Dawn Raid, written by Pauline (Vaeluaga) Smith and published in 2018, told the story of Sofia Savea and her family who were living in the days when Polynesian families in New Zealand were visited often at night or early morning to find, convict and deport overstayers.
Now Smith and her grandson, Brooklyn Taylor, 17, have written a sequel — Dawn Raid: The Apology.
In The Apology, the story continues 50 years later, as Sofia’s 14-year-old grandson Jeremy becomes involved in the quest for a government apology for the raids.
The book was recently launched at an event attended by Labour MP for Kelston Carmen Sepuloni, who had been part of the government when it was being petitioned to apologise for the raids, and Polynesian Panther Reverend Alec Toleafoa.
In 2021, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern publicly apologised to the Pacific communities for the raids.
Smith said she was involved in teacher education when she heard about the Dawn Raids of the 1970s.
"I was just shocked that I grew up in Aotearoa and had no real knowledge about that part of our history."
Her response was to write a book for young people who were the next generation of leaders.
"If we create young people who have this understanding and empathy, I feel like we’ll create a better place."
She always told people children had "a really strong sense of what’s fair and what’s just" and they really did.
Working with Brooklyn had been a good way to build their relationship but also helped her capture how a 14-year-old lived life, Mrs Smith said.
"Him and his mate sent me to sit outside the bedroom door while they were all hanging out and listen to the way they talked and they fed in ideas about how to say certain things."
Brooklyn also drew the emojis which feature throughout the book.
The first book had been part of a movement to inform the public and seek justice for Pacific families.
"From that first idea that I might write a book to now, I just think we’ve achieved so much.
"Dawn Raid is used in almost every school and studied by between year 6 to year 13 students."
Her father was Samoan and after the first book came out, her mother told her a story about the time immigration officials visited their home in Invercargill.
"One person at the front door, one at the back, and that feeling of being hemmed in and not knowing what was going on."
Writing the first book had brought her into contact with the Polynesian Panthers, who spoke out in opposition to the raids. For the past eight years, she had worked with the Panthers speaking about the raids.
In the early days, when they were asked to speak they were given a box of chocolates as a thank you, she said.
"Now they run a proper, fully funded programme where they go and deliver this information to schools so that kids can understand that they are part of history and what their role was."
At the first book’s launch she was made an honorary member of the group, but at the launch of the second book earlier this month she was told to drop the honorary title.
"You’re a real Panther, like us."
