Emma Kruse Va'ai

Emma Kruse Va'ai is a Samoan chief (matai), writer^[1] and educator in Samoa. Her matai chief title is Letuimanu’asina.^[2]She has a PhD in English from the University of New South Wales in Australia and is a former director of Samoa Polytechnic. Currently, she is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Samoa following the polytechnic's merger into the university in 2006. Also a lecturer in English at the university, she is a strong advocate for bilingual education in both English and the Samoan language.

As a writer, she has published poetry and stories which have been translated into other Pacific Islands languages.^[3] She is also an executive committee member of the Samoa Association of Women Graduates (SAWG).^[4]

Letuimanu’asina was born and raised in Samoa in a family of eight siblings. Her primary and secondary schooling was at the Marist Missionary Sisters. Later, she studied at Victoria University in New Zealand before undertaking her doctorate in Australia.^[3] She is married to lawyer Alo Vaimoa Va'ai and they have four children.^[5]

Publications

• 1998 Palolo Time, a poem from Samoa; Learning Media, Ministry of Education (NZ), ISBN

0478227086

• 1998 Ready for School, a story from Samoa; Learning Media, Ministry of Education (NZ), ISBN

0478227116

• 2011 Producing the text of culture: the appropriation of English in contemporary Samoa; National University of Samoa (Lepapaigalagala, Samoa), ISBN 9789829003331

References

1. ^ Keown, Michelle (2007). Pacific Islands writing: the postcolonial literatures of Aotearoa/New. Oxford University Press US. p. 201. ISBN 0199276455, 9780199276455. http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=7ixeQE0fijkC&pg=PT225&dq=Emma+Kruse+Va'ai&cd=3#v=onepage&q=Emma%20Kruse%20Va'ai&f=false. 
2. ^ Lepou, Misa Vicky (2 September, 2009). "Samoa's national business faculty wins global award". Pacific Scoop. http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2009/09/samoa%E2%80%99s-national-university-business-faculty-wins-global-award/. Retrieved 12 January, 2010. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Nandan, Kavita Ivy (2007). Jen Web. ed. Writing the Pacific: an anthology. University of the South Pacific. p. 74. ISBN 9823660166. http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=D2ckhz51pgMC&pg=PA74&lpg=PA74&dq=Emma+Kruse+Va'ai&source=bl&ots=V8CYmLMGaI&sig=HehJVozcfL-mgI6U5ou5hzq7ae8&hl=en&ei=Uu9LS7jUNILQsgORjviHDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Emma%20Kruse%20Va'ai&f=false. 
4. ^ "Leadership". Samoa Association of Women Graduates. http://www.sawg.ws/leader.htm. Retrieved 12 January, 2010. 
5. ^ "Mango Mission poem by Emma Kruse Va'ai". New Zealand Electronic Poetry Centre. http://www.nzepc.auckland.ac.nz/features/whetu_moana/vaai.asp. Retrieved 12 January, 2010.