �Sau Tabu� (chiefly burial ground) on 3 May. Only other chiefs occupy the Sau Tabu and one of them is Ratu Mara�s father Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba. Another is the first Tui Lau and Tongan warlord Ma�afu.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Labor has gazetted 30 April as a Public Holiday. Cokanasiga says this is to allow the people of Fiji to acknowledge Fiji�s most popular leader and allow the public to join in the memorial service.

April 22, 2004
Fijilive: www.fijilive.com

Tonga's Chief Justice Ward resigns early
Nuku'alofa, Tonga. 21 April 2004.

Chief Justice Frederick Gordon Ward
Tonga's Chief Justice Frederick Gordon Ward has offered his early resignation and will leave Tonga at the end of June, to take up a new position as the Chairman of the Appeal Court of Fiji.

Simi Tekiteki, the Secretary for Justice, today confirmed that Chief Justice Ward's resignation, prematurely terminated his five-year contract with the Government of Tonga, which was renewed in 2003. A termination clause allows three months notice of resignation.

Since March it has been known that Chief Justice Ward was considering a position as the Chairman of the Appeal Court of Fiji. Simi said that Chief Justice Ward would take up his new post in Suva in July.

During the past year the relationship between Chief Justice Ward and the Tonga government became strained when he declared illegal and unlawful some Privy Council Ordinances in the government's attempts to ban the Taimi 'o Tonga newspaper. The Government ignored the Chief Justice's decision and proceeded to turn some of those Ordinances into Bills, later becoming law, after amending Clause 7 of the Tonga Constitution.

Chief Justice Ward first came to the South Pacific from England in 1979. He worked in Fiji for six and a half years, then five and a half years in the Solomon Islands, before he first came to Tonga in 1992.

Chief Justice ward was the last British Judge to have come to Tonga under an arrangement that dated back to 1905 whereby the British Government appointed chief Justices and judges for Tonga. Under this arrangement the British government topped up the local salary for the position to help provide a high standard. This program of salary subsidisation ended in 1995, when Chief Justice Ward completed his first term here. He took up a position in Cyprus.

In 1998 the Tongan Government recalled Chief Justice Ward and offered to pay his full salary without being supplemented by the British. The 1998 contract expired last year and it was renewed for another five years until early this month when Chief Justice hands in his resignation.

vapress@matangitonga.to or fax (676) 24749

Editorial
PASSING OF RATU MARA MARKS END OF ERA
FijiSUN

SUVA, Fiji (April 20) - There is no shortage of chiefs convinced that they can run the country better than the succession of commoners who have of late sat in the prime minister�s office.

But the Tui Nayau, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, accepted authority as his birthright, his duty and his destiny. He was one of the truly great chiefs and his passing marks the end of an era.

The only high-born nobleman ever to serve Fiji as prime minister and then as president, he bestrode the modern history of the nation like a colossus.

He could as easily inspire fierce loyalty among his followers and kinsfolk as he could put the fear of God into recalcitrant or negligent underlings. He may well be the last of the high chiefs who was truly born to rule.

If any one man could be said to have formed present day Fiji, that man would be Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara.

It was he who led the nation out of the colonial era and into a strange and often frightening new world of independence and it was he who held the social fabric of these islands together at a time when his colonial contemporaries were leading far larger nations into the abyss of civil war, poverty and genocide.

Guided in his younger days by that other great Fijian, Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, Ratu Mara was ever aware of his destiny - which was to lead his people.

His era as statesman, national leader and politician may have ended in 2000 when he stepped aside as president in order, he considered, to avoid bloodshed on an unprecedented scale, yet his aura remained despite the retirement and the successive illnesses that were to accompany his last days on this earth.

His lasting legacy is a nation with institutions intact, though his vision of a truly united Fiji remains unfulfilled.

He will be mourned and missed throughout the region and the wider world. Sir Michael Somare, for instance, with whom he shared a passion for golf, called him "papa" and sought his guidance in PNG�s many hours of stress and need.

Ratu Mara can never be forgotten just as his national and regional achievements can never be undone.

His was a massive contribution to the progress of his nation and the welfare of his people. History will judge him generously as a man who recognised no limitations to the potential of his nation and who gave his utmost in an heroic effort to persuade, cajole, command and above all lead it forward.

We will not see his like again.

April 20, 2004
FijiSUN: http://www.sun.com.fj/
************************

WORLD MOURNS FIJI�S RATU MARA

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, April 19) - Pacific Forum Secretary General Greg Urwin expressed deep regret at the death of Fiji's former Prime Minister and President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, whose passing drew condolences yesterday from around the world.

"Ratu Mara was very much the elder statesman of the region, and his passing marks the end of an era," Urwin said. "His vision for a better future for the people of the Pacific has underpinned everything the Forum has tried to do since it was established in 1971."

Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara was the last survivor of the seven leaders who met in August 1971 in Wellington, New Zealand to set up a new regional body to give a stronger voice to Pacific concerns, and to cooperate as a group in tackling key issues. That body was the South Pacific Forum.

Leaders of the Forum, now known as the Pacific Islands Forum, meet annually to discuss a common approach to regional and international issues.

Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara represented Fiji at all but four of the annual Forum Leaders meetings from 1971 until 1991.

Urwin said Mara will remain a guiding force in the region.

"Despite this sad loss for his own family, we trust that they will be comforted by the knowledge of all that he accomplished for his country and the region. His dedication and vision will always be an example to us all."

The White House yesterday sent its condolences to the former president�s family, saying Mara was a close friend of the United States.

"The late Ratu Mara was a personal friend of President George H.W. Bush and worked closely with every U.S. Administration since President Lyndon Johnson," said a statement from the U.S. president."

"Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara played an important role in achieving independence for Fiji. He always worked for racial harmony and, as he said at the Fiji Constitutional Conference in 1970, �a Fiji where people of different races, opinions and cultures can live and work together for the good of all�.. His contributions to Fiji and Pacific Island Countries have been outstanding, as were his efforts for the Commonwealth of Nations and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of nations. He was one of the seven founders of what is now the Pacific Islands Forum

"As the people of Fiji and the late Ratu Mara's family mourn the death of one of the greatest sons of Fiji we, the representatives of the people of the United States, offer our deepest sympathy to the people of Fiji and the Mara family."

The U.S. statement also noted that Ratu Mara was instrumental in establishing closer links between Pacific Island countries and the United States and helped establish the Pacific Islands Development Program and the Joint Commercial Commission at the East-West Center in Honolulu. Ratu Mara also served as the Chairman of the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders and served on the East-West Center Board of Governors.

Meanwhile, the British High Commission yesterday also extended its sympathy, saying, "We recall his close and warm ties with the United Kingdom over many years, and are much saddened by today's news. Fiji and the whole Pacific region have lost a statesman of international renown, and will be the poorer for his passing."

April 20, 2004
Fijilive: www.fijilive.com

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, April 19) - Former Fiji President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara has died at the age of 83.

The pioneering leader passed away in Suva last night after suffering from ill health.

Ratu Mara was the nation's first Chief Minister in 1967 and Prime Minister from independence in 1970.

He also served as the head of the administration after the 1987 coup and in 1994 he became Fiji's president.

Mara is seen as the founding father of modern Fiji and was named the Pacific Islands Man of the 20th Century. He was also a founder of what is now the Pacific Islands Forum.

A son of the hereditary chief of the Lau islands, Mara was also a great grandson of Ratu Sir George Cakobau, the central figure in Fiji's cession to Britain in 1874. He was educated in Fiji and New Zealand, where he trained for four years at Otago Medical School before being persuaded that his future lay in the leadership of his country.

He became the first Fijian to take an MA degree from Oxford, and read politics and development studies at the London School of Economics.

Mara joined the Colonial Service in 1950 and held various administrative posts in Fiji before entering politics. His multiracial, but indigenous Fijian-dominated, Alliance Party presided for 17 years over a country which remained peaceful despite growing racial and socio-economic tensions and allegations of government corruption.

It was finally ousted at the 1987 election by the Fiji Labor Party led by Timoci Bavadra, but a month later, army officers led by Sitiveni Rabuka ousted the government, claiming it was dominated by Indians.

He was soon back as prime minister for a year under the military regime and was made president of the republic when Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau died in 1994.

His political career ended with the attempted coup by George Speight in May of 2001.

As President, Mara was forced to leave office as Speight held the cabinet and many member of parliament hostage under threat of death, including Mara's own daughter.

Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara was married to Adi Lala, a hereditary chief of the Rewa district, and they had 8 children.

April 19, 2004
Fijilive: www.fijilive.com

HELLO BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE OF TONGA. WELL I'M LOOKING FOR KEFUKEFU FOLIAKI OF FUAMOTU, TONGATAPU. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT IF ANY ONE HAS ANY INFORMATION ON HIS WHERE ABOUTS AND KNOWS HOW I CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH HIM. PLEASE EMAIL ME AT samoana_islandspice@yahoo.com

I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATED.

A Rotuman Actress Shines In �The Land Has Eyes�

By Floyd K. Takeuchi
Photo: Grace Niska Atkins

It is early on a Saturday morning in Suva, Fiji. The young woman on the telephone is talking about her role as the leading lady of the first feature film shot in Fiji that was produced and directed by Pacific Islanders. As she discusses how she learned how to reach down inside to find the inspiration to cry on direction, she's drowned out by the sound of chickens crowing and children screaming.

This is reality for Sapeta Taito, the now 17-year-old from Rotuma who is about to become a movie star. There's little if any of the trappings of Hollywood glamour for Taito, now a scholarship student at the University of the South Pacific. And despite warm reviews for her role as Viki in "The Land Has Eyes," Taito has no interest in pursuing a film career, at least not now. She wants to become a doctor.

"Maybe I'll do acting (again) after I am a surgeon," Taito says with the confidence of youth.

Of course, that may change if "The Land Has Eyes" continues to receive rave reviews at major international film festivals. The latest showing will be in Honolulu, when "The Land Has Eyes" is screened at the Hawaii International Film Festival on April 8th. This follows the film's huge success earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival and Rotterdam International Film Festival, and precedes its screening at the Moscow International Film Festival in June. Indeed, the film's director, Vilsoni Hereniko, and his wife Jeannette Paulson Hereniko, who co-produced the film along with Corey Tong, are turning down more film festival invitations than they are accepting.

The film's most important screening may take place in June, when Taito and the Herenikos, head to Rotuma to show "The Land Has Eyes." More than 100 Rotumans have roles in the film, a few are speaking parts, many act in crowd scenes at a wedding or funeral. Taito says her friends don't think of her as a star. But they've been talking a lot about the film's debut in Rotuma. "They're very excited about it," Taito says.

Taito is unaffected by the buzz that's building around "The Land Has Eyes." Vilsoni Hereniko calls the fellow Rotuman "very bright," very much the character she plays on screen: sensitive, intelligent, devoted to her father and family, grounded in the traditions and language of Rotuma, an island that is part of the Republic of Fiji, but whose Polynesian culture is markedly different from heavily Melanesian-influenced Fiji.

"She was out of school for about five months," Hereniko notes. "But when we were done, she was able to catch up and she graduated first in her class."

In "The Land has Eyes," Vilsoni Hereniko tells his own story through the persona of a young woman. It is the tale, told in the context of Rotuman culture and mythology, of a smart young Rotuman who searches for how to balance her cultural upbringing with her ambitions and intellectual curiosity. The story challenges some facets of Rotuman culture, but concludes with Viki, the character Taito plays, understanding that she must fulfill her destiny alone, strengthened with the knowledge that in the end "the land"-or heart of Rotuma-will right all wrongs.

It is remarkable that Taito even was considered for the role. At first, Hereniko despaired of finding an actress who could play the role of Viki. He traveled to Rotuma to hold auditions at Rotuma High School. Taito, a student there at the time, was told by her teacher to go to "auditions" for a film.

"I didn't know what 'audition' meant," recalls Taito. But once she saw what Hereniko was asking of students, she read for the part. And she didn't make much of an impression on the director.

"I didn't identify her as a possibility the first time," says Hereniko. It was his wife, co-producer Jeannette Paulson Hereniko, who suggested he look again at Taito.

"Oh, what about that girl," Paulson Hereniko said as she looked at videos taken at the auditions. "She looks like she might be good. Look at those big eyes!" Hereniko remembers his wife telling him.

A couple of months later, on his return to Rotuma, Hereniko met again with Taito. It all clicked. "She didn't need to do much to get into the role," he says. "And the camera loves her."

While Hereniko believes Taito has a natural gift for acting, he also realizes that she quickly understood what drove Viki. "It was probably easier for her to act out the role because she lives that life," Hereniko says.

"She is the oldest of three children of Jioji and Mue Taito. She's particularly close to her father," Hereniko says. "She has two younger brothers."

Taito's close relationship with her father helped her get through the role's most difficult challenge. She was required to cry on cue, something Taito found extremely difficult. Viki was responding to the death of Hapati, her father figure in the film.

Then Hereniko told her to think about how she would feel if her real father had died. After that, tears were no problem, she says.

Despite warm reviews for her role as leading lady in �The Land Has Eyes�, Sapeta Taito says her aim is to be a doctor.

The easiest part of acting was when she had to chase pigs. That, says Taito, came naturally.

The Herenikos will continue to take "The Land Has Eyes" on the road for the next year. There are no shortage of invitations to film festivals. But Vilsoni Hereniko, a noted playwright who is also a professor at the University of Hawaii-Manoa, also knows that there will be no shortage of challenges to getting wide distribution for his debut feature film.

Beyond the film's clear artistic accomplishment-it was well received at the Sundance Festival, for example-"The Land Has Eyes" also is a rallying cry to other Pacific filmmakers. Hereniko's drive to complete the film, which was done on a small budget under US$1 million, was to "stretch me artistically." "The Land Has Eyes" received major funding from Pacific Islanders in Communications, a non-profit group that supports public broadcast programming by and about Pacific Islanders.

Hereniko knows that there are many more Pacific stories to tell, and Pacific Islanders need to tell these stories.

"The time has come for Pacific Islanders to be not just consumers of other people's images of themselves," Hereniko says.

Hawaii International Spring Film Festival
April 8, 8:30 p.m. at

Signature Dole Cannery Theatres
"The Land Has Eyes" will be the closing film at this year's festival. The screening is being co-sponsored with Pacific Islanders in Communications and the Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawaii-Manoa.

For More Information
www.thelandhaseyes.com

http://www.pacificislands.cc/