Pacific Islander Initiative at UC Berkeley

We are pleased to announce our Keynote Speaker for OMAOCh 2026: How Our Waters Remember — Dr. David Ga’oupu Matthew Palaita! ❤️‍🔥🌊

Dr. David Ga’oupu Matthew Palaita, Ph.D., is professor of Critical Pacific Islands & Oceania Studies and Ethnic Studies at the City College of San Francisco (CCSF).  He is Chair of the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies at CCSF.  He earned a Bachelors of Arts in Cultural Geography from the University of Washington in Seattle and a Masters and doctoral degrees in Ethnic Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.  Dr. Palaita’s academic career spans several colleges and universities across the U.S., building curriculum, giving lectures, teaching, and developing Critical Pacific Islands Studies programs centered on the lives of U.S. diasporic Pacific Islander/Oceania communities.  His work on Critical Pacific Islands & Oceania Studies extends into K-12 school districts in California and into the San Francisco County jails bringing Pasefika knowledge and educational opportunities to justice-impacted students.    He is currently editing his dissertation for publication entitled, “VĀSĀ (Ocean): The Space that is Sacred: Pacific Islanders in Higher Education.”

Learn more about this year’s OMAOCh conference by visiting cejce.berkeley.edu/omaoch (link in bio)

    📆 Date | Saturday, April 25th, 2026
    ⏰ Time | 10:00am - 6:00pm
    📍 Location | UC Berkeley campus. 

🔗 Registration is required. Register using the link in our bio as space is limited. This event is free of cost!

This year’s theme “How Our Waters Remember”calls on us to reflect on our experiences, understand how they have been shaped by our ancestors, and build power to cast new ripples toward a liberated future for all.

Join us for a day of speakers, workshops + activities on topics such as PI Studies, higher education, social justice, Pasifika identity, and more! Meals are provided throughout the day. 

For accommodations and any other questions/concerns, please email [email protected]