The Origins and Development of the Pacific Islands Scholars Fund

The Pacific Islands Scholars Fund (PISF) was established and funded by contributions from members of the Association for Social Anthropology in Oceania (ASAO) in order to support the increased participation of Pacific Islander scholars in ASAO sessions at the association’s annual meetings. This paper traces the origins of the fund as well as the various accompanying ways that ASAO members, especially the PISF chair and committee members, session organizers, and other participants, have provided additional support and mentorship to encourage and facilitate the incorporation of Pacific Islanders in ASAO sessions

Preface: Writing ASAO Histories

Keeping the written history of the Association for Social Anthropology in Oceania has been on the agenda for ASAO since the very earliest days of the organization’s existence. This essay recounts various efforts to document that history and to compile significant records, such as a bibliography of publications arising from ASAO sessions. It then describes the process behind the development of the papers in this collection over the course of several ASAO sessions and briefly describes the focus of each essay. Paper topics range from the nature of ASAO sessions, annual meeting site selection, and the distinguished lecture series; to issues of inclusiveness and rights of membership, Pacific Islander participation, and student mentoring; to ASAO book series and other forms of communication including newsletters, the ASAONET listserve, and the ASAO website

Ethnicity, nationality, and the rights of indigeneity: The case of Rotumans in Fiji

Abstract On 13 July 2000, Interim Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase presented to the Great Council of Chiefs in Fiji a document titled "Blueprint for the protection of Fijian & Rotuman rights and interests, and the advancement of their development," a set of proposals that covered "issues which have been of great concern to Fijians and Rotumans regarding the security of their rights and interests as the indigenous communities in Fiji, and also the advancement and acceleration of their development, so that they can participate on an equitable basis in the progress of our country" (Qarase, 2000). This paper presents an analysis of a challenge to the grouping of Rotumans with Fijians as indigenes under the Blueprint, and Rotuman responses to arguments denying their indigeneity

ISSUES OF CONCERN TO ROTUMANS ABROAD: A VIEW FROM THE ROTUMA WEBSITE

This article examines the Rotuman diaspora and its impact on cultural identity, focusing on expatriates’ perceptions of Rotuma as an ancestral home. Despite Rotuma\u27s political affiliation with Fiji for over a century, its people maintain distinct linguistic and cultural ties to Polynesian islands like Tonga, Samoa, and Futuna. Today, most Rotumans live abroad, primarily in Fiji and across various global locations. Drawing on decades of research and online postings from the Rotuma Website, the authors explore how expatriates engage with their heritage, sustain community connections, and navigate identity in the diaspora. Through interviews and long-term fieldwork, the study highlights the evolving concerns of overseas Rotumans, emphasizing their relationship to Rotuma as a central symbol of belonging and cultural continuity across generations

AGING AND WELL-BEING ON ROTUMA IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

In this article, we present a historical overview of the conditions affecting the experience of aging among Rotumans on their home island. We draw on an array of cultural, social, and personal data derived from censuses, fieldwork, and archival sources covering more than one hundred years on Rotuma, which we divide into three segments for comparison: a baseline period (1903–60), the transition to modernity (1960–99), and the twenty-first century (2000–19). Among the changes that have affected the welfare of the elderly on the island are medical conditions, household size and composition, economic changes, and the proportion of older people on the island. Our findings suggest that the overall effect of these changes—a lower death rate, a shift to a money economy fueled largely by remittances, smaller household size, and considerably more national and international mobility—has, if anything, increased the well-being of elderly people on Rotuma

Association of nutritional intake with clinical and imaging activity in pediatric multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Understanding nutritions role in multiple sclerosis (MS) can guide recommendations and intervention-based studies. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the association between nutrition and pediatric-onset MS outcomes. METHODS: Prospective longitudinal multicenter study conducted as part of the US Network of Pediatric MS centers. Predictors were collected using a food screener estimating intake of various dietary food groups (e.g. dairy and fruits) and additional calculated indices (e.g. Healthy Eating Index (HEI)). Outcomes included time-from-enrollment to clinical relapse, new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2 lesions, and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) increase. RESULTS: 353 children with MS were enrolled (mean ± SD age 15.4 ± 2.9, follow-up 3.9 ± 2.6 years). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that increased dairy by 50% of recommended intake was associated with increased relapse risk by 41% (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.41, 95% CI 1.07-1.86), and risk of T2 progression by 40% (1.40, 1.12-1.74). Increased intake of fruit or vegetable above recommended, and every five-point HEI increase decreased relapse risk by 25% (0.75, 0.60-0.95), 45% (0.55, 0.32-0.96), and 15% (0.84, 0.74-0.96), respectively. No associations were found with EDSS. CONCLUSION: This work supports the influence of dietary intake on MS course, particularly with dairy intake. Future prospective study is required to establish causation