Pacific Cultures team

Find out about the people that make up our Pacific Cultures team and their roles at Te Papa.

Safua Akeli Amaama

Head of New Zealand and Pacific Histories and Cultures

Safua stands to the right of the photo frame in front of a waka

Safua Akeli Amaama is a historian, with a particular interest in Pacific-New Zealand relations. She has research interests in cultural heritage, gender, migration, health, and governance.

Sean Mallon

Senior Curator Pacific Histories and Cultures

Sean Mallon stands in front of wall of Pacific collection items

Sean Mallon specialises in the social and cultural history of Pacific peoples in New Zealand. He is the author of Tatau: A History of Sāmoan Tattooing (2017) with Sébastien Galliot, and is currently researching issues relating to the agency and activism of Pacific peoples in museums.
Sean’s publications on Google Scholar

Rachel Yates

Curator Pacific Histories and Cultures

Curator Rachel Yates in the Pacific storeroom with a brightly coloured Pacific Island dress

Rachel’s personal kaupapa is to work alongside Pacific communities and advocate space for Pacific narratives and histories from within Aotearoa New Zealand and across the wider Pacific region. She's currently engaged in ongoing research of Pacific women and migration in the 21st century.
 

 

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