Ep. 52: Madau-Moana Relational Ethics with Kehau Fagatele-Folau

Dr. Kehaulani Fagatele-Folau joins this episode to introduce her
doctoral research. We begin with Indigenous concepts and methods
she used from the Madau-Moana to make sense of some of the
colonial contexts Indigenous women of Oceania traverse in the
academy. Some themes we discuss include Indigenous feminism,
interconnectivity, sharing space, and relational ethics by using
Niu/Neo/Knew Tā-Vā. Fagatele-Folau shares a re-imagined R.I.P.
acronym, and deploys it as metaphor for laying to rest systems of
power, as they work through the process of ‘becoming’ a
Madau-Moana cosmopolitan. We reflect on the possibilities in
being rooted and mobile, and continuing to learn confidence with
care through a broad sense of kinship.


“Not all the powers that be are all the powers that are” – Kehau
Fagatele-Folau


Terms with introductory definitions: Madau (Pohnpeian for
Ocean/Thought); Moana (Ocean in Tongan); Talanoa (Critical
relational dialogue); Iroir (reflection/beautiful view/to
position yourself for a beautiful view); Hoa
(pair/partner/companion/connection); Hoamālie (harmonious
partnership); Hoatamaki (imbalanced partnership); R.I.P.
(Relationality, Intersectionality, Positionality); Mana (honour,
prestige, potency, authority).