I am a proud Australian/I-Kiribati woman. My work is an extension of my Kiribati, Micronesian and Pasifika identity.
Kiribati is a country on the frontline of climate change, living with the daily impact of rising sea levels. Through creative projects and storytelling, I hold and share my culture so new audiences and new generations can learn about our proud Kiribati culture.
My work aims to Kiribati awareness, sharing our culture, way of life and indigenous knowledge.
I have written a children’s book called Teaote and the Wall which shares the story of a Kiribati woman determined to protect her home from rising sea levels. You can purchase Teaote and the Wall here.
If you would like to read the blog I have run for the past 10 years, click through to The Little Island That Could. This blog is how I have discovered my culture and stepped into my Kiribati identity.
Projects:
‘Anywhere else in the world, it is a luxury to live by the sea. In Kiribati, it means that you are the first to be without a home.’
‘Land and water encompass small island life, so it is natural that the Kiribati people have created a vehicle that allows them to utilise the resources of both elements.’
‘Situated in the middle of the Pacific ocean, Kiribati is facing a surge in rising sea levels. Kiribati woman, Teaote battles the sea at each high tide.’
Publications
2022
The Hum of Motherhood: A letter to Victorian mothers of new babies, Dumbo Feather
2020
Kiribati gesture of welcome to China's ambassador must be understood from the island's perspective, The Guardian, Co-written with Katerina Teaiwa.
Grateful for the life that is, grateful for the life that was, Threshold blog, guest writer
2019
Interview: Destroying presumptions and telling stories with Sisonke Msimang, Lindsay Magazine Online
2018
The Baby Carrier: A Child’s First Country, Lindsay Online
Kiribati Dance: The Embodiment of Culture, Lindsay Magazine, Issue No. 1
2017
A Child of Four Women, So Many Islands: Stories From The Caribbean, Mediterranean, Indian and Pacific Oceans, Commonwealth Writers, Commonwealth Foundation
Te Wa: Kiribati’s Way To The Water, Lindsay Online
2016
David Suzuki and Me, Dumbo Feather Blog
Building a Wall, The Big Issue, January 2016 edition
2015
The Night I Learned To Fear The Ocean, Dumbo Feather blog
Teaote and the Wall, Crowd-funded children’s picture book
Everybody Has A Story, Frankie Magazine, Issue 67: Sept/Oct 2015, Australia