‘Courageous’ Pacific survivors to speak about abuse in care

Pacific Peoples Minister Aupito William Sio gets emotional while talking about his personal experiences of the 1970s dawn raids during the post-Cabinet press conference at Parliament on June 14. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The long-lasting impacts of the Dawn Raids on Pacific families will be discussed in detail at the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry across the next fortnight.

The next block of public hearings, beginning today, are focused on survivors from New Zealand’s Pacific communities.

Multiple witnesses are expected to mention the Dawn Raids, which the Government will make a formal apology for on August 1 – two days after these hearings finish.

Legal counsel Tania Sharkey, who represents 15 survivors, was not able to go into details of evidence before witnesses appear before the Commission but said one person would speak particularly about the enduring impacts “of the Dawn Raids on him, his family, and the wider community”.

It was not an isolated theme spoken about by survivors of abuse in care.

“Interestingly, in speaking to a number of survivors – not necessarily who will be speaking at the public hearing – many of them have shared their experiences about recollections of the Dawn Raids but also that period before that.”

Sharkey said the raids “didn’t just happen one day in 1974”.

“There was a lead-up period.”

She said they were hoping to hear more experiences from Pacific survivors.

In general, the next fortnight was going to be “a big occasion”, Sharkey said. “It’s huge for our community.”

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“This is the first-ever public hearing of its kind for our communities.”

Lingering in the background was what Sharkey admits to be a culture of shame in Pacific survivors speaking up. “We are mindful of how taboo the topic of abuse can be for Pacific communities”.

She recognised how “courageous” survivors speaking over the next two weeks were, not only for speaking up, but then also doing so publicly.

“Those that are sharing their experiences know that by doing so, we are trying to lift that dark cloud and start these discussions to ensure that that abuse doesn’t happen again in the future for our children, our young people, our vulnerable adults.”

Part of the hearings’ official title was “Tatala e Pulonga”, which Sharkey said meant “to lift or to peel back what’s behind the dark cloud”.

She said in that sense, it was right the hearings were being held at Fale o Samoa in Māngere, Auckland, instead of the Commission’s hearing room in Newmarket.

Sharkey said it would simultaneously be a culturally appropriate location but also a safe and familiar space.

“A lot of survivors are connected with their culture as a result of their time in care so part of it is about bringing them home.”

“The fale, it does represent home.”

Sharkey hopes more Pacific survivors will be inspired to speak up about abuse they suffered, because it was known Pacific, as well as Māori, voices were underrepresented in data.

The Commission has previously spoken about wanting to fill these gaps and was “undertaking detailed research and investigations to inform our recommendations”.