Muagututi'a's father, Muagututi'a Pulusila Meafou Sagapolutele, was Samoan and moved to New Zealand in the early 1950s, aged 11, to attend school.[1]
She co-founded Pacific Underground, a performing arts organisation for Pacific artists, in Christchurch in 1993.[3][4]
In 2020, Muagututi'a won Best Play by Pasifika Playwright at the Adam New Zealand Play Awards for her script Scholars, which is based on her father's experiences as a Samoan scholarship student in New Zealand.[1]
In the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours, Muagututi'a was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to Pacific performing arts.[5]
Muagututi'a is married to Posenai Mavaega, who co-founded Pacific Underground with her.[4][5]
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