Matanigasau (mah-TAH-nee-ngah-sow), translates to “face of the reed” in the Fijian language. It is the name of a formal practice of communal healing and reconciliation. The reed is used as a symbolic offering from the offender to the victim - that they express remorse, seek forgiveness and request to reconcile. If the reed is returned, the victim is not ready to forgive. If the reed is snapped in two, the victim is ready for dialogue and reconciliation.
We named this project Matanigasau to shine the light on the language of our Melanesian, Fijian and Pasifika cultures. Using our language in diaspora gives our communities opportunity to practice it, and be curious enough to ask the meanings and stories behind our words. The practice of matanigasau is a reminder for us that our Pasifika cultures have our own forms of restorative justice that give empowerment, bring healing and involve community. With the blessing of our friend, fellow cultural bearer and Fijian professor, we felt Matanigasau to be a fitting title for the gathering of community stories that speak to healing and resilience.
Matanigasau Story Project: Stories of Healing and Resilience is a memory work project that documents the lived experiences of NHPI (Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders) in California. Matanigasau is a project of EPIC (Empowering Pacific Islander Communities), funded in part by the CA Department of Social Services for the Stop The Hate program. Our goal is to promote racial healing, and empower our community against hate, by focusing on lifting up and preserving the stories of our NHPIs here in diaspora. Here we have gathered a collection of stories and artwork that reflect this mission.
We acknowledge that the gathering of these stories and creation of these artworks have taken place throughout the unceded territory of California, home to the many indigenous tribes of this land. We are grateful for their stewardship and care, that has allowed us opportunities to learn from and live here as descendants of Pacific Islander indigenous people in diaspora. As fellow relatives of the saltwater, we also acknowledge the kinship of our shared great ocean.
As Artists, Archivists and Community members of NHPI descent living as diaspora on indigenous lands here on Turtle Island (continent of North America), we've reimagined what an archive can be, and moved beyond the traditional western archival practices for this documentation and preservation project. We are bound to the collective values of the NHPI communities that are central throughout this Project. In alignment with indigenous protocols of cultural heritage, we prioritize a community-centered approach to care practices such as self-determination, descendant sovereignty, and relational reciprocity.