Tamara Vaifanua the first Samoan TV news anchor in Utah has won an Emmy Award for coverage of the Maui wildfires. For her, the honor belongs to the people of Maui.
“I am humbled by this honor. Being recognized for a piece about the people of Maui is bittersweet,” she told the New Atoll. “Their loss was heartbreaking. Being invited into their lives during such a painful time is something I will always carry with me. This recognition feels like an extension of their voices, not mine.”
Tamara’s roots trace back to the villages of Alao, American Samoa, and Pesega, Samoa. Her father, Vaimasima Eutika Vaifanua, is from Alao. Her mother, Laila Skipps Vaifanua, is from Pesega. Their family history is closely tied to the LDS Church.
“I am a proud Samoan, and everything I am comes from my parents,” said Tamara. “My parents are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which led them to the U.S. for school before eventually raising our family in California and later Utah, the headquarters of the LDS Church.
She is news anchor at KSL-TV in Salt Lake City, Utah.
For her story on the Maui wildfires, she described being deeply moved by the community’s willingness to share their experiences.
“The fact that they were willing to share their stories with me spoke to their strength. Their example strengthened my purpose.”
Her Pacific identity influenced her approach in Maui.
“This was not just another assignment for me,” she said. “Because of who I am and who I represent, I approached these stories with deep care. This documentary reached a global audience, and I felt a responsibility to show the world both the devastation and the resilience of the people of Maui. I was chosen for this project because of my background, and I do not take that lightly. I will always seek stories that honor Pacific identity and bring our experiences to the wider world.”
