Pacific peoples
Building active relationships with people are the basis of good consultation with Pacific communities.
Pacific communities include different ethnic groups
There were 265,974 people of Pacific ethnicity living in New Zealand at the time of the 2006 Census. The largest Pacific ethnic groups were:
- Samoan (131,103)
- Cook Islands Maori (58,011)
- Tongan (50,478)
- Niuean (22,476)
- Fijian (9,864)
- Tokelauan (6,822)
- Tuvaluan (2,625).
Tips for consultation
A few basic tips for formal consultation are:
- at the start, it is best to be introduced to a gathering by a Pacific person with credible links to the community
- explain clearly the purpose of the consultation
- explain how the community's input will be used
- be sure to observe cultural and spiritual protocols such as prayers
- recognise church and community leaders
- remember to give koha or mea lofa.
Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs
The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs has resources to help government agencies consult with Pacific communities. These are:
- Pacific Analysis Framework – a tool to assist agencies to incorporate Pacific perspectives into policy development
- Pacific Consultation Guidelines – provide practical help in consulting Pacific communities.
The Ministry's community advisors in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch can brief you about meeting local Pacific communities.
The Ministry also trains government agencies on best practice for including a Pacific perspective in policy development.
