Coco Talanoa — Coco News / Page 1

“This consent recognises Aotearoa’s Pacific identity and moves us closer to realising a long-held vision... The Fale Malae will be a place where our connection to Te Moana Nui-a-Kiwa is honoured and made visible” - Adrian Orr, Chairperson Fale Malae Trust

Wellington’s long-anticipated Fale Malae — an iconic cultural centre honouring Aotearoa New Zealand’s deep Pacific identity — is one step closer to reality, with resource consent for the project now formally approved.

Planned as a central feature of the redevelopment of Frank Kitts Park on the Wellington waterfront. This has been championed for years by the Fale Malae Trust, mana whenua, Pasifika leaders, Wellington City Council, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, and the New Zealand Government.

The proposal aims to establish a national cultural institution that celebrates the many nations of Moana Nui-a-Kiwa (the Pacific Ocean). While also providing a dedicated space where Aotearoa’s Pacific communities. And the wider public — can gather, learn, and celebrate their shared heritage.…more

“Children thrive when they feel seen, supported, and valued. Back home in the islands, resources are often limited, investing in our young people becomes even more essential.”

That belief sits at the heart of a generous act of alofa from Mr and Mrs Tofilau, who teamed up with Finlayson Park School and Leabank Primary School to gift laptops and books to Alo Paopao Academy in Maninoa, Samoa. What began as a simple intention to support the village has grown into something much bigger: a community-led effort to open new learning pathways for Samoan children.

For years, the Tofilau family have spent time in Miti Maninoa, watching the Alopaopao programme in action. They saw the way Su’a Jay and Tasi Schuster worked with local kids, teaching Siva Afi, Samoan Siva, paddling, crafting, and water safety. They saw children showing up day after day, committed to their culture and to each other. And felt compelled to help strengthen that journey.…more

“Use your voice. Anyone can learn the technical skills of presenting on camera, but what sets you apart is your lived experience, your culture, your perspective, your upbringing, your truth. Those are your strengths.”

“The world is hungry for Pacific stories, and we have a responsibility to tell them. Do not shrink yourself. Stand tall in who you are.”

Those words sit at the heart of Tamara Vaifanua’s work, and they land differently now as she marks a significant milestone in her career. The Samoan reporter has earned an Emmy Award for her coverage of the Maui wildfires — an honour she immediately redirects back to the people of Maui.

“I am humbled by this honor,” she told The New Atoll. “Being recognized for a piece about the people of Maui is bittersweet. Their loss was heartbreaking. Being invited into their lives during such a painful time is something I will always carry with me. This recognition feels like an extension of their voices, not mine.”

Her assignment in Maui reshaped her understanding of community strength.…more

A group of photographers are working to immortalise our hometowns - the places we all know and love. With gentrification on the rise and the landscape shifting faster than many realise, they’re determined to keep these places alive, if not in reality, then in memory, through their work.

“Together, those images form a growing collective archive of South Auckland, shaped not by one viewpoint but by many.”

That’s how South Auckland Photo Club founder, Geoff Matautia, describes the heart of the project. What began as a simple invitation for locals to take photos has grown into a community-led movement determined to preserve the everyday: the shops we grew up visiting, the parks we learned to ride bikes in, the streets that shaped our childhoods.

Geoff says the club is “grounded in participation,” created for anyone - complete beginners with phones, seasoned hobbyists, and everyone in between. The goal was always bigger than photography.…more

“For Pacific Islanders raised outside our homelands, culture is not just heritage — it's navigation.”

The aganu’u based education programme helping US islanders connect with their culture. 

In Oakland, IKUNA is helping Pacific Islander youth reconnect to their identity through culture, education, and wellbeing.

Founded by brothers Taimani and Sione Lauti, both raised in Oakland, the programme runs year-round for students from elementary to high school. During the school year, sessions run for up to 30 weeks, with students meeting once or twice a week for literacy, cultural learning, mentorship, and leadership workshops.

Each June, IKUNA hosts a full-day summer programme with classes, sports, storytelling, and college preparation. The high school group ends the summer with a cultural and college-access trip most recently to Hawai‘i - where they lived on a university campus, met community elders, and explored ancestral knowledge and connection to land and water.

The Lauti brothers describe IKUNA as a community effort built on culture, education, and lived experience.…more

“I worked through the book with a lot of passion knowing that a young Niue anywhere in the world will benefit from it in the future.” — Mele Fakatali Nemaia MNZM

This Niuean Language Week 19–25 October, a new bilingual book is helping keep Vagahau Niue alive for future generations — Moana Oceania: Niue by Mele Fakatali Nemaia MNZM.

The latest release in the Moana Oceania series introduces readers to one of the world’s smallest: The rock of the Pacific - Niue

Written in both English and Vagahau Niue, the book offers insights into Niue’s society, geography, arts, sports, and history, alongside colourful photos, illustrations, and maps.

For Mele, an esteemed educator and long-time advocate for the Niuean language, this project is the culmination of decades of work. After almost 40 years teaching in Auckland, she spent much of her career encouraging Pasifika students, especially Niuean children to take pride in who they are.

“It was a long journey, many hurdles and challenges to overcome, but my passion to support anything Niue was my driving element,” she says.…more

From the Islands to the World: Fiji Airways Named One of the Top 10 Airlines Globally

As Fijians across the world celebrate Fijian Language Week, there’s another reason to say Vinaka vakalevu with pride. Fiji Airways has made history.

The national airline has been named an APEX World Class Airline for 2026, placing it among the Top 10 Airlines in the World. It is the first in Oceania to receive the honour and the smallest airline ever to earn the prestigious title.

It’s hardly a surprise Fiji Airways has earned top honours. Fijians are known across the moana for their hospitality. They’ll hand you a bula smile, a cold drink, and if things really get out of hand, maybe even a gentle reminder to stay seated (just ask the passenger who had to be taped down mid-flight).

The recognition comes after years of transformation across every part of the airline. From sourcing local produce and redesigning onboard service to retraining hundreds of cabin crew, Fiji Airways has worked tirelessly to match the world’s best.…more

"We don’t lack for great stories… but I hope to help strengthen our capacity to get those films properly resourced, into production, and shown worldwide.” says award-winning filmmaker Litia Tuiburelevu.

"Radical possibilities emerge from disruption, and I think as Pacific filmmakers we’re living through an exciting moment where we can collectively usher in new ways of bringing our screen stories to life."

It’s that bold approach to storytelling that has seen her selected for the New Zealand Film Commission’s International Placement Initiative. Litia will be joining the acquisitions and development team at Protagonist Pictures in London, a company celebrated for its daring and genre-defining cinema.

For Litia, the placement is a chance to step into a new arena while continuing the work she has always been drawn to -  telling stories that sit outside the mainstream but speak deeply to Pacific identity and experience.

Her career already reflects this commitment.…more

“For our families who migrated from Te Moana nui a Kiwa, the dream was simple but profound — to create a better future. To see Pacific people in these positions affirms our place in Aotearoa and sends a clear message to our children: that leadership at the highest levels is not out of reach,” Dr Emma Dunlop-Bennett told The Coconet.

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington has announced Dr Emma Dunlop-Bennett as its new Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Pasifika), a role she steps into with a wealth of experience and strong connections to Pacific communities.

A proud daughter of Samoa (Sā Petāia, Sā Te’o, Sā Atoā) Emma follows in her legendary mother Tagaloatele Peggy Fairburn-Dunlop’s footsteps at Victoria, who is now semi retired.

Tagaloatele Professor Peggy Fairbairn-Dunlop is a trailblazing Pasifika academic and an expert in a range of Pacific development issues who was the inaugural director of the Pacific Studies department Va‘aomanu Pasifika at Victoria University, where Emma will now take up residency.…more