Niue Migration Story

Pasefika Proud is proud to launch a second series of Migration and Legacy stories featuring our Pacific mothers, as a follow up to our series of stories from our Pacific fathers. Our first story in this series features Akeletama Etuata who migrated with her husband to New Zealand from Niue in 1967. She recalls thinking that New Zealand homes seemed to have everything you’d ever need or want. “But the thing is you have to have money to get that life here.” The rest of her family was able to join them two years later and Akeletama remembers being so happy. “We were more thinking of our children more than ourselves because of their schooling, their study and their future.” Her message to future generations is to always remember their roots and where they come from. Credit: Historic footage supplied by Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, Archives New Zealand, New Zealand Maritime Museum and TVNZ Television Archive.