Josiah Tualamali’i

Josiah is a Samoan and Pākehā whakapapa and grew up in Christchurch and Dunedin. Alongside a group of Pacific youth who had been encouraged into leadership by their elders, co-founded PYLAT a charitable trust who empower Pacific young people’s voices in all worlds. In 2015 he was appointed to the board of one of our Wise Group Whānau Boards – Le Va. His appointment was to ensure that the largest Pacific population, those under 25, have a voice in all decisions of Le Va. He has also supported this in other settings, such as being a panel member of the 2018 Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction.

Josiah studied Politics and History at University of Canterbury and is a board member of a number of organisations to empower Pacific people’s voices in decision making, wellbeing generally and to strengthen governance. Now a postgraduate student, in 2021 he co-led the petition to parliament calling for recognition of the dawn raids and successfully sought an apology from the Government. He has four brothers, sings and is a major railfan.