Embedding Samoan indigenous philosophy in early childhood education

Jacoba Matapo is the first Pro Vice-Chancellor Pacific at Auckland University of Technology | Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau. She is a Professor, specialising in Pacific early childhood education and Pacific education research. She is of Samoan Dutch heritage, born and raised in Aotearoa, New Zealand. A particular focus of her academic practice is activating Pacific philosophies and relational ontologies to confront education politics and discourse that continue to subjugate Pacific peoples’ language, culture, spirituality, and identity in education outcomes. In Pacific early childhood education, her research mobilises Pacific pedagogies for young Pacific children, traversing Pacific epistemologies and ways of being. In her professional career, Jacoba’s leadership experience includes ECE centre management, academic leadership in undergraduate and postgraduate teacher education programmes, and senior leadership roles.

Dr Salā Fa’asaulala Tagoilelagi-Leota is the co-founder and co-director AATA Limited (Aoga Amata Transnational Aotearoa). She is an experienced Principal Analyst in the public policy industry. Her PhD from Auckland University of Technology is focused in Early Childhood Education and Teaching.

Dr Tafili Utumapu-McBride is a senior lecturer at Auckland University of Technology | Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau. Tafili has a PhD in Education from the University of Auckland (1998). Her doctoral research was one of the first in Pacific ECE, where she examined the impact of Samoan women’s roles in 21 Samoan Language Nests in Auckland (supervised by Professor Stuart McNaughton). Her research focused on documenting how Samoan communities have evolved and how they maintained their cultural identity. She thrives in teaching Pacific pedagogies and modeling Pacific values to her Teacher Education students.