Va Moana – Space and Relationality in Pacific Thought and Identity

By Albert L Refiti, A-Chr Engels-Schwarzpaul & Lana Lopesi

Explores the Indigenous Pacific concept of relational space—known as vā in Samoan, tā-vā in Tongan, and wā in Māori and Hawaiian. Examines how these interconnected spatial and temporal frameworks bind people, ancestors, and cosmologies together, presenting a collective alternative to hyper-individualism. Published by ANU Press in mid-2026 as a multi-author collection spanning diverse disciplines like geography, architecture, art, and philosophy.