Cilla Brown

My name is Cilla Brown and I come from the big island of Savaii in Samoa.

I whakapapa back to Fagaloa in Upolu and Paia in Savaii.

I am an Environmental Educator and the Pacific Advisor at BLAKE.

I have spent many years in the Pacific Arts sector, working in production, performance, and teaching children and youth about language and culture through heritage dance. Growing up in Samoa inspired me to do my Master’s in Climate Change at the University of Auckland. My research focused on traditional governance systems and indigenous knowledge, exploring how they inform climate change adaptation strategies. My goal is to empower children and youth to navigate and autonomously adapt in a world characterized by short and long-term weather variability.

I am an undercover dance mom who has a penchant for stationery, loves oka (raw fish with coconut cream), and enjoys watching fantasy K-dramas.