E na batini tanoa (Around the kava bowl)
Talanoa about all things kava
Dr S. ‘Apo’ Aporosa,
Kava has played a dominant role in the cultural practices of many Pacific peoples for over 2000 years. These practices continue today, however myths and misinformation about this plant and drink abound.
In this free Community Research Pacific Webinar, Dr Apo Aporosa and Dr Edmond Fehoko will seek to untangle some of these misunderstandings e na batini tanoa – around the kava bowl. Themes will include: ideas that kava is an illicit alcohol with alcohol-type effects; beliefs that kava is addictive, causes physical harm and brings disharmony to the family; reports that kava use is a male-only activity; and kava’s link to the ancestral gods and narratives that question whether contemporary kava use is anti-Christian.
Resources
De-mythologizing and re-branding the traditional drink kava – Summary in Research Outreach – Dr Apo Aporosa
De-mythologizing and re-branding of kava as the new ‘world drug’ of choice – Article in Drug Science, Policy and Law
Volume 5 – Dr Apo Aporosa
Improving road safety and health: Understanding kava’s impact on driver fitness – Dr Apo Aporosa
Pukepuke Fonua: An exploratory study on the faikava as an identity marker for New Zealand-born Tongan males in Auckland, New Zealand – Dr Edmond Fehoko
Fono at the Fale Facebook group – University of Waikato Kava Club
Silent Whistle Kava Club – Kava club for women in Auckland
WHO report on the effect of Kava on the liver
Rootz Vaka Transits – Traversing Seas of Urban Diasporic Indigeneity by Collapsing Time and Space with the Songs and Stories of the Kava Canoe – Daniel Hernandez
