Talofa lava!
On this page you will find content from previous years' Samoa Language Weeks.
Header image: detail from kava strainer, Samoa. AWMM. 4130.
Can you say "hello" in Samoan?
Watch the video below to learn some simple Samoan phrases you can use this week
Zoom Talanoa - Measina Samoa: O le Selu
For 2020's online celebrations, we held an online talanoa session through Zoom. The session was called "Measina Samoa: O Le Selu" and it highlighted a selection of selu (Samoan combs) from the Musem's Pacific collection.
We were joined by Galumalemana Steven Percival (Tiapapata), Sister Vitolia Mo'a (Apia) and Seulupe Falaniko Tominiko (Apia, Aleisa, Lotofaga, Matatufu, Satitoa, Satapuala, Salailua, Safotu, Samauga, Falealupo and Pava'ia'i). Background information about each selu were shared by Ruby Satele. The panelists and participants engaged in an inspiring discussion that included exploring the origins of the selu, the production work and its role in the identity of tama'ita'i Samoa. Our heartfelt gratitude to our panelists for sharing their knowledge and expertise with us all.
Our people
Learn how our Museum whānau celebrate their heritage in their work
Talofa lava, my name is Pamata Diaz Toleafoa from the motu of Samoa. I was born in Hastings and raised in Mangere, South Auckland. I come from the villages of Salelesi and Satapuala and currently reside in Mangere.
I am a proud former student of Mangere College and the University of Auckland. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts conjoint with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) with first-class honours. I recently submitted my master’s in fine arts. My research topic examined measina as living entities.
I am passionate about Samoan measina and constantly exploring new ways to re-energize how we ‘look at, ‘look into’ and understand our treasures beyond their visual aesthetics. I explore measina using readily available materials to reflect the diasporic influences and reveal the opportunities presented to me. I draw on the oral histories, narratives, and experiences gifted by my elders, and manifests this through creating my measina.
I serve as a Senior Librarian Pasifika Research under Auckland Libraries.
As one of the Youth Representatives within the Pacific Advisory Group (PAG), I am fortunate to provide my cultural knowledge and creative experience to enhance the conversations around the trajectory of our measina. Being a youth voice for PAG means I can inform and be informed about how we can better connect and serve our treasures.
Celebration of Samoan Language Week
Samoan language week celebrates our ways of knowing and our ways of being. It recognizes the shared culture, values, and beliefs that ground and affirm our place in the wider society. It acknowledges our shared heritage and embraces what it means to be 'Samoan.' Therefore, encapsulated in the Samoan language is an exploration of one's identity, something that is worthy of celebration.
Growing up in South Auckland, I was fortunate to be surrounded by elders, teachers, and knowledge holders who constantly spoke in Samoan. I attended Mangere College, a high school that offered the Samoan language as a subject. Here, I was privileged to get both practical and theoretical insight into the execution of the Samoan language and cultural practices. I am also part of the Onehunga Co-operating Parish (Samoan congregation), with Samoan as the prime communication language. These experiences are a constant reminder of how significant and vast the Samoan language is and how deeply ingrained fa'asamoa is in my everyday life.
During my studies at the University of Auckland, I explored Samoan terminologies in my creative practice. Concepts in Samoan are filled with multiple and complex meanings, many of which are difficult to express in English. I got the opportunity to examine concepts that influence my creative making and discuss the various implications embedded in them. These were reflected in my measina and the material that I used. Such experiences reflect the beauty of the Samoan language and how it is a major driving force in my creative process.
Like many other Pacific languages, I see the Samoan language as a life journey simply because the language in itself is intricate and profound, making the learning stages different for many peoples. Mastering the speaking abilities and understanding capabilities in this modern era comes with complexities, especially with the increase in technology with English at the focal point. For this reason, the celebration of Samoan language week is vital in providing an avenue for Samoan people to connect and reconnect, re-energize, and re-vitalize our unique ways of knowing and being.
Measina - Lave
My favourite measina is the lave. The lave is part of the structure that form the Tuiga (Samoan crown). The lave (like many measina) has undergone profound changes that reflect the opportunities or influences present in each era. The lave is the most adorned part of the Tuiga and it usually draws the audience's attention at first glance. The lave projects towards the sky, signalling a profound connection between the heavens and that of the earthly realm, making this measina special.
Measina in order of appearance:
Lave Salelesi
Lave Sapapali'i
Lave Nofoali'i
Talofa lava, my name is Raymond Sagapolutele, my parents come from the villages of Fatuvalu in Savai’i and Saoluafata in Upolu. I was born in raised in Aotearoa New Zealand and have been fortunate to have lived from the bottom, Invercargill all the way to near the top here in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. My siblings and I are proud South Aucklanders and we cherish all the lessons that come from being Samoan in our community and the colour this brings to our lives.
My own journey has been one of rediscovering who I am and how I fit into the diasporic Samoan community, where many of our traditions still hold fast. In contrast, there is also a need to understand the influences that bring about change within some of these traditions and what it means to navigate that evolution here in Aotearoa New Zealand.
As part of this journey, I have attained a Master's in Visual Arts and am currently working on my PhD research as a candidate with AUT.
There is one type of measina in the collection of Auckland Museum that has always drawn my fascination, and that is the Ie Sina or ‘shaggy mat’. It’s such a contrast to the types of ie I have seen in the past and, for me, a tribute to the weavers that have always tied together culture and art as Samoans. Seeing an example up close is the only real way to understand the skill and wonder they hold thanks to the hands that created them.
As a member of PAG, I get to see the inner workings of the museum and contribute to the discussions around how we can support our people's voices in the wider context of how the Museum serves its community.