tatau

Su'a Suluape Petelo pointed at the case of a woman receiving the tatau which is traditionally meant for men, and also a fa'afafine getting a malu traditionally meant for women, as examples of the cultural desecration.

Su'a spoke at the Malofie Exhibition at the Samoa Tourism Authority Fale, focusing on teaching the values and the history of the tatau.

He said he is happy to see many young Samoans stepping forward with the courage to get inked, and the goal is for more people to wear this Samoan treasure with pride.

Legend has it the tatau was gifted to Samoa from goddesses, Taema and Tilafaiga, who taught the Samoan people the practice, entrusting the tatau would live on for centuries.

To this day the history of the Samoan tatau fascinates people.

But there were also failed attempts by early missionaries to have it prohibited as they came to accept that the tatau was a rite of passage.

While it is a breathtaking work of art, the tatau is a symbol of identity, heritage and service.

The Samoan language week kicked off with traditional performances by the Nursing Faculty and the Science Faculty.

National University of Samoa's Centre of Samoan Studies Senior Lecturer, Ta'iao Matiu Tautunu in an interview said the Samoan language week plays a very significant role in the lives as well as the studies of each students from several faculties.

“The purpose of the Samoan language week is to revive our culture and traditions and to connect these                 

The tatau is a process rich in ritual using traditional techniques but, in some cases, it can lead to contamination and infection.

That's prompted Le Va to release a guide, The Art of Safe Tatau.

In Auckland, people who provide any tattoo service need to be licensed by Auckland Council, and comply with minimum standards in the Health and Hygiene Bylaw 2013, to ensure appropriate hygiene and good health practices are in place.

It is decorated with tatau used for females, called the ‘malu’, and includes designs from the land, sea and air. 

Similar designs have been used on the Team Samoa apparel and the clock town in central Apia.

‘Malu’ means to protect or shelter and refers to the role of the woman to nurture her family and culture. Malu is from the word ‘mamalu’ meaning honour and dignity.

This reflects the sacred nature of tatau and is a symbol of what it means to be a tama’ita’i Samoa, and the notions of femininity, fertility and childbirth.

But it is the chosen tool for Auckland based artist Vaimaila Urale whose contemporary take on tatau involves the use of four traditional Samoan symbols which exist on a standard keyboard as less than, greater than, forward slash and back slash.

Vaimaila was born in Samoa and grew up in Wellington after moving to New Zealand as a child.

She said growing up she was intrigued by her father only ever having western style tattoos on his body.

Her curiosity continues in her current project Typeface which she carefully selected the characters for.

Tatau, the practice of hand-tapping ink into the body, was on show at the New Zealand Tattoo and Art Festival.

Tattooist Su'a Fuiavailili Lawrence Ah Ching returned from England for the festival where he demonstrated the traditional practice.

Su'a said conventions are an opportunity for him to share an element of his Samoan culture.

"We are tattooing in the world of tattooing, internationally. For me it's sort of like sharing cultures. That's what we've been doing in Europe and around the globe as well," he said.

They were long considered uncouth in the western world and some Asian cultures still see tattoos as the marks of a criminal.  

Yet even this was not always the rule: For people in some other Pacific Rim countries, tattoos were a part of cultural expression and a rebellion against European and North American colonialism.