The Pacific Heritage Council
"The Authoritative Voice Behind Stories of Polynesian Pride"
The Pacific Heritage Council stands as the guiding authority behind Stories of Polynesian Pride - a multidisciplinary body of scholars, practitioners, and cultural custodians entrusted with protecting the narratives of the Moana. Rooted in kaitiakitanga (sacred guardianship), the Council ensures that every story published reflects authenticity, regional precision, and ancestral dignity.
In a digital era where Polynesian identity is often simplified, commercialized, or misrepresented, the Council safeguards Mana - the spiritual authority that flows through genealogy, land, ceremony, and language. Every article, guide, and visual archive is shaped by academic rigor, indigenous consultation, and cultural accountability.
Mission and Mandate
The Pacific Heritage Council is not a symbolic board - it is the Kaitiaki of Pacific knowledge. The Moana has always been a connector of islands, not a divider. Across this vast ocean, genealogies, navigation systems, artistic traditions, and governance structures evolved with extraordinary sophistication. The Council exists to protect this complexity.
Indigenous knowledge systems are often reduced through Western generalizations or detached tourism narratives. The Council prevents that erosion. It centralizes authority to protect intellectual sovereignty, ensure cultural nuance, and uphold sacred boundaries. Through multidisciplinary oversight, the Council preserves both tangible and intangible heritage - from Tatau protocols to oral genealogies - so that Stories of Polynesian Pride remains a trusted Living Archive.
Core Objectives:
- Authentication: Validate and preserve diverse Pacific cultural narratives through peer review and indigenous consultation.
- Scholarly & Indigenous Lens: Integrate academic research with oral tradition, Talanoa dialogue, and lived practice.
- Dignified Representation: Communicate the “Way of the Ocean” with historical precision and cultural respect.
To fulfill this responsibility, the Council brings together six domain authorities whose life’s work embodies the heartbeat of Pacific heritage.
The Council of Experts
At the heart of the Pacific Heritage Council is Talanoa - deep, relational dialogue grounded in respect and truth. The six experts below represent the full spectrum of Pacific existence: anthropology, ecology, regenerative travel, ceremonial life, textile sovereignty, and sacred visual arts.
Together, they form a vaka (voyaging canoe) of knowledge, navigating ancestral wisdom and contemporary realities with equal clarity.
Pelekila Nui, PhD - Cultural Anthropologist & Heritage Custodian
Pacific Heritage Institute | University of the South Pacific
Dr. Pelekila Nui leads Cultural Foundations & Anthropology. Holding a PhD in Pacific Studies from the University of the South Pacific, her research centers on the intergenerational transmission of Mana and the preservation of intangible heritage. She integrates Indigenous Epistemology with qualitative research methodologies to ensure oral traditions remain protected in the digital age.
Her authority anchors all content related to genealogy, mythological systems, and social governance across the Polynesian Triangle.
Key Expertise:
- Preservation of oral histories using Talanoa methodology
- Mythological and spiritual iconography (Tagaloa, Maui, Hina)
- Chiefly systems, Matai structures, and Marae protocols
Manua Fale - Coastal Ecologist & Community Sustainability Consultant
Samoa Marine & Community Center | National University of Samoa
Manua Fale oversees Island Life: Sociology & Sustainability. Trained in Marine Science, he bridges quantitative environmental research with Fa’a Samoa - the Samoan Way. His work strengthens community-based marine governance and restores coastal ecosystems through both scientific restoration and traditional taboo conservation systems.
He ensures that environmental and lifestyle content within Stories of Polynesian Pride reflects both ecological accuracy and indigenous stewardship.
Key Expertise:
- Coastal ecosystem restoration and biodiversity recovery
- Community-Based Marine Resource Management (CBMRM)
- Integration of traditional navigation with ecological governance
Makana Navigato - Sustainable Travel Strategist & Regenerative Tourism Specialist
Hawaii Tourism Research Center | University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Makana Navigato leads Regenerative Voyages: Travel & Tourism. With a Master of Tourism Management, she advances decolonized travel frameworks grounded in Mālama ‘Āina - care for the land. Her work transforms tourism from extraction-based models into regenerative systems that protect sacred sites, strengthen local economies, and preserve community housing stability.
She reframes visitors from spectators into respectful guests - nsuring travel content aligns with cultural protocol and environmental responsibility.
Key Expertise:
- Regenerative tourism economic models
- Indigenous-led cooperative tourism systems
- Sacred-site engagement guidelines and environmental load management
Iokepa Keawe - Festival Curator & Oral Historian
Polynesian Events Board | University of French Polynesia
Iokepa Keawe leads Ceremonial Rhythms: Holidays & Festivals. Educated in Polynesian Civilization, he specializes in ethnomusicology and performance systems. He ensures that festivals are presented not as entertainment, but as living genealogical archives where history is danced, chanted, and embodied.
His oversight protects authenticity in ceremonial materials, sacred chants, and spiritual protocol.
Key Expertise:
- Spiritual foundations of Polynesian festivals
- Authenticity protocols for costume and performance
- Preservation of traditional percussion and chant traditions
Kaimana Olopua - Indigenous Creative Director & Textile Scholar
Pacific Fashion Collective | University of Auckland
Kaimana Olopua directs Heritage Fashion & Textile Artistry. With formal training in Fashion Design, she merges material science with Pacific art history to protect textile sovereignty. Her expertise spans Tapa, Masi, and Siapo traditions, ensuring that patterns are used with ancestral permission and intellectual property protections.
She positions fashion as cultural reclamation - where garments function as genealogical archives rather than decorative commodities.
Key Expertise:
- Indigenous textile revival and natural dye systems
- Symbolic pattern documentation and IP protection
- Sustainable, biodegradable fashion innovation
Kumu Hiwahiwa - Master Artisan & Historian of Polynesian Tatau
Polynesian Cultural Center | Brigham Young University - Hawaii
Kumu Hiwahiwa leads Visual Ancestry: The Arts. A master of traditional carving and Tatau, he combines Fine Arts scholarship with practitioner authority. His expertise safeguards sacred geometry, tapping techniques, and genealogical tattoo protocols such as the Pe’a and Malu.
He ensures that visual art within Stories of Polynesian Pride honors Tapu knowledge and resists commercialization.
Key Expertise:
- Sacred geometry and Tatau lineage systems
- Traditional tapping techniques and material authenticity
- Protection of indigenous visual intellectual property
Standards of Integrity
Authority without ethics is hollow. The Pacific Heritage Council operates under a multidisciplinary peer-review framework where academic rigor meets indigenous consultation.
Every article undergoes internal review by domain experts and, when necessary, consultation with external regional specialists. Oral histories stand alongside academic sources as co-equal authorities. Elders, Matua, and Rangatira are engaged to secure Free, Prior, and Informed Consent where community-specific narratives are involved.
Integrity Commitments:
- Indigenous consultation and consent processes
- Protection of Tapu knowledge from commercialization
- Dual-layer fact verification (scholarly + oral)
- Full editorial independence from tourism or corporate influence
- Transparent correction and archive update policies
This structure ensures that Stories of Polynesian Pride operates not as a content platform, but as a cultural institution.
Engagement & Heritage Legacy
The Pacific Heritage Council views Stories of Polynesian Pride as a Living Archive - dynamic, accountable, and evolving with the communities it represents.
Through Digital Repatriation initiatives, stories, imagery, and linguistic records are returned to their source communities. Youth Mentorship programs connect emerging Pacific writers and artists with Council experts, ensuring the vaka of knowledge continues forward.
Community Initiatives:
- Scholarly Resources & Open Access Portals
- Digital Repatriation Projects
- Youth Mentorship & Knowledge Transfer
- Community Field Narratives under formal review
Our commitment to the past is matched only by our investment in the future of the Moana.
Explore Stories of Polynesian Pride With Confidence
Every narrative published under Stories of Polynesian Pride carries the Mana of the Pacific Heritage Council. It reflects scholarship grounded in respect, consultation rooted in consent, and storytelling guided by kaitiakitanga.
We invite you to explore the archive not as a spectator, but as a respectful participant in the ongoing journey of the Great Ocean.
Because when stories are told with truth, dignity, and authority - they do more than inform.
They restore pride.