Weaving Stories Through the Lens of the Fish Sāmoan Perspectives on Oranga Tamariki: A Digital Fāgogo

Abstract

Sāmoan families living in Aotearoa New Zealand manoeuvre western systems while holding strong to Fa’a Sāmoa (Sāmoan worldview) concepts of ‘āiga (family). They are misrepresented in the Oranga Tamariki (OT) data, acknowledged as the heavily criticised child foster system. This study aims to highlight the lived experiences that are absent in the literature, through visual storytelling with a Sāmoan-led focus. This was achieved with a microfilm documentary that accompanies the written work, produced with the goal of being more accessible to the community and capturing our rich stories with a wider lens than achievable in traditional research. The study employed fa’afaletui beyond its typical use by centring the lens of the fish. As a Sāmoan woman with experience in the system, the primary researcher embodied the “fish”, or studied issue– a notoriously difficult perspective to obtain. The Tree view (Dora) and Canoe view (Frankie) offered rich insights regarding the bind between policy and values, and efforts to support ‘āiga where OT strategies do not reach. By filming the fa’afaletui the research was transformed into digital fāgogo, with the aim of disseminating the findings accessibly to the community. Fa’afaletui was further enhanced by centring the water within the metaphorical ecosystem to demonstrate the impact of the vā as a method of analysis. Findings demonstrated an urgent need for genuine engagement with Sāmoan families. Profound layers of disconnect were identified, between families and social workers as well as within communities. Implications for child welfare policy, community engagement, mental health efficacy and future research for Sāmoans in Aotearoa are discussed.