The auditorium was packed, which was quite surprising for me, as I had expected only a few people to attend on the last day of the conference, but many were interested in the topic. I took a pic for myself to remind me of the venue, etc.
I was also honoured to be able to share some of my journey in safeguarding our Samoan cultural treasures, and gave some tips from my study journey and also from my work in my Samoan and indigenous communities, supporting our communities in their lifelong intergenerational learnings.
It was my first International conference presentation, so I was pleased and blessed by the many questions asked, especially those who came to see me before and after my presentation to share ideas at our family bookstall. It was quite overwhelming and very humbling.
I'm also blessed to know that my well overdue thesis was approved by the wānanga (Māori tertiary higher learning institute) to go to examination. This is such a miracle, as it has given me hope to bring this part of my journey to an end and see where it takes.
This is super exciting, as it's been a 7-year journey (part-time) since 2018, and now I'm awaiting the verdict of three examiners: one from Samoa and two from New Zealand. It's a creative, practice-led thesis, distinct from the usual academic theses, as I wanted to challenge mainstream ideas about what constitutes valid indigenous knowledge and ways of doing.
Let's see if my examiners agree with my approaches as a diaspora Samoan, i.e., one living outside the 'homeland'...
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