Welcome to Project Pouono.  Malo ho’o lava mai.

These pages provide more information and resources for the Project Pouono interactive transmedia site.

It provides links to cultural experts, other writing, videos and web links. The aim is to provide more materials from which to talanoa, remembering that all knowledge is held by people in relationship with other people. The information is grouped around the panels of the ngatu design.

Location and Intention-‘api moana -Ocean Homeland

Process and Feedback

The Scope of Healing- Faito’o

The Motivation to Heal- Fatongia

A Transformative Treatment- Tulu’i

The Value and Assessment of Treatment- ‘Aonga

Land and Health- Fonua

Diagnostic Common Ground-‘avanga

Impact and Transformations- Pouono

Faito’o is the term that captures healing in the widest sense. Fatongia frames why people would chose to heal or be called to heal. Tulu’i, is a technique of healing which reveals the role of the spiritual world in health and illness. ‘Aonga is the way healing is assessed and valued. As the concept at the centre of the design, it also raises questions of the use and value of this project. Fonua, gives meaning to why remedies work and why people become ill. ‘Avanga is a diagnostic term shared by healers and the psychiatrist that reveals the social causality of much sickness.

There are many models in New Zealand that aim to facilitate better treatment for Pacific Islanders and Māori people.  Project Pouono is not a model of Tongan health. It is a ‘negotiated space’ emergent of Tongan values and ways of communication, the creation of peopled spaces of mediation and action informed by multiple interpretations. It is a place of informed, principled and sensitive action, a meeting of Pacific water and land with potential impact wherever Pacific water meets a shore.

Feel free to share your impressions and feedback in the Project Pouono facebook group . The group is also a space for online talanoa. In this group you will also be able to connect to people who can give more context and translate some of the videos.