From Ōtara to Elam: scholar’s full-circle journey showcases Tongan excellence

As Aotearoa celebrates Tonga Language Week, Dr Sione Faletau is reflecting on a journey that began in South Auckland and has come full circle at the University of Auckland's Elam School of Fine Arts.

His recent appointment as a permanent lecturer marks a significant milestone, not only in his own career, but also in the continuing growth and visibility of Pacific knowledge, creativity and leadership within tertiary education.

A Tongan artist, researcher and Elam alumnus with connections to the villages of Taunga and Lakepa, the appointment for Dr Faletau carries both professional and personal significance. Having completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours (First Class), Master of Fine Arts (First Class Honours) and Doctor of Fine Arts at Elam, he now finds himself teaching in the very institution that shaped him as an artist.

"It's a privilege to come back and contribute to a place that played such an important role in my own development as an artist," says Faletau.

"As a Pacific person, I understand the importance of seeing yourself reflected in teaching spaces. Representation matters because it helps students imagine what is possible for their own futures."

Yet his pathway to this point has been far from straightforward.

Looking back, Faletau says he never imagined he would one day be standing at the front of an Elam class.

"Thinking back to the first year, I never thought in a million years I'd be on this side," he says. "It still feels surreal."

Before university, he faced significant challenges during his schooling. After being excluded from one school, he recalls visiting another where assumptions were quickly made about him and his brother because they came from Ōtara.

"They had already made up their minds about us," he says.

It was Ōtāhuhu College that ultimately offered the brothers an opportunity.

"They gave us a chance. That's when it clicked for me. I thought, okay, they've given me a chance, let's make the most of it."

That experience continues to inform the way he approaches teaching today.

Faletau understands what it means to enter unfamiliar spaces and question whether you belong. When he arrived at Elam as a student in 2010, many of his classmates came from schools where they had already been exposed to wider artistic disciplines and cultural experiences.

"I remember sitting in lectures and thinking, I've got a lot to catch up on," he says.

"Coming from South Auckland, we'd only really been exposed to traditional forms of art - painting and drawing, and at that time digital design was still fairly new. Then suddenly there was sculpture, photography, installation, sound and all these other possibilities."

Rather than being discouraged, he embraced the challenge.

Over the next decade and a half, Faletau developed an acclaimed multidisciplinary practice spanning performance, sculpture, installation, sound and digital media. His work draws on Tongan knowledge systems and often explores questions of identity, cultural memory, masculinity and Indigenous ways of knowing.

His doctoral research examined Tongan masculinity through Indigenous methodologies and talanoa with more than 140 participants across Tonga, contributing important new knowledge about culture, belonging and contemporary Pacific identity.

The influence of family has also been central to his journey.

Faletau credits his parents in particular his mother Vasilini with laying the foundations for education in his family. One of his earliest memories was watching his mother graduate from the University of Auckland when he was still a child.

"I think that's how it all started for us," he says. “My sister, Julienne, was the first of the siblings to attend the University of Auckland, followed by me and then my younger siblings, 'Ea and Daniel. It became something our family did.”

While higher education became a strong family tradition, Faletau believes success can be achieved through many different pathways.

“My older brother, Manase, took a different path and became a mechanic. He has been very successful in that space. Education is everywhere, and you never stop learning.”

Faletau says his family has been a constant source of inspiration throughout his academic journey and has motivated him to continue his studies and create opportunities for future generations.

“For me, it’s about building a legacy. Today, my wife Ana and daughter Vasilini Jr are my greatest sources of inspiration, says Faletau.

"I want to build a better life for my daughter and show her that with determination, hard work, and perseverance, great things are attainable. No matter where you come from or the challenges you face, your goals can become reality if you never give up.”

As Tonga Language Week highlights the importance of language, identity and cultural continuity, Faletau says his Tongan heritage remains at the heart of his work. His creative practice draws inspiration from concepts such as ongo (sound, feeling and presence) alongside the visual language of kupesi patterns, creating work that bridges ancestral knowledge and contemporary artistic expression.

For Pacific students entering university today, he hopes his journey demonstrates that there is no single path to success.

Pacific learners, he says, bring valuable lived experience, cultural knowledge and perspectives that enrich classrooms, studios and communities alike. His own experiences navigating education, family responsibilities and questions of belonging have helped shape a distinctive approach to teaching and mentoring.

"Pacific artists have always contributed to the cultural landscape of Aotearoa," says Faletau.

"This appointment acknowledges that Pacific knowledge, histories and creative practices belong within the academy. I hope it encourages Pacific students to pursue their ambitions and know their stories and perspectives are valued."

Now, as he settles into his new role, Faletau sees teaching as an opportunity to give back to the communities and institutions that helped him along the way.

"Education transformed my life," he says. "If I can help students find confidence in their own voices, cultures and creative practices, then that's something really meaningful."

Faletau’s story stands as a celebration of the power of language, culture, family and perseverance, and of the many Pacific pathways that continue to shape the future of Aotearoa's creative and academic landscape.