Who Do You Think You Are? Season 8 Episode 4

Mal Meninga

Mal Meninga goes on a deeply personal quest to discover if he's descended from an indentured labourer - brought back from the Pacific Islands to work in the Queensland cane fields - in a culture replete with racism, kidnapping and slavery. His search takes him to Tanna Island in Vanuatu. He finds his ancestor spent time in a Christian mission at Kwamera. Mal must unravel conflicting accounds of why his ancestor left. Was he tricked or was he looking for adventure and opportunity? Back in Australia, Mal's confronted by the harsh conditions endured by Islanders working in the cane fields. Faced with deportation, the South Sea Islander community rallied to challenge the White Australia Policy.