Wan Tok|Wan Solwora Stories: May Edition

Kira Hundleby: A Beacon of Melanesian Heritage and Creative Excellence

Kira Hundleby, a talented Singer/Songwriter and Creative Producer, calls Pōneke, Aotearoa, home. With a rich cross-cultural heritage, Kira's roots stretch from Lau Lagoon, a remote tribal village in Malaita Province of the Solomon Islands through her mother, to Seddon, Blenheim in the South Island of New Zealand through her father, who is of British ancestry.

Kira actively engages with arts, community, and social justice spaces within Pacific and international communities. Her recent appointment as the Public Programme Specialist Pasifika at Te Papa Tongarewa, New Zealand’s national museum, highlights her dedication to cultural engagement and her passion for celebrating Pacific arts.

In addition to her role at Te Papa, Kira represents Melanesia for the Wellington City Pacific Advisory Group. She is also Co-Chair of the Melanesian Steering Group to the Ministry for Pacific Peoples and has co-founded Melanesian Women and Friends. Her work in creative production and stage management with the Wellington City Council events team for the annual Pasifika and Waitangi Day Festivals, WOMAD, and CubaDupa festivals showcases her commitment to promoting and preserving cultural heritage through the arts. Kira has also co-founded Hundleby and Chalmers Productions and played a key role in the World Peace Day Festival 2015.

Kira's artistic journey has been marked by significant achievements, including receiving the Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM). This prestigious honor was bestowed upon her by the Governor-General of New Zealand, Her Excellency Cindy Kiro, at Government House. The ceremony, accompanied by a delightful High Tea, was a moment of profound joy and recognition, personally signed by King Charles III of the House of Windsor.

Reflecting on this achievement, Kira shared her heartfelt emotions:

"A beautiful weekend with whānau, loved ones, and friends for a memorable lifetime achievement. Wish my Mama and Papa were here with me to see it. Hand delivered MNZM by the Governor-General of New Zealand, Her Excellency Cindy Kiro at Government House with a delicious High Tea with bubbles - personally signed by King Charles III of the House of Windsor. Creating memories, sharing love and company of some truly great people, especially with my treasured ones, and being overwhelmed by the joyous celebrations of community and the ongoing scent of gorgeous flowers. Forever grateful and humbled by this journey of my life and dreaming of where perhaps it might take me next."

Kira’s story is a celebration of the arts and culture, highlighting the power of creative expression in fostering community and preserving heritage. Her journey inspires us all to embrace our cultural roots, pursue our artistic passions, and celebrate the vibrant spirit of Pacific arts.

Stay tuned for more Wan Tok| Solwora Stories, where we continue to celebrate the incredible achievements of Pacific Islanders in arts and culture within their communities around the world and in the subregion of Melanesia. We congratulate Mrs. Hundleby on her achievement and wish her continued success in her artistic endeavors and as an agent of change in social justice spaces! Tangio tumas and nga mihi nui, Kira, for your many contributions to our Melanesian spaces in Aotearoa!
Pictures Credit - Kira Hundleby



Méré SovickComment
Melanesian Sisterhood Creed

Notre directeur, le Dr. Mère Sovick, et la merveilleuse Anna Naupa, ont animé l’atelier sur le credo des sœurs mélanésiennes en utilisant des techniques de partage, de création et de tissage pour élaborer en collaboration un credo des sœurs mélanésiennes.Nous espérons que ce credo sera une source de force et d'inspiration pour toutes nos sœurs mélanésiennes, qu'elles soient proches ou eloignées  Visitez notre site web pour en savoir plus sur le credo et l'atelier qui s'est tenu en Juillet 2023: Credo de la Sororité Mélanésienne

Méré SovickComment
The Valley of Deaths

Felt scared to check my social media

My homeland, the place I call home, is not a safe and peaceful place to live anymore...

Pagan and backward were labels stuck on my forehead...

I Read obituaries for the 'late' every single day now

The word 'R I P' popped up on my screen daily...

Radio broadcast the mourning families announcement constantly...

This mourning song and the sad tales keep going on and on...

The list is getting longer..

List of names of friends, families, acquaintances are mounting up...

Some souls lost by design..

Some lives are taken deliberately by the very poor health services…

Some deaths ended by bullets

Some lives were taken by poisons in cans and bottles...

Being the heir of this rich and wealthy land is a curse for me...

We can die without any reasons

Being heir or heiress is A STRONG REASON to rip off our soul and mutilate us into pieces..

Laws and policies are created to bind us tightly...

Voices are silenced with laws and prisons

Peaceful rallies or demonstrations are forbidden...

Speaking the truth can bring us into a prodeo hotel...

No one must find out about us!

We are isolated from the outside world...

Even our closest brothers and sisters abandon us...

We are left to cry alone

I cried and screamed for 61 years now

Still, no ears are willing to help

Our cry had reached the deaf ears

I know now that I cannot depend on you or anyone else...

This sad tale is mine only

I will wipe my tears

I will continue my journey..

Truth is my true companion

That's the only thing I need

I understand the language of betrayal

I have seen it...

I can sense it...

I have tasted it…

After all...

This is my fight

This is my tale

It is my fate

I will stand up

I won't give

Not yet!

NOT NOW !!

F R E E D O M ✊🏽🔥

By Esther Haluk (West Papua)

Jason SovickComment
Education- The Key to a Girl’s future

Under my mother’s care, I was educated
She taught me to wash, clean and sweep
She taught me falafala [the ways of living]
She taught me how to weave the kaufe (traditional mat)
With its many uses.
The kaufe was used as an umbrella
A sleeping mat
A storage wrap,
of all dried food
A wedding present
it symbolizes, tribe, clan, and wise teachings
This gives her the right
To train those who will arise in her future home
The bride takes the Kaufe to her new home
She laments the loss
Of her known environment
She reminisces her childhood
And remembers all she learnt
As her learning process replays
She remembers her mother’s voice
Her father’s training
It now dawns on me
As the world is changing
So are the ways of learning
Our education system has slithered away from home
into the classroom of the Western system
She laments, when she leaves home
The Boarding school awaits
My mother cried relentlessly
Her daughter is ready to be taught by another teacher
Mother dear may never have the chance to meet the new teacher
Her village is far away
She cries to the evening wind
As the sun sets on the sea
The boarding school is far, far away
And yet her daughter has left her side
To be learned at the boarding school
She is willing to accept this change
Because in the classroom is where
Her new future lies
What? What does her future hold?
Only education can tell
Her future lies in the efforts she puts
In reading, writing and learning
This is where her future lies
It will never be the same again
Life has changed
Mother laments
But now it’s a different kind of lament

By Ruth Maetala (Solomon Islands )

Jason SovickComment