Oceania Currents

The concept of the Blue Pacific is central to Pacific regionalism. It serves as a narrative for rallying Pacific Islands countries to commitment to regionalism and collective diplomacy as well as a counter narrative to global geopolitical mappings. The Blue Pacific empowers Pacific Island countries by giving them agency to frame and tell their own narratives and map their region in context of increasing geopolitical competition.

In ...

In this two-part story, Oceania Currents dives into Guåhan’s rich and complex relationship with the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC), produced with guest host Eva Aguon Cruz.

In episode one, we hear from three leading CHamoru cultural practitioners as they reflect on their journeys through FestPAC, from Guåhan’s first participation in 1976 to today: Leonard Iriarte, master chanter and founder of I Fanalai’an Oral Histo...

After the Cold War, US interest in the Pacific Islands waned. Assistance to Pacific Islands declined, and the US closed its embassies and consular offices in several Pacific Islands. However, China’s presence and influence in the Pacific Islands has triggered renewed interest from Western powers and a new geopolitical competition.

In this episode, we speak with Prof. Kenneth Gofigan Kuper (University of Guam) about militarization an...

Between 1946 and 1996, the US, Great Britain and France tested over 300 nuclear weapons in the Pacific. The legacies of those nuclear weapons tests continue to affect Pacific Islanders and Islands today.

In this episode, we speak with Nic Maclellan, an Australian journalist who has worked on nuclear issues in the Pacific for decades. After that, we talk story with Mililani Ganivet and Marie-Helene Villierme from Tahiti about their ...

Climate change is the most important existential threat to the Pacific Islands, and Pacific Islanders have actively campaigned to address climate change issues, taking leadership at international forums such as the United Nations Conference of the Parties.

In this episode, we talk with Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner, one of the most well-known Pacific Islander climate activists. She uses poetry, film, and other media to create awareness abou...

Part 2 of a talk story about oral history with three leading scholars: Nepia Mahuika (Massey University), Davianna Pōmaikaʻi McGregor (UH Mānoa), and Ty Kāwika Tengan (UH Mānoa).

"Oral History in the Pacific" features our three guests in conversation about storytelling practices in their home communities in Aotearoa New Zealand and Hawaiʻi. In Part 2, they share about how they came to oral history and reflect on building relationshi...

Part 1 of a talk story about oral history with three leading scholars: Nepia Mahuika (Massey University), Davianna Pōmaikaʻi McGregor (UH Mānoa), and Ty Kāwika Tengan (UH Mānoa).

"Oral History in the Pacific" features our three guests in conversation about storytelling practices in their home communities in Aotearoa New Zealand and Hawaiʻi. In Part 1, they talk about kōrero tuku iho and moʻo ʻōlelo; share different stories about Māu...

Nothing Micro About Micronesia is a new play created by TeAda Productions and members of the Micronesian community in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, through a series of community workshops. It is a coming-of-age story about two Micronesian boys who encounter an unlikely place after a series of conflicts between them.

In this episode, we speak with three cast members: Ova Saopeng (co-writer, co-director, cast), Kathy Martin, and Kealaula Faifil...

Since 2004, the International Oceanian Documentary Film Festival (FIFO) in Tahiti has showcased stories of the Pacific and promoted Pacific filmmakers. In 2023, a selection of past FIFO films were brought to Hawaiʻi for the first time, including Heretu Tetahiotupa's film "Patutiki: The Guardians of Marquesan Tattoo" (2019 Audience Prize Winner).

In this episode, we are joined by filmmaker Heretu Tetahiotupa, FIFO President Miriama ...