Pasifik Currents – Executive Message
September 2020 Edition
Members of the 2020 One Wave Gathering team explore collaborations with the Legacy Gallery’s Reef Net Exhibition. L to R: Tana Thomas, April Ingham, Lisa Kenoras, Jeff Corntassel and Zachary Fenn.
Talofa Lava,
Pacific Peoples’ Partnership’s (PPP) annual One Wave Gathering was designed to engage and build community and inspire stewardship of our shared lands and waters, while upholding and celebrating Pacific and Indigenous elders, artists, cultural leaders and knowledge keepers. As detailed in this edition of Pasifik Currents, the theme of this year’s program is resilience and allyship, both essential building blocks for solidarity as we address COVID-19 here at home and across our shared Pacific Ocean. Throughout September, One Wave Gathering will offer attendees safe spaces to reflect on these themes through a diverse program of online and in-person Indigenous and Pacific film, music, dialogue, and workshops. We hope to see you there!
This is a moment where our collective innovation is required as we navigate these rough waters together and envision our route forward. Our goal is to ensure a future that is more just, sustainable, and equitable for all. One that does not endorse false or dangerous economies that pit people’s health, lands, and waters against dangerous extractive practices, such as land-based or deep-sea mining, or in hosting tourists amidst a pandemic.
This is a time where we must embrace our youth as agents of change and support grassroots community programs. In service to these goals, PPP is so excited to share that we are hosting a new Pacific Islander and Indigenous youth committee that is exploring Stories of Resilience with their communities. This project will serve as a pathway for personal learning and a means to share cultural teachings and inspirations. Watch for this developing program in the months to come. PPP is also thrilled to announce our new partnership with the Women and Children Crisis Centre (WCCC) of Tonga, funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives. WCCC will provide essential remote island COVID-19 mobile counselling support and services to help eliminate violence against women and children.
Given these challenging times, PPP is proud to officially mark our 45th Anniversary with the installation and dedication of the Pacific Peace House Post. Two years in the making, this 10-foot yellow cedar post was carved by local Lekwungen carver Bradley Dick and Ake Lianga, a Solomon Island artist living in Victoria, Canada. This Post honours Hereditary and Elected Lekwungen Indigenous leaders and will be permanently perched above the Pacific Ocean near the entrance to Victoria’s inner harbour at Macaulay Point. This stunning carving also commemorates our historic relationships across the Pacific, and we look forward to sharing this with you once it is officially dedicated.
In the meantime, we invite you to join us at all our upcoming events and to help celebrate our 45th anniversary by donating or volunteering towards our partnered work and future sustainability. We are deeply grateful to all friends of PPP who have stood with us along the way.
Yours in peace and solidarity,
April Ingham
