Ancestral Intelligence Propelling Us Forward.
GROWING PACIFIC FUTURES IN STEAM
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics
OUR VISION
PACIFIC PEOPLES WORKING IN STEAM
ABOUT US
Tagata Moana Trust is a Pacific-led organisation based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa, creating pathways for Pacific people to learn, create, connect and lead.
We believe our Pacific communities already hold the creativity, knowledge and intelligence needed to shape the future. Our role is to create the spaces, opportunities and pathways for that potential to thrive.
STEAM is in our DNA.
For Pacific peoples, science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics are not foreign concepts. Our ancestors designed and built extraordinary vaka, navigating by the stars, winds and ocean across the world’s largest ocean. They engineered complex systems to grow and sustain food, built structures and communities using the resources around them, and passed sophisticated knowledge across generations.
That resilience, ingenuity and creativity did not disappear.
Pacific peoples are STEAM — and the industries shaping our future need Pacific creativity, knowledge and perspectives.
That belief sits at the heart of Tagata Moana Trust.
Working at the intersection of STEAM, education, arts, culture and digital inclusion, we connect ancestral knowledge with the technologies, skills and opportunities of today. From classrooms and community programmes to our makerspace, gallery and Pacific Hub, we create opportunities for Pacific people to see themselves not simply as participants in the future, but as the people building it.
Our programmes support tamariki and rangatahi to explore STEAM through Pacific ways of knowing. We build digital capability and financial confidence, champion Pacific artists and creative practice, strengthen educators and communities, and create pathways into further education, employment and leadership.
We are proudly Pacific-led and deeply connected to the communities we serve. From our home in Ōtautahi, our work reaches communities across Te Waipounamu and beyond through schools, partnerships, regional delivery and digital learning.
Our vision is a future where Pacific people have equitable access to opportunity, are represented in the spaces where decisions and technologies are being made, and have the confidence and capability to create solutions for their communities and the world.
Our culture is not something we leave behind as we move into the future. It is the intelligence that propels us forward.
Ancestral Intelligence propelling us forward.
OUR MISSION
TO DESIGN, DEVELOP AND DELIVER PACIFIC LED PATHWAYS INTO STEAM THROUGH THE AMPLIFICATION OF PACIFIC ARTS, LANGUAGE AND CULTURE.
SIGN UP NOW for the next term of Tupaia CLUBHOUSE
Tupaia was a Tahitian master navigator and Tahu'a (high priest). Through his innovative thinking, mastered navigation skill set, and courageous, inquiring mind, his legacy of Ancestral Innovation (AI) lives on.
Tupaia Clubhouse aims to provide Tagata Moana students with a creative, culturally grounded learning environment to develop fundamental skills, experience a variety of industry partnerships, and forge a pathway into STEAM careers — shaping a new generation of master navigators for STEAM industries.
Join us in nurturing a new wave of confident, resilient, and powerful critical thinkers through acknowledging and actioning the AI of our Tipuna.
Upcoming events
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Mana Tamaiti
Take your school’s STEM education to the next level.
A transformative, culturally grounded STEM programme for Pacific students in Years 4–9.Contact talanoa@gmail.com for more information.
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Between tree and tide
Opening: Friday 21 August 2026
Location: Fibre Gallery, Ōtautahi Christchurch
Between Tree and Tide is an immersive exhibition of large-scale portraiture exploring memory, atmosphere, and the space between the familiar feminine and the fantastical. Drawing on echoes of Luca's Tongan childhood, the works form an altar to the women, places, and stories that have shaped him — inviting visitors into a tropical world that feels both dreamlike and deeply familial.
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STAY CONNECTED
Sign up to our mailing list for the latest from Tagata Moana Trust and Fibre Gallery.
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Moana Money
Are you ready to empower your Pacific Secondary students with essential financial skills? Join our 5-week financial capability program and watch them develop a positive money mindset and financial competence.
Our program covers five crucial topics:
Money Mindset
Debt Management
Budgeting Skills
Smart Investments
Building Financial Confidence
Each session is 2 hours long, providing a comprehensive and engaging learning experience.
By participating in "Moana Money," your students will:
Gain the knowledge and skills to make informed financial decisions.
Actively participate in the economic aspects of life.
Enhance their financial well-being, benefiting both individuals and society.
