The Dawn Raids – Educate to Liberate

The Dawn Raids – Educate to Liberate

Featuring photographs by John Miller

Pātaka Art + Museum
Cnr Norrie and Parumoana Streets, Porirua

19 July – 18 August 2019

Opening: Thursday 18 July 2019, 6pm

John Miller George Jackson/Soledad Brothers solidarity march to the U.S. Consulate on Queen Street, 3 March 1972.

The Bottle Creek Gallery at Pātaka is transformed into a Pacific Island family’s lounge from the 1970s. This nostalgic setting forms a backdrop for artworks, memorabilia, photographs and personal accounts of the Dawn Raids.

This was a time when Police and immigration officials entered the homes of Pacific Island people in the early hours of the morning, wanting proof of residency, work permits, and passports. The Polynesian Panthers, a political group that emerged during this time, fought against the unfair treatment, injustice, and oppression of Pacific Islanders and encouraged immigrant families across New Zealand to stand up for their human rights.

This powerful and insightful exhibition seeks to inform and educate about this period in New Zealand’s history and honour the courageous role that the Polynesian Panthers played in the fight for social justice.

Exhibition conceived by Pauline Smith and co curated with Ari Edgecombe of the Southland Art Gallery and Museum.

Read article by Jamie Tahana, RNZ

Read article by Eleanor Wenman for Dominion Post, 8 July 2019