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The Dawn Raids

The dawn raids were a series of raids carried out at random by the New Zealand police during the mid-1970s against Pacific immigrants. In New Zealand, intolerance towards Pacific migrants increased during the 1970s, particularly after a decline in the economy and the oil crisis of 1973. SCIS no: 1961716

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Dawn Raids (New Zealand)

Dawn Raids (New Zealand)

In the 1970s the New Zealand police went to the homes of Pacific Islanders who they believed had overstayed their visas or work permits. Many people were sent back to the Pacific Islands. The polic...

Pasifika petitioner moved to tears by 'surprise' dawn raids apology

Josiah Tualamali'i was “moved to tears” by the Government's surprise announcement of a formal apology to the Pasifika community for the race-based dawn raids of the 1970s.

Dawn Raids: Tuia Mātauranga Curiosity Card

The curiosity card depicts a scene from the 2015 television programme Westside, dramatising the experience of a Pacific Island family during a dawn raid in 1976. The image below shows Anna Likio ...

Waking up to the Dawn Raids (Aotearoa) Untold Pacific History

Produced by Tikilounge, this recording features key people involved in the infamous New Zealand Government 'Dawn Raids' operation.

How the Polynesian Panthers gave rise to Pasifika activism

The Polynesian Panthers, credited with fighting racism against Pacific people in New Zealand and putting them on the map politically, is celebrating 45 years this week.

Polynesian Panther Party

Polynesian Panther Party

Asset ID: 25434 Copy negative number: c/nF425/2 Filename: 2336_01_015A

Group of young Maori on steps of Parliament

Group of young Maori on steps of Parliament

The Māori student activist group, Nga Tamatoa (the young warriors), worked alongside the Polynesian Panthers in Auckland to highlight the plight of Māori and Pasifika peoples, and the realities of ...

Photographs of a protest for the repeal of the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act of 1982, Parliament Grounds, Wellington

Protest for the repeal of the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act of 1982

Falema’i Lesa, a Samoan woman living in New Zealand, petitioned the Privy Council in England to be granted citizenship here. In 1982 this resulted in the Council not only granting her citizenship b...

I said WOGS not dogs

I said WOGS not dogs!

This cartoon appeared in the National Business Review in 1976 during the height of the dawn raids and the racist slanders towards Pasifika peoples. It depicts the New Zealand Minister of Immigratio...

Winston Churchill taking the salute from D Company of 28 (Maori) Battalion, England

Winston Churchill taking the salute from D Company of 28 (Maori) Battalion

This photograph is of the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill taking the salute from D Company of the 28th New Zealand Maori Battalion during a military parade in England, circa 1940. Pasifika...

Tongan overstayers deported

Ana Likio at her home in Waitangirua, surrounded by luggage

The original Evening Post caption for this photograph reads: "Anna Likio at the family's Waitangirua home surrounded by the luggage they had to leave behind. A family of Tongan overstayers deported...

Melani Anae:'We said we weren't going to take it anymore'

When the police started cracking down on Pasifika overstayers, a group of young people called the Polynesian Panthers started pushing back. Produced by Jamie Tahana.

Manase Lua — a son of the Dawn Raids

Manase Lua — a son of the Dawn Raids

Will ‘Ilolahia: Once a Panther, always a Panther

Will ‘Ilolahia: Once a Panther, always a Panther

Racism was all around us

Racism was all around us

RACE AGAINST TIME

RACE AGAINST TIME

A documentary on the effects of racism in New Zealand. Features interviews with Māori and Pacific Islanders examining New Zealand’s image as a multiracial society, and articulating the need for New...

Pacific Islanders arrive in New Zealand

In 1973, when this television clip was shot, the New Zealand economy was still booming and migrants from the Pacific Islands were coming to New Zealand in large numbers to fill the available jobs. ...

A raid on Pacific Islanders

From 1974, as the economic situation in New Zealand worsened and unemployment grew, there were raids on the homes of Pacific Islanders in an attempt to find overstayers (people whose permits to sta...

The story of Niuean musician and anti-apartheid activist Tigilau (Tigi) Ness.

Children of the migration

Children of the migration

The stories of the Pacific Island immigrants who came to New Zealand from the 1950s-1980s.

This documentary chronicles a shameful passage in New Zealand race relations: the controversial mid 1970s raids on the homes and workplaces of alleged Pacific Island overstayers. Director Damon Fep...

Polynesian Panthers

Polynesian Panthers

In the 1950s thousands of Pacific Islanders came to Aotearoa to meet a labour shortage. They faced racism, and in the 1970s, notorious dawn raids by police. In 1971 a group of young gang members an...

The Mixtape: Tigilau Ness

The Mixtape: Tigilau Ness

Tigilau Ness is an activist and reggae icon, whose band Unity Pacific won Best Roots Album at the Tuis last year. In 2009 he was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Pacific Music Awar...

Oscar Kightley - Dawn Raids revisited

Oscar Kightley - Dawn Raids revisited

Oscar Kightley is a Samoan-born, New Zealand-raised writer/actor and director. Some of the most popular work he has been involved in include the movie series Sione's Wedding and the TV series bro'T...

Tongan overstayers

In the 1960s and 1970s many Tongans stayed on beyond their three-month work permit. In 1974 the New Zealand government announced an amnesty: they were to return to Tonga by a set time or be arreste...

"Immigration - Important Notice"

"Immigration - Important Notice"

This government notice documents the controversial "Dawn Raids" period when Pacific migration to Aotearoa New Zealand had come under strict Government scrutiny. This notice was displayed in Post Of...

Dawn Raid clothing / Te Aue Davis weaving a feather cloak, Auckland

Dawn Raid clothing / Te Aue Davis weaving a feather cloak, Auckland

T-shirt (Cook Is original over stayers since 1960)

T-shirt (Cook Is original over stayers since 1960)

T shirts and culture history In the late 20th and early 21st centuries T-shirts are a most accessible and widely worn type of clothing. They may appear to be ordinary everyday garments, seemingly ...

Polynesian Panthers and Old House

Polynesian Panthers and Old House

Black and white photograph depicting trio seated on steps at the front of wooden home. 'Polynesian Panther Party' is painted on the front of the house and signs propped up reading 'We demand adequa...

t-shirt, 'Dawn Raid Entertainment'

Prosecution is Persecution

Prosecution is Persecution

Flyer entitled 'Prosecution is Persecution' regarding the 'Dawn Raids' of the 1970s. Distributed by the Citizens' Association for Racial Equality, the Polynesian Panther Party and the People's Uni...

Dawn Raid: Making hip hop history

Sam Wicks sits with Brotha D and Andy from the Dawn Raid entertainment record label to discuss 15 years, some tough, others victorious.

Mua Strickson-Pua and his granddaughter

Mua Strickson-Pua and his granddaughter

Many Samoans began to arrive in New Zealand in the 1960s on short-term visas. They came primarily to work in Auckland factories, but during the economic downturn from 1973, the tolerant approach to...

Action against racism, 1976

Action against racism, 1976

During the early 1970s there was a growing movement within New Zealand that was critical of past racist attitudes. This led to a review of immigration policy in 1974, and the introduction of a non-...

At the end of the 20th century a younger generation of Samoan musicians drew on their urban experience to communicate what it meant to be Samoan in New Zealand. The Wellington-raised Samoan King Ka...

This pamphlet was prepared by ACORD (the Auckland Committee on Racism and Discrimination) and published by Amnesty Aroha. It tells the story of a dawn raid on a family of Tongans for allegedly over...

The 1970s New Zealand Dawn Raids

1970's Dawn Raids in New Zealand were a series of events that exemplified racism against Polynesians.

Overstayers could have information used against them

In 1988, Pacific Islands Affairs Minister, Richard Prebble, said there will be no "dawn raids" for overstayers, but that information given to the Immigration Division by people who registered under...

Te Puna Wai Kōrero

One of the leaders of the Polynesian Panthers, Wayne Toleafoa, speaks about the origins of the movement and their work in the community, including a food programme and a free bus programme to Parem...

Remembering Mele Saiatua Lavulo (1916-2013) – a leader in the Tongan community

Saiatua talks about her experiences working with the Tongan community during the infamous ‘dawn raids’ of the 1970s.

Rise Up: The Story of the Dawn Raids and the Polynesian Panthers School Journal Curriculum level 4; Nov: 2018

The first dawn raid took place in March 1974. This article looks at what happened, why and the role of the Polynesian Panthers in supporting their communities.

With two multi-platinum albums and two that went gold, Che Fu is one of the best-selling hip hop acts to ever come out of New Zealand.

Blackbirding: Australia's history of luring, tricking and kidnapping Pacific Islanders

Recent debate in the United States over the legacy of slavery has reignited discussions about Australia's dark past.

Pacific collection

NZ On Screen's Pacific Collection celebrates many things — many islands, many cultures, and the many Pasifika creatives who have enriched Aotearoa.

Explore the dark history of the Dawn Raids in 1970s Aotearoa

The Dawn Raids: Educate to Liberate is currently on show at the Pātaka Art + Museum’s Gallery in Porirua. We spoke with Community Exhibitions Curator Emma Kitson on the significance of the exhibition.

An insight into a dark time in NZ history

The Dawn Raids – Educate and Liberate exhibition tour kicks off today at the Fresh Gallery Otara.

The Dawn Raids: Educate to Liberate exhibition

Powerful, insightful, the Dawn Raids – Educate to Liberate exhibition seeks to inform people about a little-known event in New Zealand history.

Fascination and Fear: Covering the Black Panthers

The Black Panther Party in America was founded in 1966. Fifty years later, images from the Black Panther Party’s heyday still flicker in our national memory.

Māori Programmes 1975-07-02

The programme looks at a public meeting called by the Minister of Māori Affairs, Matiu Rata, for Auckland Māori and Pacific island leaders to discuss a new Police Task Force and the social conditio...

Talanoa: Polynesian Panthers on the Dawn Raids

Polynesian Panthers Will 'Ilolahia and Tigilau Ness speak about a new exhibition on the Dawn Raids - a horrendous time in New Zealand's history when Pacific people were singled out for their race.

Pauline Vaeluaga Smith: Dawn Raid (2019)

Author Pauline Vaeluaga Smith shares some of the true stories she gathered up whilst bringing this piece of history to life as a novel and discusses why the story matters.

Smart Talk: Pacific Sound

The 1970s dawn raids on overstaying Pacific Island workers were a pivotal moment in the development of Pacific consciousness in New Zealand.

Bill Urale and the Overstayer Clothing Company

Slotting in between the release of his first and second King Kapisi albums, Bill Urale launched a clothing label, The Overstayer Clothing Company.

Brave Flower School Journal Curriculum level: 4; Nov: 2018

A poem describing the experience of those who went through the dawn raids.

Blackbirding – Slavery practice

Blackbirding is the 19th- and early 20th-century practice of enslaving (often by force and deception) South Pacific islanders on the cotton and sugar plantations of Queensland, Australia, as well a...

The wood planks that hid Polynesian students from the police

At Seddon High School (now Western Springs College Ngā Puna O Waiōrea) random immigration checks were a common occurrence even up until the early 1980s.

Dawn Raid wins best first book

Southland author Pauline Smith’s first novel, My New Zealand Story: Dawn Raid has been awarded the accolade of Best First Book at the 2018 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.

Once a Panther School Journal Curriculum level: 4; Mar: 2019

This fictional comic is based on the true story of the Polynesian Panthers in 1970s New Zealand.

Shedding new light on the (real) Black Panthers

Most people watching the new Black Panther movie know little about the radical political party with the same name as the film's hero, beyond its reputation for militancy.

Australian South Sea Islanders: A century of race discrimination under Australian law (2003)

The Australian South Sea Islander community played a significant role in the development of Australia’s sugar and cotton industries.

My New Zealand Story: Dawn Raid

Teacher toolkit for the book ‘Dawn Raid’ by Pauline Vaeluaga Smith.

Dawn raids remembered in exhibit

More than 40 years after the infamous dawn raids on Pacific islanders, those who were there are being asked to tell their story.

Polynesian Panthers reflect on 45 years

This year marks the 45th anniversary of Auckland-based rights group the Polynesian Panther Party.

New Zealand's shame

New Zealand’s role in the Pacific slave trade is "a dark piece of our history."

The Terror of the Dawn Raids

The Dawn Raids of 1974 and 1976 were “the most blatantly racist attack on Pacific peoples by the New Zealand government in New Zealand’s history.”

The Dawn Raids of 1974

The call for an apology for the Dawn Raids is gaining momentum.

The lasting, shameful legacy of the Dawn Raids

Nearly 50 years after the police started a crackdown on Pasifika people in Auckland, people are opening up about their experiences of the Dawn Raids for the first time.

After troubled beginnings, including early conflict in Samoa and the infamous dawn raids of the mid-1970s, the New Zealand–Samoa story is one of proud achievement. New Zealand Samoans star on the s...

Rise Up: The Story of the Dawn Raids and the Polynesian Panthers

School Journal, November 2018. The Story of the Dawn Raids and the Polynesian Panthers” recounts the story of the dawn raids that took place in Aotearoa in the 1970s.

Pacific Islands and New Zealand

As an island nation in the South Pacific, New Zealand has long had strong cultural, economic and political links with other Pacific Islands.

In the early 1960's, New Zealand was considered to be the land of 'Milk and Honey' for many Pacific families looking to work and make money for their families back in their homelands. But unfortun...

Polynesian Panthers continuing the fight 50 years on

Polynesian Panthers continuing the fight 50 years on

In 1971, Ponsonby was dilapidated, rat-infested and constantly patrolled by the Police, prompting a group of teenage activists to fight against the systematic racism of the time. The Dawn Raids, t...

Minister Aupito William Sio reflects on dawn raids after apology announcement

Minister Aupito William Sio reflects on dawn raids after apology announcement

The Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio wiped away tears yesterday when announcing his government will officially apologise for the Dawn Raids of the mid-1970s. The raids disproportion...

Once a Panther — our history our words

Stories of racism that led to a homegrown revolution and formation of the Polynesian Panthers in New Zealand

Pacific advocates want meaningful action alongside apology

Pacific advocates want meaningful action alongside apology

Pacific advocates are calling for meaningful action to accompany the government's promised an apology for the Dawn Raids era of the mid-1970's. Jacinda Ardern yesterday acknowledged the racist pol...

New mural marks the 50th anniversary of the Polynesian Panthers

New mural marks the 50th anniversary of the Polynesian Panthers

The Polynesian Panther Party were a huge part of the New Zealand civil rights movement in the 1980s, and their legacy is still strong today. Phrases like dawn raids, overstayers and the springbok t...

People are starting to talk about the Dawn Raids

50 years later, people are opening up about their experiences of the Dawn Raids, for the first time.

Polynesian Panthers and the dawn raids

Teachers explore the exercise of power and the impacts of colonisation on all aspects of society.

Dawn Raids apology breathes hope of something new for Pacific families

Along with the apology, Christine Nurminen wants education, immigration and other policymakers to create a new discourse for Pacific families and others who call Aotearoa New Zealand home.

MISC-DRAMA - THE OVERSTAYER

MISC-DRAMA - THE OVERSTAYER

A drama about the notorious "dawn raids" conducted by the police and immigration officials on illegal immigrants from the Pacific Islands during the 1970s. DIRECTOR: Justine Simei-Barton; PRODUCER:...

Once a panther: the Polynesian Panthers

On June 16, 1971, a radical group of Pasifika and Māori men and women confronted state-sanctioned racism to form the Polynesian Panther Party.

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Dawn Raids (New Zealand)

Dawn Raids (New Zealand)

In the 1970s the New Zealand police went to the homes of Pacific Islanders who they believed had overstayed their...

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