Samoa will farewell pioneer, scholar and historian, Aiono Dr. Fana’afi Le Tagaloa, today when she will be laid to rest.
Aiono passed away last week at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital at Moto’otua.
One of her children told the Samoa Observer yesterday that Aiono will have her final service on Saturday at her family home at Fasito’o.
“Her body will be taken to Fasito’o on Friday for the family service,” the Samoa Observer was told.
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Last week, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi paid tribute to the late Aiono.
Tuilaepa spoke highly of her many successes, including being the first Samoan to hold a PhD.
“She was also a pioneer in many areas, especially in the area of gender balance and gender equality,” he said.
Aiono was a former Member of Parliament and a former Director of Education. She is known for her role in promoting education for the children of Samoa.
Aiono has been instrumental in formulating and implementing bi-cultural and bi-lingual education in Samoa, in particular, during her tenure as Director of Education for the government as the country moved from colonial rule to political independence in the early 1960s.
She has held other senior positions in education in Samoa, including Professor of Samoan Studies at the National Un iversity of Samoa and principal of Samoa Teacher's College.
Her distinguished career includes politics and she is a former Member of Parliament, having first entered parliament at the 1985 general election under the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP).
In 1997, she founded the Indigenous University of Samoa (Le Iunivesite o le Amosa o Savavau). The university curriculum is taught in the Samoan language with qualifications in Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees.
She has published extensively about Samoan history, land rights, fa'amatai chiefly governance and fa'a Samoa socio-political issues, as well as the role of women and children in the Pacific Islands.
Her scholarly work and publications have been widely read and cited.
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