Aiono Fanaafi Le Tagaloa OM (25 June 1932 – 14 August 2014) was a chief ( ''matai''), scholar, historian and professor of

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

. An authority on Samoan culture and language, she was one of the most educated female ''matai'' in the country with a PhD in

educational philosophy The philosophy of education is the branch of applied philosophy that investigates the nature of education as well as its aims and problems. It includes the examination of educational theories, the presuppositions present in them, and the arguments ...

and

applied linguistics Applied linguistics is an interdisciplinary field which identifies, investigates, and offers solutions to language-related real-life problems. Some of the academic fields related to applied linguistics are education, psychology, communication res ...

from the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

. She was instrumental in formulating and implementing bi-cultural and bi-lingual education in Samoa, in particular, during her tenure as Director of Education for the government as the country moved from colonial rule to political independence in the early 1960s. She held other senior positions in education in Samoa, including Professor of Samoan Studies at the

National University of Samoa The National University of Samoa (''Lē Iunivesitē Aoao o Sāmoa'') is the only national university in Samoa. Established in 1984 by an act of parliament, it is coeducational and provides certificate, diploma, and undergraduate degree programs, as ...

and principal of Samoa Teachers' College. Her distinguished career included politics and she was a former Member of Parliament in Samoa, having first entered parliament at the 1985 general election under the

Human Rights Protection Party The Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP, sm, Vaega Faaupufai e Puipuia Aia Tatau a Tagata) is a Samoan political party. It was founded in 1982 and dominated Samoan party politics for decades thereafter, leading every government until their defea ...

(HRPP). In 1997, she founded the Indigenous University of Samoa (''Le Iunivesite o le Amosa o Savavau''). The university curriculum is taught in the

Samoan language Samoan ( or ; ) is a Polynesian language spoken by Samoans of the Samoan Islands. Administratively, the islands are split between the sovereign country of Samoa and the United States territory of American Samoa. It is an official language, alon ...

with qualifications in Bachelor of Arts and

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degrees. She published extensively about Samoan history, land rights, '' fa'amatai'' chiefly governance and '' fa'a Samoa'' socio-political issues, as well as the role of women and children in the

Pacific Islands Collectively called the Pacific Islands, the islands in the Pacific Ocean are further categorized into three major island groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Depending on the context, the term ''Pacific Islands'' may refer to one of se ...

. Her scholarly work and publications have been widely read and cited.

Family

Aiono Fanaafi was married to

Le Tagaloa Pita Le Tagaloa Pita is a high chief '' matai'' and a former Member of Parliament of Samoa. He is a ''matai'' from the village of Sili on the island of Savai'i and has an honorary doctorate from Drew University in the United States. During his politic ...

, a high chief of Sili village on Savai'i island, who is also a former parliamentarian with cabinet portfolios. Her daughter To'oto'oleaava Dr. Fanaafi Le Tagaloa, is a lawyer, writer, and head of Samoan International Finance Authority.

Education

Aiono Fanaafi was born in Samoa and attended Malifa Primary School near

Apia Apia () is the capital and largest city of Samoa, as well as the nation's only city. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district (''itūmālō'') of Tuamasaga. T ...

on the island of

Upolu Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long and in area, making it the second largest of the Samoan Islands by area. With approximatel ...

. She attended intermediate and grammar schools in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island country ...

. She later attended Ardmore Teachers' College in Auckland where she graduated in 1954. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1957. Her Master of Arts degree was completed at

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The university is well know ...

. Her Master's thesis was titled ''The Pattern of Education and the Factors Influencing that Development in the New Zealand Dependencies in the Pacific''. Her outstanding academic achievements in New Zealand earned her the prestigious MacKintosh Travelling Scholarship, becoming the first

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Oce ...

to do so. The scholarship allowed her to study for her doctorate at the University of London which she completed in 1960. Her doctoral dissertation was titled ''Bilingualism and its Socio-Economic and Philosophical Implications in a Society Forced to be Bilingual''.

Career in education

After completing her PhD in London, Aiono Fanaafi lectured at Victoria University in New Zealand for four years. In 1965, she became the Principal of Samoa Teachers' College. She briefly held the position of Deputy Director of Education for the Samoan government before her appointment as Director, a position she held from December 1968 until March 1975. From 1976 to 1981, she worked in the same role for the Congregational Christian Church in Samoa. From 1982 – 1985, she was Vice-Chancellor of the

Recognition

In 2005 she was made a member of the

Order of Merit of Samoa The Samoan Order of Merit is an order recognizing distinguished service in science, art, literature, or religion. Per the Honours and Awards Act 1999, admission into the organization is granted by the O le Ao o le Malo, presently Vaaletoa Sualauvi ...

Works

*1968 ''Curriculum Plan for the University of South Pacific'', University of the South Pacific *1986 ''The Status and Roles of Females in Traditional and Modern Samoa'' (paper), UNESCO *''The Samoan Lady in Society and as a Healer'' (paper) *''The Economic Roles of Females in Samoan Society'' (paper) *''The Social Structure of the Samoan Village'' (paper) *1992 ''Culture and Democracy in the South Pacific'', Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific, *1997 ''O le Faasinomaga : le tagata ma lona Faasinomaga'', Lamepa Press,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Le Tagaloa, Aiono Fanaafi Samoan historians Alumni of the University of London Historians of the Pacific Samoan chiefs Samoan women writers Human Rights Protection Party politicians Members of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa Samoan women in politics 1932 births 2014 deaths People from Apia 20th-century women politicians 20th-century historians 20th-century women writers 20th-century writers Women historians National University of Samoa faculty Members of the Order of Merit of Samoa