Soro panel discussion
Leone Samu, Gen Ilolahia, Karamia Muller, Gabriella Brayne
Tuesday 3 March, 6pm
Doors open from 5pm for a 6pm start - all welcome!

Wai Ngutu Kākā is pleased to host an informal panel discussion featuring distinguished guests from the Pacifica community. Using Luke Willis Thompson's Soro (2025) as a prompt, the group will discuss both historical and contemporary issues that his work raises, such as the troubling legacy of the Dawn Raids, the 2021 apology, and its ongoing legacy for Pacific diaspora in Aotearoa today.

Leone Samu Tui is a Pacific Researcher in the Dawn Raids and Pacific Histories work programme at Manatū Taonga, Ministry of Culture and Heritage. Part of a three-historian team that developed ‘Understanding Dawn Raids’, a detailed hub of historical resources for students and teachers, the research team are working towards a substantial publication placing the Dawn Raids and its aftermath in the wider context of New Zealand’s immigration policy, drawing on state archive material and community voices.’

Gen Ilolahia is currently Pacific Communications Advisor at the Office of Pacific Advancement, AUT. With Suelaki Tiatia, Ilolahia heads up The Moanan Podcast, an active forum for showcasing Pacific-led storytellers and sharing indigenous knowledge.

Karamia Muller is a Pacific researcher who is currently Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning at The University of Auckland. Muller’s current research focuses on improving the quality and supply of Pacific housing through values-based and community-led approaches that centre Pacific experiences, intergenerational care, and climate resilience.

Gabriella Brayne is a practising solicitor who recently completed a Master of Laws (LLM) at the University of Arizona’s Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Programme. In 2022, she co-authored the publication, Pacific Peoples and the Criminal Justice System in Aotearoa New Zealand, which included a chapter on the Dawn Raids.