Tagimamao Melanie Puka

Grant Type

Dissertation Fieldwork Grant

Institutional Affiliation

Louisiana State U., Baton Rouge

Grant number

Gr. 10339

Approve Date

April 13, 2022

Project Title

Puka, Tagimamao Melanie (Louisiana State U., Baton Rouge) "Navigating Tokelau imaginaries in Aotearoa New Zealand and Hawai‘i"

TAGIMAMAO MELANIE PUKA, then a graduate student at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was awarded a grant in August 2022 to aid research on “Navigating Tokelau imaginaries in Aotearoa New Zealand and Hawai’i,” supervised by Dr. Craig Colten. Tagata Tokelau (indigenous people of Tokelau), living in diasporic nodes in United States and New Zealand continue to articulate and perform their indigenous connections to Tokelau. Cultural performances, oral histories, and ethnographies evidence how Tokelau has grown beyond its shores in real and imagined ways. This research found that Tagata Tokelau articulate their connections through genealogical practices, which in turn shape familial and social responsibilities to each other, as well as through the use and revitalization of Gagana Tokelau (Tokelau language). Further Tagata Tokelau have built community spaces (some of which are also worship spaces), that serve as important places for gathering to celebrate milestones, and more broadly the shared connections to each other and Tokelau. This research found that the New Zealand- and US-borders shape relationships between Tagata Tokelau, as well as with Tokelau itself profoundly. The challenges of political recognition and accessing national or state resources varies. This in turn influences the depth and scale of efforts towards language revitalization and cultural maintenance. This research broadens understanding of the impact that colonial borders and relationships continue to have on Tokelau’s diasporic formations and connections.