About

Pacific Advisory Group

Developing a strong Pacific Dimension at Tāmaki Paenga Hira is a priority to the overall vision and objectives of Future Museum.


Tāmaki Paenga Hira’s Pacific Advisory Group assists the Museum in developing a stronger Pacific dimension. The aim is for the Museum to better reflect Auckland’s rich Pacific identity, connecting with the Museums significant Pacific collections through stories, programmes, events, projects and education. 


The Pacific Advisory Group provide on-going advice to the Museum on matters relating to this aim and the Museums Teu Le Vā framework.

 

Teu Le Vā Framework

Teu Le Vā Framework

Information about the guiding principles of the Pacific Dimension at Auckland Museum.

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Pacific Advisory Group

Pakilau Manase Lua

Pacific Advisory Group Chair

Pakilau Manase Lua

I am a Matāpule (Talking Chief or Herald) for my village of Vaini in the Kingdom of Tonga and a Pacific Community Leader here in Aotearoa. I was officially installed with the title Pakilau ‘o Aotearoa by Lord Ma’afu of the Kingdom of Tonga in 2017, after completing my full body traditional tattoo or ta tatau (lagi malofie) the year before. I am married to Folola and we have four amazing children and we live in Flatbush near South Auckland.

I oversee and manage Te Pou’s Diversity and Inclusion programme called Kanorau, and the Disability Workforce Development programme. I am also Te Pou’s principal advisor on Pasifika issues. I wear many hats in my Pasifika community including Chair of the Auckland Museum Pacific Advisory Group and COVID-19 Pacific Response Coordination Team of the Pacific Leadership Forum. I also sit on a number of other community and NGO boards.

I started my career at the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs in 1996, where I worked for five years. I then left the public service to work for a couple of years as a consultant and then for a small Pacific disability provider. I then returned to the public service where I worked in the Disability Services Directorate of the Ministry of Health in 2003 before joining Le Va (when it was part of Te Pou) in March 2008. After five amazing and fulfilling years at Le Va, I decided to stay at Te Pou to take up a management and executive leadership role since April 2013.

 

Seiuli Terri Leo-Mauu

BA, BA (hons), MA (University of Auckland)


Seiuli Terri Leo-Mauu hails from Grey Lynn, the villages of Mulifanua and Salelologa, Samoa and is the proud mum to Mikaela Kei-Aloha. Seiuli Terri is the Director of ASB Polyfest – the largest cultural festival of its kind and is the Founder of Black Sei Productions specialising in the areas of event and project management, cultural literacy and community and corporate engagement.
She has over 15 years’ experience in the Tertiary Sector having worked in several universities and polytechnics in student recruitment, equity senior leadership and Pacific development. Seiuli Terri is an experienced innovator in facilitation, community engagement, financial and events management and has a passion for intergeneration knowledge, community and Pacific wellbeing, Samoan tatau (tattoo) and Pacific cultures of learning.

 

Christine Nurminen

Christine Nurminen

Christine is a modern mother, believer and advocate with a healthy respect for the mana of diverse people. Born in Aotearoa, New Zealand, Christine completed her MA (Hons) in Education at the University of Auckland. Her dissertation topic was based on an early childhood centre in Mangere. Christine is bi-lingual, she is a children’s book author, researcher with over fifteen years’ experience working in government, not-for-profit and community in various leadership roles, policy and funder roles. Christine has worked to build relationships that create better environments for change. Christine is the former Pasifika Education Centre (PEC) Chief Executive and is currently the International Portfolio Manager (Pacific) at Oxfam New Zealand. She is part of a generation of diverse leaders who understand that families and children are the cornerstone of strong communities in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Marama T-Pole

Marama T-Pole

Marama T-Pole is of Tuvaluan/Pakeha descent. Her professional  background is as a journalist and television director. She has worked for Tagata Pasifika on TV One since 2005. In this role, she has covered Pacific news, current affairs and long format progammes for the flagship Pacific show. Marama has a passion for promoting Tuvalu heritage arts and has enjoyed curating exhibitions for local Tuvalu artists.   

Seulupe Dr. Falaniko Tominiko

Pacific Advisory Group Deputy Chair

Seulupe Dr. Falaniko Tominiko

Falaniko Tominiko hails from the villages of Apia, Aleisa, Lotofaga, Matatufu, Satitoa, Satapuala, Salailua, Safotu, Samauga, Falealupo in Western Samoa; and Pava’ia’i in American Samoa. Currently based in Mangere, Falaniko is all-round South Aucklander.

Falaniko studied Pacific Studies at the University of Auckland and is currently the Director of Pacific Success at the Unitec Institute of Technology. His interests are in Pacific leadership, history, languages, arts and culture.

Dagmar Vaikalafi Dyck

Dagmar Vaikalafi Dyck

As a first-generation New Zealander, Dagmar Dyck is an artist, researcher, art educator, and social justice advocate. Her navigation in and around different worldviews is at the heart of her identity and arts practice. In 1995 Dagmar graduated from ELAM, University of Auckland, with a PGDip in Fine Arts. She was the first woman of Tongan descent to do so. Represented by Orexart Gallery she regularly exhibits nationally and internationally, with her work held in significant national collections. The groundbreaking exhibition ‘Amui ‘i Mu’a - Ancient Futures, showcased her involvement as Investigator artist on a five-year Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund project in conjunction with The University of Auckland. She has visited more than 15 museum collections worldwide focusing on art objects of exchange and encounters between Europeans and Tongans in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Dagmar is Deputy Principal at Sylvia Park School. In 2019 she completed her MProf (Hons) in Education at the University of Auckland. Her dissertation topic involved examining art teachers’ beliefs, attitudes and pedagogical practices and how these could affirm Pasifika students’ success as Pasifika. Dagmar holds several governance roles and is a Board member (Ministerial Appointment) for The Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Dagmar’s maternal lineage hails from the Wolfgramm and Hemaloto kainga from the village of ‘Utungake, Vava’u, Tonga. Her paternal lineage includes Dutch, Polish and German ancestry and links to her father’s birthplace in Gdansk, Poland.   

 

Kenneth Tuai

 

Kenneth Tuai is of Tongan descent, from ‘Ata, Houma,'Eua; Navutoka in Tongatapu, Falevai in Vava'u. He is a Town Planner by profession and currently works for Auckland Transport as an Elected Member Relationship Manager. This enables him to contribute to the transformative development of Tāmaki Makaurau as a region by engaging with decision makers to reflect local priorities within a wider strategic context. He has a wide range of interests including Tongan history, culture, arts and philosophy and made a number of visits to major international museums with Tongan collections in pursuing these interests. He has a passion for supporting local communities and initiatives, particularly in the arts. Kenneth grew up in Ōtāhuhu, Auckland where he lives with his wife, Kolokesa and two daughters, Meleseini & Akesiumeimoana.

 

Fesaitu Solomone

Fesaitu Solomone

PgDip in Business Administration, MBA

Fesaitu Solomone hails from the island of Rotuma. She is a Consultant specializing in media content. She has held management roles in the Television Media Industry for over two decades with Fiji Television Limited and Sky Network Television Limited. Her belief in our Pacific people further lobbied Sky TV in 2019 to sponsor the first Pacific content in partnership with Pacific Media Network to deliver Pacific Divas on Prime. She acted as one of the Sky Executive Producers and Producers for this concert. Additionally, she is a strong advocate, influencer and promoter for Rotuman language and culture. Her passion and love for her Rotuman language led her to establish the first NZQA accredited Rotuman Language program through Pasifika Education Centre in 2017. She continues to be an advisor and Rotuman language tutor. She further extended her work in the Rotuman language space as the Senior Translator and on-air Presenter for the Rotuman language during COVID-19. She is a strong supporter to her Rotuman community and any Pacific community that works to promote our people.

Cameron Webster

Youth Representative

Cameron Webster

Cameron Webster is of Niuean culture and heritage which provides him with a rich, diverse view of the world and Pacific issues. Hailing from the village of Fineone Hakupu Atua, Cameron has been priviliged to travel back and forth between his two homelands.

Ufitia Sagapolutele

Youth Representative

Ufitia Sagapolutele

Ufitia Sagapolutele is an Aotearoa-born Samoan creative artist, choreographer, dancer and co-founder of Pacific dance collective TULOU.

Ufitia began her dance career as a dancer in world-renowned dance company ‘The Royal Family’. From then, Ufitia decided to take a different path and has created dance works that have been performed at the Weltkulturen Museum (Germany), Auckland Art Gallery, Te Papa Museum, Auckland War Memorial Museum, New Zealand Portrait Gallery, Kia Mau Festival, and Pacific Dance Festival to name a few.

Ufitia has a Master of Dance Studies degree and Postgraduate Diploma of Dance from the University of Auckland, as well as a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Performing Arts) from the Manukau Institute of Technology. Aside from dance, Ufitia is also a producer, project coordinator, and has experience in leading and managing projects and programmes. Ufitia is currently the executive assistant for renowned choreographer Kiel Tutin and a producer for multiple organisations in Tāmaki Makaurau. Ufitia sits on the board for Northern Dance Network and is the secretary on the board at The Basement.

Pamata Toleafoa

Youth Representative

Pamata Toleafoa

Pamata Diaz Toleafoa hails from the villages of Salelesi and Satapuala, of the motu of Samoa. Born in Hastings, Pamata was raised and currently resides in Mangere, South Auckland. 

A proud former student of Mangere College and the University of Auckland, Pamata graduated with a Bachelor of Arts conjoint with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) with first-class honours. Recently, Pamata submitted a master’s in fine arts, with a research topic examing measina as living entities.

Pamata is passionate about Samoan measina and is constantly exploring new ways to re-energize how we ‘look at, ‘look into’ and understand our treasures beyond their visual aesthetics. Drawing on the oral histories, narratives, and experiences gifted by elders, Pamata manifests this through creating measina using readily available materials to reflect diasporic influences and opportunities as they are presented. 

Pamata currently serves as Senior Librarian Pasifika Research under Auckland Libraries. 

"As one of the Youth Representatives within the Pacific Advisory Group (PAG), I am fortunate to provide my cultural knowledge and creative experience to enhance the conversations around the trajectory of our measina. Being a youth voice for PAG means I can inform and be informed about how we can better connect and serve our treasures."