Masters graduate celebrates homecoming journey to Pacific Studies

Margaret Kiely received a Master of Arts in Pacific Studies on 7 May, completing a journey shaped by a growing commitment to Pacific knowledge and Indigenous solidarity.

Of Irish, Swiss and Sāmoan heritage, Margaret (Lalomanu, Poutasi, Amaile and Samusu) followed in the footsteps of her older sister, Dr Therese Lautua, to the University of Auckland - a pathway that felt both natural and welcoming.

“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do career wise,” Margaret says. “But university always felt like the obvious next step. I loved learning, and because I’d spent time on campus while my sister was studying and working in Māori and Pacific spaces, it never felt like a place I couldn’t belong.”

She began university through UniBound, a pathway programme that became a turning point. Coming from a largely Pākehā high school environment, UniBound introduced her to a strong Pacific community and, for the first time, to Pacific Studies.

“That space was loud, proud and brown,” she says. “I didn’t realise how much I’d been missing. Pacific Studies showed me that our knowledge systems, our histories and our ways of being belong at the forefront.”

Initially enrolled in a range of disciplines, Margaret eventually settled into Pacific Studies and Sociology, consciously moving away from what she describes as stereotypical ideas of what constitutes a “strong” qualification.

Indigenous knowledge

“We already have all that we need,” she says. “Pacific and Indigenous knowledge systems are powerful, rigorous, and essential to building just futures.”

This focus carried her into postgraduate study. Completing a Master of Arts in Pacific Studies, Margaret’s dissertation explored how Pacific tauiwi enact and express solidarity with Māori in decolonisation movements, with a particular focus on social media.

Supervised by Pacific Studies lecturer Dr Emalani Case, her research examined the evolving Māori–Pacific vā (relational space) in Aotearoa and contemporary expressions of collective struggle.

“Sometimes the work felt so familiar I wondered if it was even Masters level scholarship,” she says.

“But my supervisor reminded me that just because something is normal to us doesn’t mean it’s known or understood elsewhere. Our stories are valuable and should be documented.”

Margaret described completing her degree as both a relief and a source of pride, acknowledging the unwavering support of family, friends, mentors, and the wider Pacific Studies community.

“I’m surrounded by excellence, so I sometimes downplay my own achievements,” she says. “But this was hard work, and it mattered. It’s something to celebrate.”

She acknowledged her parents, Des and Anna Kiely, for the solid and loving foundation that has carried her to this milestone.

“Being able to focus on my study without extensive work commitments has been a huge privilege. That opportunity isn’t afforded to many, and I’m incredibly grateful to have been able to follow my passions.”

Margaret also credits her sister, Dr Lautua — a University of Auckland alumna now lecturing at Harvard University — as a key source of encouragement.

“Therese was always incredibly supportive,” she says. “She never put pressure on me. Even though she’s a high achiever, I never felt like I had to follow the same path. She always reassured me that I could do whatever I wanted, and that was really comforting.”
She also paid tribute to those who supported her throughout her studies, including Dr Emalani Case, Dr Sarah McLean Orsborn, Dr Moeata Keil, and Dr Marcia Leenen Young.

“There is such an amazing and growing cohort of wahine toa academics here — all of them abundant in both excellence and service. They encouraged me and pushed me when I needed it.”

“I could also name every single person in Pacific Studies, both peers and staff. The community here has been so uplifting.”

Now working as a Tuākana Coordinator in the Faculty of Arts and Education, Margaret is giving back to the community that shaped her. She supports Māori and Pacific students through their university journeys, helping to build the kind of inclusive, joyful learning spaces she found in Pacific Studies.

“We should all be able to feel that sense of home at university,” she says. “If I can help create that for others, then I’m doing something worthwhile.”