Reflection 2: WHAT DOES it mean to be a
Pacific Islander today and in the future to me?
STUDENT ID: S11172518
NAME: Trishika Namrata Singh
VAKA LEADER: Kolaia Raisele
NUMBER OF WORDS: 546
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A PACIFIC ISLANDER TODAY AND IN THE
FUTURE TO ME?
Growing up in this beautiful land surrounded by the ocean and filled with mesmeric flora and
fauna has been a beautiful privilege. Not many wake up only minutes away from the ocean.
Living in Oceania makes you a child of the ocean; you grow up adoring the corals that protect
our coasts and being fascinated by the rich history that our grandmother’s tell us about this land.
Being a pacific islander meant a lot to me several weeks ago, as I wrote my first reflection, but
since then I have understood in greater depth the significance of the title.
In my first reflection I highlighted how I felt growing up, surrounded by peers belonging to
different ethnicities and culture, I also wrote about how privileged I was to understand their
unique and rich customs. Language was the key to communication for me growing up and in
many ways it still is. The ability to speak and understand a language used by my fellow course
mates has allowed me to take part in various discussions in this unit, for instance the Talanoa
discussion forum. The unit has in great detail explained to me my origins, creating in me a
profounder understanding of the history of my land. The depth has made me more appreciative
of my homeland and the title “Fijian”. As per my first reflection, I still believe that my people
worked hard to earn the right to call this land home, just like the Lapita people. The Lapita
people fought rough seas to get to this paradise and then worked tirelessly to cultivate the land.
As per our reading had indicated this whole unit was supposed to be a learning journey, “this
'voyage' is more about exploration than discovery”[CITATION Tea05 \l 1033 ] I truly did discover
my identity as a Pacific Islander.
Being a Pacific Islander means being representative of one of the many islands that are shoved
off into the corner with the label “third world nation”. In this unit I have learnt how the world
sees the Pacific nations. As Hau'ofa wrote, the Pacific nations have always been looked at with
prejudice and deemed too dependent on larger, wealthier nations to function on their own.
“..Polynesia and Micronesia are much too small, too poorly endowed with resources, and too
isolated from the centers of economic growth for their inhabitants ever to be able to rise above
their present condition…” [ CITATION Hau93 \l 1033 ]. Learning that my struggles do not end with
my ability to speak the common tongue has been an eye opener. However, I also believe like the
Lapita people fought all odds to find land to make habitable and into a home, my fellow sisters
and brothers will fight the prejudice that undermines us. The unit has further broadened my
understanding of issues surrounding the environment of the pacific. The rising sea level, the
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exploitation of eco-systems and resource depletion are some of the topics which this unit taught
me in depth about.
Being a pacific islander today for me means being proud of whom I am and embracing where I
have come from. In the future it will mean being someone who rises above the prejudice that
shackles Oceanians, someone who takes a positive stance and tries to combat the issues
surrounding Pacific.
pg. 3
Reference
Hau'ofa, E. (1993). Our Sea of Islands. The Contemporary Pacific, 6(1) 148-161. Retrieved on 4th June,
2020 from
https://elearn.usp.ac.fj/pluginfile.php/554871/mod_page/content/31/Teresia%20Teaiwa
%20The%20Classroom%20as%20Metaphorical%20Canoe.pdf
Teaiwa , T. K. (2005). The Classroom as a Metaphorical Canoe. Wellington: Victoria University of
Wellington. Retrieved on 4th June, 2020 from
https://elearn.usp.ac.fj/pluginfile.php/554951/mod_folder/content/0/Hauofa%2C%20E.
%20%281993%29.%20G%C3%87%C2%A3Our%20Sea%20of%20IslandsG
%C3%87%C2%A5%20The%20Contemporary%20Pacific%206%281%29%20148-
161%20%20%281%29.pdf?forcedownload=1
pg. 4
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