Mere Taito has etched her name in history at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, by completing what is believed to be the world’s first PhD dedicated entirely to Rotuman literature. Her groundbreaking thesis digs into the earliest Rotuman literary contributions and highlights how storytelling has preserved identity across generations.
“I am extremely humbled, overwhelmed, very grateful, and at the same time, mind blown,” Mere said in coverage from Otago University. “I did not set out to be the first of anything.” Her Rotuman roots trace to the Malha’a and Noa’tau districts, though she was born in Fiji and moved to New Zealand in 2007. “I had no inkling that this move to New Zealand would open so many doors for me,” she added, describing 18 remarkable years of personal, creative, and scholarly growth.
Her thesis re-centres the voices of early Rotuman writers such as Emosi Rima, Mesulame Titifanua, and Fuata Taito, whose narratives—both written and oral—helped shape Rotuman storytelling in its formative years. Mere noted that the work sharpens attention on these foundational voices and offers creative ways to engage with their texts, adding a scholarly and creative gift to her people that leaves her “teary just thinking of this.”
This achievement sits within a broader backdrop of Pacific scholars breaking new ground at Otago and beyond. Notably, Jekope Maiono—who, like Mere, pursued advanced study in New Zealand and later became a lecturer at Otago—has been highlighted in recent years for representing indigenous Pacific leadership in academia. Mere’s milestone complements a growing movement that centers indigenous languages, literatures, and knowledge systems within higher education, signaling hopeful progress for Rotuman language preservation and scholarly recognition.
Editor’s notes and context:
– The milestone underscores the value of documenting and sustaining Rotuman language and literature in contemporary academia.
– Visuals could include portraits of Mere, images of Rotuman manuscripts or oral-history materials, and classroom or library settings at Otago.
– A glossary or explainer on Rotuman terms and key authors mentioned could help readers unfamiliar with Rotuman literature.
– Follow-up opportunities might feature profiles of the early Rotuman writers cited in the thesis and a sidebar on how storytelling functions in Rotuman culture across generations.
Summary: Mere Taito’s PhD marks a pioneering integration of Rotuman literature into higher education, elevating cultural scholarship and offering new pathways for younger Rotuman writers to explore language, identity, and storytelling within an academic framework. The achievement adds a positive, uplifting note to Pacific scholarly progress and demonstrates the enduring power of language to bind communities together.
Positive note: By centering Rotuman literary heritage in a modern scholarly setting, this work provides a hopeful template for preserving minority literatures and empowering future generations to tell their own stories.
Notes for editors / value adds:
– Consider an air-ready pull-quote from Mere about the transformative power of storytelling.
– Include a brief sidebar on Rotuman literature’s historical milestones and how oral traditions inform written work.
– Link to related profiles of Pacific PhD researchers at Otago to illustrate a broader trend of Indigenous scholarship in New Zealand.
Leave a comment