Abstract

I acknowledge the peoples of this land and am grateful for the opportunity to be given a platform on which to sit, stand and speak. I offer reflections from Oceania with the spirit of sharing in the hope that through such dialogue we may better understand our diversity and the beauty of the world in which we live. As a researcher and teacher, I am of the view that it is only through a spirit of open dialogue or talanoa that we might begin to unravel what it means to be and belong in context so that we might engage more meaningfully with each other and with the ideas and perspectives that we each bring to the discussion. This presentation explores the concepts of Tapu and Mana within a broader discussion of relationality and what it means to be custodians of land, sky and sea in Oceania.