Mahmah Timoteo

Tohoa (MahMah) Tetini is an anthropology Ph.D. candidate, teacher, and climate change activist. Her research centers around amplifying indigenous and marginalized Pasifika voices in climate change spaces.

For MahMah the impacts of climate change are personal as she fears her ancestral homeland in the Cook Islands may one day be uninhabitable.

“Indigenous nations are at the forefront of the climate change phenomenon, particularly those in the Pacific. Although these communities are some of the first to be impacted by the climate crisis, they are not the first to be acknowledged or heard in climate change discussions”.

In order for us to move forward in a progressive and sustainable way, everybody needs a seat at the table, and this includes our most marginalized people. By working together as a collective, all voices and lived experiences are valued, are worthy, are acknowledged.

A lot of the time, we looked to our ancestors for guidance and wisdom. But we also have to understand that one day we will be ancestors. What will we pass on to our tamariki?”

MahMah Timoteo strives to elevate Pacific women and their voices in the climate change space - through her research, papers, and speeches, MahMah aims to disrupt the values and beliefs that limit our understanding surrounding climate change.