The Polynesian Panther Party were a huge part of the New Zealand civil rights movement in the 1980s, and their legacy is still strong today. Phrases like dawn raids, overstayers and the springbok tour are still part of conversations about who we are as a country, and who we could be.
As part of the Auckland Arts Festival a team of artists are celebrating the connections between the Polynesian Panthers and the Black Panthers in America with a collaborative mural. Two of those artists are Polynesian Panther, musician and political activist Tigilau Ness, and long time member of activist art group the Wellington Media Collective Chris McBride.
Tigilau Ness and Chris McBride in front of the mural Photo: supplied
