Teresia Teaiwa
Encyclopedia
Teresia Teaiwa is an I-Kiribati
and American
poet
and academic. The University of Oregon
describes her as "a groundbreaking scholar in the research of the culture of the Pacific Islands". Teaiwa was born in Honolulu to an I-Kiribati father and an African American
mother. She was subsequently raised in Fiji
.
She obtained a PhD in History of Consciousness
at the University of California
in 2001, on the topic "Militarism, Tourism and the Native: Articulations in Oceania".
She taught history
and politics
for five years at the University of the South Pacific
in Suva
, Fiji, before moving to New Zealand
to teach Pacific studies
at Victoria University
. She is currently a Senior Lecturer and Programme Director at Victoria University. She is also co-editor of the International Feminist Journal of Politics.
The Guardian
in April 2009 described her as one of Kiribati's "living national icons".
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and academic. The University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
describes her as "a groundbreaking scholar in the research of the culture of the Pacific Islands". Teaiwa was born in Honolulu to an I-Kiribati father and an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
mother. She was subsequently raised in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
.
She obtained a PhD in History of Consciousness
History of Consciousness
The History of Consciousness program is an interdisciplinary graduate program in the humanities with links to the sciences, social sciences, and arts at the University of California at Santa Cruz....
at the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
in 2001, on the topic "Militarism, Tourism and the Native: Articulations in Oceania".
She taught history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
for five years at the University of the South Pacific
University of the South Pacific
The University of the South Pacific is a public university with a number of locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. It is an international centre for teaching and research on Pacific culture and environment. USP's academic programmes are recognised worldwide, attracting students...
in Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
, Fiji, before moving to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
to teach Pacific studies
Pacific studies
Pacific studies is the study of the Pacific region across academic disciplines such as anthropology, archeology, art, economics, geography, history, linguistics, literature, music, politics, or sociology....
at Victoria University
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
. She is currently a Senior Lecturer and Programme Director at Victoria University. She is also co-editor of the International Feminist Journal of Politics.
The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in April 2009 described her as one of Kiribati's "living national icons".
Academic
- James Liu, Tim McCreanor, Tracey McIntosh and Teresia Teaiwa (eds), New Zealand Identities: Departures and Destinations. Wellington: Victoria University Press, 2005.
Literary
- Teresia Teaiwa, Searching for Nei Nim'anoa (poetry), 1995, ISBN-BC306
- Teresia Teaiwa, I can see Fiji: poetry and sound (CD of poetry), featuring Des Mallon, sound design by Hinemoana Baker
- Vilsoni HerenikoVilsoni HerenikoVilsoni Hereniko is a Fiji Islander playwright, film director and academic. He was the writer and director of Fiji's first ever feature film, The Land Has Eyes .-Biography:...
and Teresia Teaiwa, Last virgin in paradise : a serious comedy, 2001, ISBN 9820203171 - Teresia Teaiwa, "Real Natives Talk about Love” (creative non-fiction), in Niu Voices: Contemporary Pacific Fiction 1. Wellington: Huia, 2006: 35-40. ISBN 1-86969-254-3
External links
- Biography and Bibliography on the website of the University of Vienna
- Biography on the website of the University of Hawai'i
- Biobliography on the website of Victoria University
- "An analysis of the current political crisis in Fiji", an article by Teresia Teaiwa in Maori News
- Two poems by Teresia Teaiwa, in Development, Vol. 49, No. 1, 2006