Talanoa with an Elder

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Recommended age: 16+ years

Join us for an engaging Talanoa around a Kava circle with Pasifika elders and knowledge holders in our Talanoa with an Elder series. Our inaugural session is hosted by esteemed knowledge holder Simione Sevudredre, who will discuss a range of Fijian customs and practices and explore how these important cultural elements have evolved from generation to generation.

Simione is a renowned advocate for Indigenous cultures, and has spent years studying, analysing and preserving iTaukei customs and traditions. Simione will also discuss his contributions to the Australian Museum’s new Pasifika gallery, Wansolmoana, and the remarkable Fijian objects that are currently on display. Don't miss this rare opportunity to engage in a traditional Talanoa and hear from a renowned Fijian elder and knowledge holder.

Kava will be served and is optional to drink.

Simione Sevudredre is a traditional storyteller, Fijian diplomat and founder of Culture Consultancy NGO, Sau-Vaka. Simione's career has focused on the protection of intangible cultural heritage and the decolonisation and contextualisation of Fijian traditional knowledge. With 13 years experience at the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, Simione has lead several key cultural preservation initiatives, including the Cultural Mapping Program, a knowledge-gathering project aligned under the UNESCO 2003 Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), which was implemented across the 1,071 iTaukei villages throughout Fiji.

A graduate of the University of the South Pacific, Simione is a trained secondary school teacher, specialising in English Literature & Linguistics, and spent a decade teaching in notable schools across Fiji. He also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Pacific Studies and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree. In 2006, Simione joined Fiji Television Limited and developed Noda Gauna, a documentary on iTaukei culture.