The ocean is our ancestor, our home. 

We are bringing our indigenous perspective forward at international decision-making arenas to protect our precious Earth, curb the climate crisis, and inspire the global community into a renewed relationship with the planet.

  • sign the pacific call to action

    “Te Reo O Te Moana” rallies governments to act boldly for the ocean

    Launched by Indigenous leaders and ocean champions throughout the Pacific on March 28 in Papeete, French Polynesia, a global call to action urges nations around the world to achieve comprehensive protection for Te Moana nui a Hiva (“the great blue ocean”).

  • join us by calling for a moratorium on deep-sea mining

    The deep sea is our sacred place of creation. It is our country, it is our home. We stand together and call for a moratorium on deep-sea mining.

    Watch our video in which Pacific leaders share their thoughts about the threat of deep-sea mining.

Jess Loiterton / Pexels

Our Priorities

Our voyage is focused on solutions to mitigate the ocean’s biggest threats. In the same vaka, we paddle towards our shared vision of the future. 

Together, we: 

  • Support the Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (also known as the BBNJ Agreement or high seas treaty) embracing Indigenous-led preparatory processes and proposals

  • Advocate for a moratorium on deep-sea mining, through our engagement at the International Seabed Authority

  • Mobilize for the recognition of Indigenous rights and interests within the legal frameworks governing Regional Fisheries Management Organizations

  • Build the next generation of advocates to protect and nurture our ancestral places 

  • When asked, support aligned movements and initiatives of our sisters and brothers as guardians of their respective places 


Tom Vierus / Ocean Image Bank

our call

As the people of Oceania, we hear the call of our ancestors, guiding us to join together in the same canoe, united in our traditional values and practices to speak for the ocean.

As Indigenous People, we have a deep relationship with nature. We believe that the Earth, its natural systems, and the life that surrounds us are our relatives, deserving of our care and reverence. We understand that the well-being of the planet’s creatures and systems is tied to our own survival.

The work before us is focused on realigning people, corporations, and governments in our global community to understand this reciprocal relationship with nature. We are veering conversations away from unprecedented resource extraction and taking a seat at the table where decisions about our ancestral places are made. We intervene with traditional wisdom and our shared vision of abundance–and do so at this critical point in time of a rapidly changing climate.

our crew 

We are a people-powered movement with participants throughout Oceania who are steering our work and vision. This is only just the beginning. 

Hawai‘i

Aotearoa

Tahiti

Samoa

American Samoa

Saipan

Tonga

Niue

Rapa Nui

New Caledonia

Guam

Pohnpei

Kiribati

Tuvalu

Cook Islands

Fiji

Papua New Guinea

Yap

Palau

Hawai‘i • Aotearoa • Tahiti • Samoa • American Samoa • Saipan • Tonga • Niue • Rapa Nui • New Caledonia • Guam • Pohnpei • Kiribati • Tuvalu • Cook Islands • Fiji • Papua New Guinea • Yap • Palau •