Stories From The Pacific

In the Pacific, anthropology has had an uneasy history. For generations, outsiders came into villages, recorded stories, and interpreted Pacific cultures for the rest of the world. 

But what changes when the anthropologist is from the Pacific? 

Dr Nalisa Neuendorf leads the social science team at the PNG Institute of Medical Research in Goroka. A Gulf woman who spent much of her childhood in Australia, she's spent years grappling with one persistent question: "Are you Papua New Guinean enough?"

It's a question she's faced from both outside her culture and within it. 

Chatting with Wendy Mocke on Stories from the Pacific, Nalisa describes herself as a late bloomer, an overthinker and a proud nerd. 

Listen on ABC Radio Australia. 

Meet a film producer, documentary director and visual storyteller based in Auckland, New Zealand, whose work is rooted in the heart of the Pacific.

Born in Vuaki village, Yasawa, from Matuku Lau and raised in Suva, Fiji, Elizabeth Koroivulaono brings powerful authenticity to the screen, capturing the lived experiences and voices of Pacific communities with deep empathy and an Indigenous lens.

Her storytelling is rich with heart, integrity and cultural insight.

One stand-out example is The Forgotten Pacific, a compelling original documentary from Coconet TV that shines a light on untold stories from communities who stand of the frontline of the climate crisis. 

But Elizabeth's journey goes beyond the camera. In this episode, she opens up about navigating identity, creativity, and the shift from growing up as part of the majority to living in a place where she became a minority. It's a conversation about belonging, resilience and the power of storytelling to bridge worlds.

This edition of Stories From The Pacific was a repeat of the program broadcast on 8 October 2025

Melanie Kawa lives and breathes rugby union. 

You may recognise her from her time playing on the field when she was captain of the Papua New Guinea Palais women's seven team or when she was representing the Melbourne Rebels.

Melanie was also the first Papuan woman to ever play professional rugby in France for the Montpellier Hérault rugby club.

Today she sits on the board of directors for Rugby Victoria in Australia.

Melanie's list of achievements and success as a result of her passion and drive for the sport continues off the field. Melanie is working with the next generation of rugby womens players,  continuing to build upon the matriarchal legacy she forged back in her club-rugby days. 

Born in Papua New Guinea and raised in Australia, award-winning writer and filmmaker Alana Hicks has built a career weaving resilience, humour, and identity into unforgettable stories. 

From her prize-winning essay Medium Beige to her acclaimed short film Chicken, Alana reflects on growing up between two cultures, surviving moments of violence and racism, and turning those experiences into art. 

In this episode of Stories from the Pacific, Alana speaks with Bobby McCumber about family, legacy, comedy as resistance, and what it means to call “home” a foreign country.

When Lesley Wengembo was just 10 years old, he picked up a pencil and drew a portrait of his grandfather.

His grandfather looked at it and made a prediction that would shape the young Lesley's life forever.

Years later, Lesley received an invitation that could have launched his career onto the world stage. He packed his bags, left Papua New Guinea and flew to Sydney.

But that's when everything changed.

Monica Paulus is a human rights activist and co-founder of both the "Highlands Women Human Rights Defenders Network" and "Stop Sorcery Violence". Monica is a protector of women accused of and affected by sorcery and witchcraft accusations. Hailing from the Highlands of Papua New Guinea from the village of Aregol, Monica takes us on a journey through her life – sharing the struggles, hopes and her fight against sorcery accusations and the extreme violence that follows such accusations.

Maohi scholar and anti-nuclear testing activist Tamatoa Tepuihiari’i grew up in French Polynesia and had a humble childhood, but something sinister had occurred on his island three decades before he was born.

Do you have a story idea for this program? You can email us on: [email protected]

Lydia's story of her marriage with her first husband details 12 years of significant abuse, but she's using it to educate others who may be experiencing something similar.

For Thomas Manglona, journalism is life. Hailing from the island of Rota, Thomas is a native Chamorro multimedia journalist, whose work in covering government, social justice and environmental issues for TV, has solidified him as a trusted and respected figure within his local community.

For Thomas, he has always loved journalism and storytelling and he has always known what the final goal would be. The founder of the Pacific Islander Journalism Taskforce, Thomas' work has extended into the advocacy space, where he champions journalists and coverage across the Oceania region.

Today Thomas shares more on the journey he has taken through his career and the next step he takes into the future.

Agapetos Aia-Fa'aleava has always been compelled to speak up against social injustice, and when she learned a law in Queensland had let pubs and clubs deny entry to Pasifika people with facial tattoos, she spoke up once again.

She did this in the form of a documentary and a PhD, Illegal Ink, which explores culture and tattoos and considers who should and shouldn't be allowed to wear the malu.

This edition of Stories From The Pacific was a repeat of the program broadcast on 28 February 2024