About this Event
Halo and Pacific greetings to you all. We invite you to join us for a conversation and lunch with Dr Annie Kwai and Dr Rita Seumanutafa-Palala as discussant.
Conversation:
The body of historical knowledge on Solomon Islands is informed, at its core, by a narrative derived out of the experiences of encounters between Europeans and Solomon Islanders. This narrative is problematic because records of these points of encounter are largely one-sided. In my research presented in the thesis titled ‘Reclaiming the Narrative: Culture, History and Gender in Solomon Islands’ confronts this problem.
Using a Kwara’ae knowledge framework called ha’a madaok ‘ang, my research traces the transformation of the Kwara’ae cultural group from its pre-colonial society, through various periods of missionary and colonial intervention, to the present. It explores how external influences have reshaped Indigenous social structures, and have perpetuated dominant narratives that often demonise customary practices.
By centering Indigenous and gendered perspectives, knowledge systems and lived experiences, the study reveals the agency, adaptability and complexity embedded within local cultural frameworks. It challenges deficit-based interpretations of tradition and highlights the continuing influence of colonial legacies on contemporary understandings of gender. The research contributes to broader debates on decolonisation, gender and Indigenous scholarship by advocating for approaches to knowledge production that recognise, value and foreground Indigenous cultural lifeways and ways of knowing.
Please send any special dietary requirements by 10th Nov to [email protected].
Photo: Women of Tal’nga’ideng at the millennium feast in 2000, East Kwara’ae, Malaita Island (Photo by A.Kwai)
Event venue & nearby stays
The Linkway. Level 4, John Medley Building (Bldg 191). Parkville Campus, University of Melbourne, John Medley Building, Parkville, Australia
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.