WOMEN OF THE ISLANDS: LEILANI MOMOISEĀ DALLAS

LEILANI MOMOISEĀ DALLAS

RADIO NEW ZEALAND SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER & SPARK SPORTS PRESENTER

SAMOAN

I've heard you say one of the first things you ask people in your 'Snacks n Chats' interviews is 'Where are you from'? What would YOUR reply be?

It depends who is asking. But I usually say I'm Afakasi Samoan/Palagi. Or, my Dad is Samoan and my Mum is white. I pretty much never say I'm from New Zealand, unless I'm overseas, because generally when people ask you where you're from - the implication is, "Hey - you're not white - where did you come from?" But I think I should just start saying I'm from New Zealand, because I am. On the other hand, it's hard to do that as a Samoan, because you don't want to act like you're not acknowledging your Samoan culture, or come across as fia palagi either.

Also if someone from Samoa asks where I'm from, I know I have to include that my village is Vaito'omuli, Palauli in Savaii. Or if it's someone from Auckland, I'll say I'm from South Auckland.

You grew up in the islands until you were nearly 10 - was it a big culture shock for you moving to NZ at that age & how has growing up in 2 countries shaped you?

Yeah, it was a huge culture shock especially going from the islands to a super white town like Napier. Kids were pretty mean to me so I guess I learnt to stop caring if people liked me or not - cos in Napier not many people liked me and I just had to get on with it (laughs). Island life as a kid was great, and I only really started enjoying living in NZ when we moved to South Auckland when I was a teenager. I'm not sure how it shaped me, but hopefully it's made me a more understanding and compassionate person, and a more well-rounded person, maybe.

Lani (centre front) with her siblings at the airport in Rarotonga, Cook Islands

You've been with Radio New Zealand your whole career and are now the Social Media manager - what were the pathways that led you to what you're doing now?

I began as a trainee for a year in Wellington where I learned on the job how to be a reporter. I moved to the Auckland newsroom as a general news reporter and reporter for RNZ Pacific. I quit to go to New York for a year with my partner, during which time I began my own blog/site and became proficient with social media as a natural by-product of this. I came back to RNZ as a casual reporter and after a couple of years working as a casual, I applied for the social media position. From there, and with heaps of support from my boss Megan, I've worked my way up into the role I am now in.

Lani with her RNZ social team from L-R Jogai Bhatt, Mabel Muller, Eden Fusitua, RNZ staff member Shan with Leilani

What has been some of your most challenging and some of your most rewarding moments in your field?

The most challenging thing at the moment is social media being used to spread misinformation and hatred, and trying to ensure that you're not contributing to that.

One of the most rewarding moments was getting sent to Samoa to cover the tsunami – I was sent there the day that it hit and I covered it for 2 weeks. Then a colleague and myself put together a documentary about the tsunami and we won a radio award for it.

Directing the Seven Weeks - Journey to Polyfest doco is also up there with one of the most rewarding things I've done on the job.

It's also really rewarding working with my lil team of three awesome young journos Eden Fusitu'a, Mabel Muller and Jogai Bhatt who have all had a big hand in telling really important, heart-warming and fun stories for RNZ.

You have a podcast called 'Snacks & Chats' and this season you also put them on Youtube and did a Fighters series - how did the podcast come about and what made you want to do the fighters series?

Dan Hooker is one of my favourite fighters and I've been wanting to interview him for ages. The Hooker/Felder UFC Fight Night was coming up in Auckland, which also featured Kai Kara France and Brad Riddell and I thought it would be choice to try get as many people from CKB as I could and just make that season of Snacks and Chats a fighters only season. I got Eugene, Kai and Genah before the fight but it took me awhile to get Dan. It worked out for the best though, cos when I finally got to talk to Dan his fight with Poirier had just been announced.

I had interviewed Israel Adesanya on an earlier season of Snacks and Chats before he'd even entered the UFC. It was great to be able to take stock of just how much he had accomplished in those three years since I last interviewed him. It blows my mind a little every time I think about what he's achieved.

All of them were and are so generous with their time, I'm super grateful they sat down with me and Ben. I think whether you're into combat sports or not, fighters often speak to those universal themes of determination, perseverance and grit and I hope people took some inspiration from those interviews.

There are a whole bunch more fighters on my wish-list that I'd love to interview.

You were recently shoulder tapped to be the Spark Sport In-Ring interviewer for the Joseph Parker vs Junior Fa fight night - how did that all come about?

I'm not entirely sure, but I think they found me through my Snacks and Chats fighter series. Which is pretty cool to me because the podcast is something my mates and I make in our spare time, and I just do it because I enjoy doing it. So it feels good to get opportunities off the back of doing something you've created yourself, and kind of do just for the love of it.

I was really excited to get the opportunity because it was a showcase not just for Pacific talent but also South Auckland talent. We shouldn't take for granted that we have some of the best boxers in the world, in our own backyard.

Leilani behind the scenes interviewing Israel Adesanya at the Parker vs Fa showdown at Spark Arena

We believe you may be the first female presenter to do the in-ring interviews of Pasifika heritage? How important do you think it is to bring a Pasifika perspective to what you do?

It's hugely important, especially on a night which showcases so much Pacific talent. There needs to be more of us, in everything we do.

The best thing is seeing the support from your own community, and people being stoked just to see more brown women on screen. I'm a bit shy about telling people that I'm doing these types of things until after they're done - but seeing people be so supportive really helped.

Leilani interviewing boxer David Nyika in-ring on the undercard of the Parker vs Fa night

Leilani interviewing Duco Events boss David Higgins behind the scenes of the Parker vs Fa fight night

It was your first time presenting live sports for TV - how did you find it and what was the best piece of advice you were given?

I was nervous the entire day, couldn't eat, and then I was too busy to think about it lol. I was told if I was going to ask 3 questions, then prepare at least five, but there were some strange results and decisions on the night that threw a lot of those prepared questions out the window, but I think I did OK in the end. I have so much more respect for TV presenters and commentators after doing this, because it ain't easy.

Joseph Parker is looking relaxed ahead of his heavyweight bout and is confident in his ability to knock Junior Fa to the canvas!

It's almost time! Catch it LIVE on Spark Sport now! pic.twitter.com/CgzA2TcFy0
— Spark Sport (@sparknzsport) February 27, 2021

You and your friend Kathryn Lowe run a blog called GoodRally.com For a while you had a lot of focus on fashion in your blog and you also made NZ Herald Viva's 'Fashion's New Power List' but I see you've stepped away from the fashion side of things and your blog has taken on a new focus. Can you tell us about that?

It was actually the Viva Power List that got me thinking about what I was doing on the site. Because the article basically said we influence people to buy stuff. At first I thought, well, hang on, these brands I'm influencing people to buy from better start paying me! And then I thought, actually, I don't want to just be influencing people to buy shit they don't need. If I do in fact have influence, I want that influence to be for something more empowering.

Viva Power List shoot with fellow bloggers Katherine Lowe & Maddy Budd.

I also had a rant to Viva about how fashion wasn't diverse enough, and talked about the need to be more representative of what Aucklanders/NZ actually looks like. I thought, instead of just ranting, I should do something about it - which is where my idea for my 'I Thought I Recognised Her' series came from.

I interview choice Auckland women doing choice things from all different backgrounds. The interviews are based around two main questions - When people ask you where you're from, what do you tell them? And When people ask you what do you do - what do you tell them? I find you can learn a lot about people from those two questions. I'm really happy with the interviews I've done so far, all the women have been great, and the response has been really positive. I haven't done any in awhile, but there are definitely more coming.

Click here to read Lani's 'I thought I recognised her series'

Apart from learning to Siva Samoa properly for your wedding for the first time, are there any other firsts from your Samoan side you're still learning?

I'm always complaining about how I don't know how to speak Samoan but never doing anything about it - so David and I finally took some action and signed up for free Samoan lessons. He actually already understands Samoan quite well and knows how to speak a bit, but is too shy to do so. I know basically nothing, so I definitely feel like the dumbest person in the class, but it's lots of fun and I'm glad I'm finally doing something about it!

Leilani on FreshTV's 'Threads' segment

Leilani talks a bit about her personal style & her beautiful Juliette Hogan wedding dress she wore on her special day.