Identity in the Pacific

By Tanumia Matega

The Pacific has long recognised and respected gender diversity. 

MVPFAFF + is an acronym used to encapsulate the many terms used across the Pacific ocean. It stands for māhū (Hawai’i and Tahiti), vaka sa lewa lewa (Fiji), palopa (Papua New Guinea), fa’afafine (Samoa), akava’ine (Rarotonga), fakaleiti (Tonga), and fakafifine (Niue). 

In Samoa, a fa’afafine refers to a person assigned male at birth who embodies both masculine and feminine traits. They often take on traditionally female roles within their communities. There is also the fa’afatama, which describes individuals assigned female at birth who express more masculine characteristics. Fa’afafine and fa’afatama are fluid gender roles. They move between male and female worlds, and are often entrusted with important social responsibilities such as caring for elders. 

Other Pacific cultures have their own “third gender identities such as māhū in Native Hawaiian and Tahitian societies. A māhū embodies both male and female spirit and are traditionally respected as teachers, keepers of culture, and healers. 

Indigenous recognition of these identities do not always fit neatly into Western concepts of gender identity but rather, they represent a spectrum of gender expression and identity that is deeply woven into the social fabric of Pacific societies.Third gender individuals in the Pacific continue to play vital roles in their communities and are central to ongoing conversations about gender, identity, and cultural heritage.