Elijah is a wood carver, artist and emerging academic hailing from both Sāmoan & Māori heritages (Malie, Eva, Lefaga-Matautu & Te Whanau A Apanui). He is a Polyglot of Pacific languages and is passionately dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of Pacific knowledge & culture. His creative work focuses on traditional Pacific art forms including Ta 'Umete (bowl carving) and Fauva'a (canoe carving), while his academic work explores themes of cultural knowledge and kinship relations between Fiji & Samoa. Living across the Pacific and working in museums, Elijah believes education combined with valuable experiences and exposure can build impactful pursuits to protecting and nurturing Pacific culture forward.