Credited by fans for redefining what it means to be Miss Samoa, Moemoana’s influence has been wide reaching.
Moemoana Safa’atoa-Schwenke’s reign as Miss Samoa came to a close last month but she remains ‘Miss Pacific Islands’ until February next year.
In winning both titles at the same time, she followed in her mother Maryjane’s footsteps who achieved the feat in 1997.
As Miss Samoa, Moemoana not only optimised grace and humility, she also demonstrated a strong work ethic, a passion for the culture and traditions of Samoa as well as highlighting the issues that the Pacific region are dealing with on a daily basis.
She says, when she was crowned Miss Samoa in 2023, her goals were clear.
“I thought a lot about why I wanted to join the pageant, and I definitely saw the Miss Samoa platform as a platform to directly serve the people,” Moemoana says.
“And it was a reminder of Tama’ita’i Samoa that I need and want to be.I think in preparation I definitely reflected on the legacy of my mother, (Maryjane Mckibbon-Schwenke) who was also the Miss Samoa and South Pacific, but thinking about how I can pave my own path and share my own stories and messages.”
Hailing from the villages of Auala and Matavai in Savaii and Vaoala in Upolu, the 24 year old says the pageant is not just a beauty pageant.
“We want it to be something of substance where women are not only seen, but they’re heard and they’re valued and they can make a contribution to their communities, their villages and their country.
“So I hope that throughout this year I’ve been able to drift the focus to it being more than just a superficial beauty pageant. It’s so much different to Western pageants.
“It’s one where we promote, “E le o le fale, a’o le anofale”, it’s not about the exterior, but it’s about what’s what’s within. And that’s our heart, that spirit and our values as women, as men, as Samoans,” says Moemoana.”
Born in Samoa, raised in New Zealand and Australia, Moemoana reflects on her reign that has been non stop, not only in Samoa, but across the globe attending the COP28 Climate Change conference held in Dubai in 2023, the Festival of Pacific Arts in Hawaii earlier this year and supporting the various Pacific pageants and community initiatives held across the region.
And while there have been plenty of highlights, there have also been some lows. But she has taken it all as life lessons.
“Those lows were what shaped me to keep going. I think for myself, working with the kids and young people was definitely a highlight. And that was through the Ta fasilafa’i classes that I ran.”
Her initiative was a creative and performing arts programme that was run in Upolu and Savaii held every Saturday last year during November and December.
“I had to try and reply to within two weeks and we were going to limit it to 100 kids…we don’t want to let people go, I want to bring everyone in. And that was special to me because my mother’s villages are in Savaii,” she says.
“So I was able to give back to my family and Savaii is a place where it’s still very traditional in terms of Fa’a Samoa the Samoan way, and they don’t always get the spotlight.”
Her passion for culture and performing arts runs strong in her veins with her parents Fred and Maryjane the founders of the Matavai Cultural Arts Centre based in Sydney, Australia.
In 2022 she was named Wollongong Local Women of the Year in Sydney. She has also continued to pursue her studies with her Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Communications and Media, focused on indigenous studies and environmental humanities.
Even after her reign, there’s still a lot for Moemoana to do.
“I feel like after the reign, I can dream bigger and that I can maybe go on to achieve more things because of all the knowledge I’ve been able to learn not only from the elders but from the kids.
“And it just goes to show that sometimes the purest wisdom from God is through the smallest voices, which is our young people and our kids.”
Prime Minister of Samoa Fiame Naomi Mataafa described her as a daughter of Samoa who has served her country well. For Moemoana it has been an emotional time, one she will always cherish.
“I am a proud daughter of Samoa, but also the Pacific region. And I’m in my final days as Miss Samoa But I think I’ve been reminiscing on all of the moments throughout the last year and they’ve been a great honour, And it’s definitely a time I will never forget and I hope I can repay the people for the love that they’ve given me.”
