Homage to Hau'ofa

Epeli Hau’ofa is an influential Tongan* Pacific Studies academic. He pioneered a conception of the region that radically countered the prevailing view amongst government officials, international agencies, aid donors and academics that due to our isolation from the rest of the world and small size, Pacific nations are will always be disadvantaged and of no importance in the international sphere. I regularly encounter this in Australia; some of my friends have coined my Pacific Studies courses ‘coconut class.’ While tongue-in-cheek, this reflects the genuine derogatory attitude of some students towards the region.

As the pilot announced we were descending into Fiji, I looked out of the window and looked out at the Pacific Ocean. I couldn’t help but think of Hau’ofa, who I have studied before, and his views. He emphasized the important distinction between seeing the Pacific as a ‘sea of islands’ rather than the aforementioned isolated ‘islands in the far sea.’

(The Pacific Ocean - part of not separating Oceania)

He argues that the description of a ‘sea of islands’ more accurately describes the region. It acknowledges the traditional relationship that Pacific States have had with each other and the sea. In a previous post, I mentioned Lapita pottery – remnants from some of the first people ever in the Pacific. They travelled on canoes across huge distances and gradually settled the islands. Historians view their settlement of the islands as one of the greatest feats of humankind.

The Pacific Ocean didn’t separate tiny islands, instead, it acted as a highway, connecting communities that intermarried, battled and communicated with each other. The water was not only a mode of transportation, but also where people played, and got their sustenance (through fishing) and their livelihoods. Hau’ofa argued that this holistic view of the region is relevant today as arbitrary national boundaries have little influence in the movement of ordinary Pacific Islanders.

I definitely saw evidence of this on the plane flying from Hong Kong to Nadi. The man sitting next to me was returning to his village for his brother’s wedding from his current posting with the army in the UK. He and other Fijians in his division had served all over the world, in destinations like Afghanistan, Norway and Northern Ireland.

Throughout this blog, I will view our experiences through the prism of Hau’ofa’s perspective. ‘Fiji’ is not limited to its geographical area, rather it expands to include Fijians throughout the Pacific and the world, such as my new friend on the plane, that have interdependent relationships with their family back in Fiji.

Personally, Hau’ofa’s perspective gave me as both a Pacific Studies student and a Pacific Islander (I am half-Samoan) a lot of hope! Official documentation of a failing, small and insignificant region doesn’t accurately reflect the position of Oceania in the world and I don’t want to contribute to that here.


*This was changed from Samoan to Tongan on the 8th of January. Thank you for the correction.