In the 1970s, dawn raids were a harsh reality for Samoan and Pacific people in New Zealand. Police officers forced entry into homes suspected of housing people who were overstayers, triggering fear and anxiety in Pasifika communities.

The dawn raids began in the 1970s in Auckland. They represent a low point in the relationship between the government and the Pacific community. It was a time when the New Zealand Police was instructed by the government to enter homes and/or stop people on the street and ask for permits, visas, passports – anything that proved a person’s right to be in the country. This blunt instrument was applied almost exclusively to Pacific Islanders, even though during the 1970s and into the 1980s the bulk of overstayers (individuals who remained in New Zealand after the expiry of their visas) were from Europe or North America.

All sorts of people were on the wrong side of visa requirements, but Pacific people were the main targets in dawn raids.

In the 1990s, Oscar Kightley found his voice as a playwright by tackling this painful, shameful chapter that had been all but erased from the national narrative. The drama was already there, but Oscar shaped into a play that was relatable for those who knew it first hand and confronting for those who had not been personally affected.

The play premiered in 1997, triggering strong emotions in Pacific audiences. Oscar’s motivation was to tell an untold story.

“At that time, it hadn’t been explored on stage or screen, or told anywhere really. Pacific Underground exists to tell the stories of Pacific people in Aotearoa, so that was our focus. We had a real drive to share the story, so it was crucial for me to research it properly by interviewing people who were a part of the raids and get the truth out there,” he said.

“All of the characters in the play are based on real people and things that actually took place. I think this is what contributes to the authenticity of the play when audiences watch it now. The real pain and emotion resonates with the whole audience, whether they are Pacific or not.”

Half a century after the events, the play is being staged in Wellington in October with support from the Niu Dawn Raids Funding initiative and produced by ground-breaking arts collective Pacific Underground, formed in Christchurch.

This is a NZ$1.9 million fund from Creative New Zealand and support partners Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and NZ On Air, developed as part of the government’s 2021 formal apology to Pacific people for the hurt and damage caused by the dawn raids.

Oscar was ahead of the curve in developing a creative response to these very real events and is excited by the latest production of the play.