Elusive, Critically Endangered Bird—and One of the Closest Living Relatives of Dodos—Was Spotted for the First Time in Five Years
Conservationists are racing to save the manumea, a chicken-sized bird that lives only on two Samoan islands, from extinction.
January, 2026
During a recent field survey, experts with the Samoa Conservation Society recorded numerous sightings of the manumea, also known as the tooth-billed pigeon. They’re hopeful they can still save the elusive bird from extinction.
“Although we couldn’t capture a photo this time—the bird’s quick movements in and out of the canopy, sudden and long viewing distance made it nearly impossible—the sightings are strong confirmation that the Manumea is still here,” the group wrote on Facebook on November 7.
The last confirmed sighting was in August 2020, according to Save the Manumea, a joint campaign from the Samoa Conservation Society and Samoa’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. The most recent known evidence of breeding was in December 2013, when a juvenile was spotted and photographed in a tree...
Okay, here it is! In "Asian and Pacific Islander" the second group often gets overshadowed, so here it is... a Pacific-only book list. This is of course by no means comprehensive. I tried to cover as many areas as I could find literature for. I've marked queer and disability rep based on book blurbs, but I have not read most of these (yet!). Feel free to comment if you know more!
Novels
Leaves of the Banyan Tree by Albert Wendt classic novel, Samoa
The Adventures of Vela by Albert Wendt mythology epic, Samoa
Scarlet Lies (series) by Lani Young romance, humor, Samoa (🏳️🌈 side character)
Mata Oti: Eyes of Death by Lani Young zombie thriller, Samoa
Telesā (series) by Lani Young YA paranormal romance, Samoa
Scar of the Bamboo Leaf by Sieni A.M. YA contemporary, Samoa ♿
Where We Once Belonged by Sia Figiel literary novel, Samoa
They Who Do Not Grieve by Sia Figiel literary novel, Samoa
Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier Pacific fantasy, Guam author
Turtle Under Ice by Juleah del Rosario YA contemporary, Filipina-CHamoru-American
A Mansion on the Moon: A Guam Love Story by C Sablan Gault historical romance, generational, CHamoru (Guam)
Lei and the Fire Goddess (series) by Malia Maunakea MG mythology adventure, Kānaka Maoli (Hawai'i)
House of Many Gods by Kiana Davenport generational novel, Hawai'i
Song of the Exile by Kiana Davenport historical novel, Hawai'i
The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera classic children's novel, Māori
All That We Know by Shilo Kino contemporary, Māori ♿
The Pōrangi Boy by Shilo Kino YA contemporary, Māori
How to Loiter in a Turf War by Coco Solid contemporary semi-autobiographical, multiple Pacific characters 🏳️🌈
The Dawnhounds by Sascha Stronach fantasy mystery, Māori 🏳️🌈
Kāwai: For Such a Time as This (series) by Monty Soutar pre-colonial epic, Māori
Auē by Becky Manawatu contemporary novel, Māori
Dawn Raid by Pauline (Vaeluaga) Smith MG historical 1970s, Samoan-Aotearoa
Falling into Rarohenga by Steph Matuku YA fantasy, Māori
The Imaginary Lives of James Pōneke by Tina Makereti novel, historical, Māori 🏳️🌈
The Bone Tree by Airana Ngarewa novel, Māori
Dirt Poor Islanders by Winnie Dunn novel, Tongan-Australian
The Shark That Ate the Sun by John Puhiatau Pule literary novel, Niue [read here]
Breadfruit (series) by Célestine Hitiura Vaite novel, humor, Tahiti
Island of Shattered Dreams by Chantal T. Spitz historical novel, Tahiti
Kalyana by Rajni Mala Khelawan novel, Fiji, Indian diaspora
Maiba: A Novel of Papua New Guinea by Russell Soaba classic novel
Short Stories
This Is Paradise by Kristiana Kahakauwila short stories, Hawai'i
Tales of the Tikongs by Epeli Hau'ofa short stories, Tonga
The Unpainted Mask by Steven Edmund Winduo short stories, Papua New Guinea
Poetry
‘Āina Hānau / Birth Land by Brandy Nālani McDougall poetry, Kanaka ʻŌiwi (Hawai'i)
Ocean Mother by Arielle Taitano Lowe poetry, CHamoru (Guam)
from unincorporated territory (series) by Craig Santos Perez poetry, CHamoru (Guam)
Coconut Milk by Dan Taulapapa McMullin poetry, Samoa 🏳️🌈
Rangikura by Tayi Tibble poetry, Māori
Goddess Muscle by Karlo Mila poetry, Tongan-Aotearoa
Civilized Girl by Jully Makini poetry, Solomon Islands [read title poem here]
Nonfiction
Polynesian Panthers: Pacific Protest and Affirmative Action in Aotearoa New Zealand 1971 - 1981 edited by Dr Melani Anae, Leilani Tamu, Lautofa Luli
Hine Toa by Ngahuia Te Awekotuku memoir, Māori activist 🏳️🌈
Mau Moko: The World of Maori Tattoo by Ngahuia Te Awekotuku
From a Native Daughter: Colonialism and Sovereignty in Hawaii by Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask
Desert Warrior by M.B. Dallocchio memoir, CHamoru (Mariana Islands)🏳️🌈
No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies by Julian Aguon memoir, climate essays, CHamoru
Don't Ever Whisper by Giff Johnson biography of Darlene Keju, Marshall Islands anti-nuclear activist [author not Pasifika]
Samoan Queer Lives by Dan Taulapapa McMullin 🏳️🌈
Pasifika Heroes series by David Riley and Michel Mulipola illustrated legends/biographies, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands
Anthologies
Indigenous Pacific Islander Eco-Literatures anthology, climate focus (🏳️🌈several contributors)
Vā: Stories by women of the Moana anthology, Pacific women
Growing Up Torres Strait Islander in Australia, anthology
Sista, Stanap Strong! anthology, Vanuatu
Indigenous Literatures from Micronesia anthology, Kiribati, Palau, CHamoru, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, more
An Ocean of Wonder: The Fantastic in the Pacific spec-fic anthology
Hiwa: Contemporary Māori Short Stories edited by Paula Morris
Footnotes below:
Many of these will be indie/small press titles. I've tried to ensure they are available somewhere, even if it's just Kindle. A few (the Papua and Solomon Islands ones) you may need to inter-library loan.
Some authors have more books than listed, so please look into their full bibliography. Witi Ihimaera and Albert Wendt especially are pillars of Pacific literature and have many publications.
There are more Māori authors than listed here! But I wanted to keep a balanced list.
I have left out children's picture books of which there are many, though some may be locally published.
I included Sia Figiel for her contributions to Samoan literature despite her recent... troubles.
I am not PI, I just make lists. Feel free to correct any mistakes I've made or add more to the comments!
