Healing Lessons from the Pacific Islander Community

Explicit content warning

06/04/21 • 41 min

“Every month is PI Heritage Month for me. Colonization meant the banning and suppression of our cultures, so to claim and study it now feels revolutionary.” – Tavae Samuelu
In this episode with Tavae Samuelu, she shares healing lessons from the Pacific Islander community from historical trauma and toxic stress rooted in the dehumanization of people of color. Although AAPI Heritage Month is celebrated nationally in May, we should uplift Asian and Pacific Islander peoples, cultures, and heritages all year round.

Tavae Samuelu (she/her) is the daughter of a pastor from Leulumoega and a nurse from Saleimoa. As the Executive Director of Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC), she's a passionate advocate for Native Hawaiians & Pacific Islanders and is committed to liberation for all. Tavae was born and raised on Tongva land and credits her time on unceded Ohlone territory for her political identity and consciousness. Before joining EPIC, she served as the Development Director for the RYSE Center in Richmond and has since become a member of RYSE's Board of Directors. Tavae is also the Vice President of the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON) and an alumna of the Forward Promise Fellowship for Leaders. The pandemic has taught her that her most important title is Aunty Vae.
Episode Mentions & Resources:

Dr. Maile Arvin's Possessing Polynesians
Dr. Jamaica Osorio
Dr. Joyce Pualani Warren
Zora's Daughters Podcast

Books
lep Jaltok: Poems From A Marshallese Daughter
Remember We Have Choir Practice
Polynesian Panthers
Samoan Queer Lives
Tales of the Tikongs
Night Is A Sharkskin Drum
From A Native Daughter
Decolonizing Methodologies
Pouliuli
Check out this IG account for more recommendations.
Films
For My Father's Kingdom
A Place in the Middle
Leitis in Waiting
Kapaemahu
The Rogers
Power Meri
Island Soldier
Vai
Check out more at PIC's website.

Dr. Maile Arvin's Possessing Polynesians
Dr. Jamaica Osorio
Dr. Joyce Pualani Warren
Zora's Daughters Podcast

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Bringing Humanity Back to Schools: A Conversation with Dr. Taquan Stewart

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Biography:
Dr. Taquan Stewart serves as Faculty Advisor for the CalStateTEACH and Los Angeles Urban Teacher Residency (LAUTR) programs at California State University, Los Angeles. In addition, he is Program Director for Project Youth California– a non-profit organization designed to provide additional educational services to underserved youth of the Los Angeles Metropolitan area. From 2007 through 2012, Dr. Stewart served as a secondary principal in South Los Angeles. As a teacher educator, Dr. Stewart stresses a humanizing pedagogy.
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