Untold Pacific History

This episode examines the fatal consequences of New Zealand's rule in Samoa, and the key events that led to the rise of Samoa's 'Mau' resistance movement.

Watch the video version of the episode here.

The Mau became a revolutionary movement for Samoa's independence against New Zealand's brutal period of colonial administration. In what is possibly one of the most significant stories of New Zealand's little-known history in the region, this episode looks at the events that led to the rise of the 'Mau' resistance movement and the fatal consequences of New Zealand's rule in Samoa.

New Zealand's period of rule in Samoa was marred by bungled administration and fatal decision-making. The death of one-fifth of the population via Spanish influenza, and the fatal shooting of unarmed Samoans by NZ police during a peaceful public march are two key events.

This piece sheds light on this period of New Zealand and Samoan history that remains little examined in Aotearoa. Former Head of State Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese, the nephew of the slain Mau leader, tells of his tumultuous family history under the NZ reign and how it led to Helen Clark's famous 2002 apology on behalf of the New Zealand Government.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

What led Commissioner Larsen, the New Zealand administrator of Niue in the 1950s, to be murdered in his bed by three locals hell-bent on justice and revenge?

25/05/2021: We have updated this file with an acknowledgement of the death of Alapasa Nemaia who sadly passed away after the filming of this video and the important contribution she made to this story.

Watch the video version of the episode here.

In an extraordinary story of the trauma suffered by indigenous people at the hands of an alleged tyrant, a dramatic chapter in NZ and Niuean history is unravelled.

Niuean family members, politicians and historians give their perspectives on the little-known New Zealand colonial history of the 'realm nation' of Niue.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Of the many events affecting Pasifika people in Aotearoa, the Dawn Raids story is overdue to be told.

Watch the video version of the episode here.

Long whispered about in secret family conversations, people have heard the words 'Dawn Raids' but not what really happened.

In this critical examination of a time little-known in New Zealand's social history, this piece features key talent involved in the infamous New Zealand government 'Dawn Raids' regime; from a Samoan policeman who was at the forefront of the raids; to the personal stories of families impacted in this time.

This episode explores the landscape of Aotearoa in the 1970s and the global political factors that led to the economic decline that turned the tide of public sentiment against 'illegal immigrants'.

This important mini-doco looks at the relationship of Aotearoa and its Pacific population, and how this has evolved over the decades.

In this short-form encapsulated history of the Dawn Raids era, historians, Pacific families, teachers and a policeman help to paint a picture of a time that redefined the lives of Pacific people in Aotearoa.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A dynamic & often provocative account of New Zealand's relationship with the Pacific & the broad impact it's had on New Zealand's own history & relationship with Pacific peoples in Aotearoa today.

Untold Pacific History is a dynamic and often provocative account of New Zealand's relationship with the Pacific and the broad impact it's had on New Zealand's own history and relationship with Pacific peoples in Aotearoa today.

The series shines a light on five key stories in the Pacific that have been little-told in Aotearoa. From the epic drama of NZ's colonisation of Samoa, schoolboys that were hidden under floorboards as part of the NZ Dawn Raids, to the extraordinary story of an allegedly 'cursed' hotel in the Cook Islands.

Untold Pacific History explores little-known snippets of the history of the Pacific and the part New Zealand has played in it.

This first-time series aims to be an accessible introduction to the history of a region which continues to emerge as pivotal to Aotearoa's future.

Untold Pacific History aims to present a refreshed view of New Zealand's relationship with the Pacific, which will help to contextualise today's Pacific experience in Aotearoa and how it came to be.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details