Le Tagaloa Pita
Encyclopedia
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 political career, he was a member of the Human Rights Protection Party
(HRPP) and a cabinet minister with the portfolios of economic affairs and post office.
Prior to entering politics, Pita was acting principal of Alafua Agricultural Campus in Samoa, part of the University of the South Pacific
. He was elected for a second term in parliament at the 1973 general election. and retained his seat in the same electorate until the year 2000.
is a distinguished professor, educator and author in Samoa and who is also a former Member of Parliament in the country. Their children are high academic achievers. Their eldest son is a general surgeon who graduated from the University of Otago
Medical School in New Zealand. Their daughter Leinani Aiono-Le Tagaloa is an assistant clinical professor in anesthesiology at the University of California
, in the United States and another daughter is a school principal in Samoa. In 2009, a third daughter Fanaafi Aiono-Le Tagaloa, also a published author, became the first Samoan-born person to gain a PhD in law from Otago university.
Fa'amatai
Fa'amatai is the chiefly system of Samoa, central to the organization of Samoan society.It is the traditional indigenous form of governance in the Samoa Islands, comprising American Samoa and the Independent State of Samoa...
and a former Member of Parliament of Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
. He is a matai from the village of Sili
Sili
Sili is a village on the south side of Savai'i island in Samoa. Sili is situated inland, unlike most villages in Samoa which are settlements by the sea. The village lies within the electoral constituency of Palauli....
on the island of Savai'i
Savai'i
Savaii is the largest and highest island in Samoa and the Samoa Islands chain. It is also the biggest landmass in Polynesia outside Hawaii and New Zealand. The island of Savai'i is also referred to by Samoans as Salafai, a classical Samoan term used in oratory and prose...
and has an honorary doctorate from Drew University in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. During his political career, he was a member of the Human Rights Protection Party
Human Rights Protection Party
The Human Rights Protection Party is a Samoan political party. It has been the dominant party in Samoan politics since 1982.The party was co-founded in May 1979 by Va'ai Kolone and Tofilau Eti Alesana in opposition to the government of Tupuola Efi...
(HRPP) and a cabinet minister with the portfolios of economic affairs and post office.
Prior to entering politics, Pita was acting principal of Alafua Agricultural Campus in Samoa, part of 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...
. He was elected for a second term in parliament at the 1973 general election. and retained his seat in the same electorate until the year 2000.
Family
Le Tagaloa Pita's wife Aiono Fanaafi Le TagaloaAiono Fanaafi Le Tagaloa
Aiono Fanaafi Le Tagaloa is a chief , scholar, historian and professor of Samoa. An authority on Samoan culture and language, she is one of the most educated female matai in the country with a PhD in educational philosophy and applied linguistics from the University of London.She has been...
is a distinguished professor, educator and author in Samoa and who is also a former Member of Parliament in the country. Their children are high academic achievers. Their eldest son is a general surgeon who graduated from the University of Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
Medical School in New Zealand. Their daughter Leinani Aiono-Le Tagaloa is an assistant clinical professor in anesthesiology 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 the United States and another daughter is a school principal in Samoa. In 2009, a third daughter Fanaafi Aiono-Le Tagaloa, also a published author, became the first Samoan-born person to gain a PhD in law from Otago university.