Le'o O E PasifikiLe'o O E Pasifiki

"Story is vital. It carries the collective experience of humanity and expresses and shapes who we are. When our own four children were pre-schoolers, nearly all children's books were Pālangi-centric. I couldn't find any that included Tongan characters, Tongan ideas, Tongan situations, or even Tongan legends. As far as books were concerned, kids like ours didn't exist. I feel strongly that all readers should be able to see themselves represented in print; to access stories about people and situations that make sense to them; to understand that their stories matter. This zine, produced as part of my time as 2022 Massey University Writer in Residence, in conjunction with the Palmerston North City Council and Square Edge Community Arts, seeks in some small way to redress the balance. It confirms, to a group of Palmerston North Pasifika intermediate students, that their stories do indeed matter and that we want to read them. My hope is that it may also encourage some to become our writers of the future. Not all of these stories discuss Pasifika experiences directly, but all are told with a Pasifika world view. Enjoy!"--Foreword by Feana Tu'akoi Massey University Writer in Residence 2022.