Stylized tuiga Measina workshop 2...

Since our weekend Measina (treasures) workshop 2, my mother, sister and daughter have been working on our tuiga (cultural head-dress) and considering the design, colours, materials etc. which has been really interesting and intergenerational.

In fact, my younger sister remembers assisting another cousin in Samoa in making a tuiga with more indigenous materials that were found on the land, in the sea i.e. in going to different locations to pick up shells and feathers etc.

The materials we are using are those that we can source locally such as mirrors instead of glistening clamshells and commercial feathers instead of the indigenous feathers that would have been used.

It's also been interesting in finding out about the origin story of the tuiga in that it was a male who first fashioned the tuiga in order to win the hand of a maiden as a suitor.

It was told that she was enamored by his tuiga and her favourite fish that he had caught to win her hand but then was no longer interested when he took off his tuiga and found that he was not as handsome without it and decided to no longer be married to him. 

The story was shared from a village in Upolu, Puipa'a but very interesting in that early photos show men wearing it more so than women but then with the missionary influence women have since been encouraged to wear it moreso than men.

All in all, it's been an interesting journey in sharing and learning more about measina a Samoa and also about watching many have joy and growing in confidence in confirming the importance of this knowledge for generations to come...
 

Measina a Samoa colouring book...

 

This has been another full-on crazy busy week and weekend with a family meeting, church service, a Measina 2 workshop at our local bilingual Samoan Early childhood centre and applying for our second round of funding for our special Measina Innovative project.

For this particular annual funding that closed at midday (5 mins ago), I was blessed to be able to share some ideas of taking the project to the next level and considering to share some of the learnings in book form.

As a result of the workshops, I've started developing colouring pictures for children (and adults) for sharing the ideas of what some of our Measina a Samoa might have looked like in their earlier forms before the onset of colonisation and the new materials that were then added.

I also look at historical information that's available through pictures and writings, at museums and through internet. There are definitely a lot of sources out there that can help to inform our indigenous research into what they might have looked like.

So hopefully our funding will go through but if not then I'm happy to self-publish as I know that there will be a lot of interest (as I am) in sharing my indigenous research with next generations and those who are interested. Never a dull moment...

Measina Workshop 2: Tuiga

Today, our Samoan bilingual Aoga (early childhood centre) is hosting our second Measina (treasures) a Samoa workshop on making a Tuiga which is a decorated head-dress that is used in special cultural occasions.

We thank the Ministry of Education's Pacific Innovation funding for sponsoring this event as it helps to preserve our measina our treasures for next generations to view and to learn about the importance of such cultural artifacts.

Last month, in doing some research on costings for purchasing a tuiga, I found that tuiga can range anything from $350 - $900 depending on how intricate and what materials are used or wanted for the construction of the tuiga.

It has especially been used at every annual Polynesian Festival on the Samoan stage whereby the final dance or the taualuga features the symbol of a taupou or manaia (male noble) who dances elegantly with the full outfit and almost always sporting a tuiga.

It's interesting that over time of the 4 - 5 parts of the construction of a tuiga have changed into tuiga now consisting mainly of one full head-dress in which each of the 4 components have been attached into the one that include the following:

1. The palefuiono (decorated headband)
2. Hair (formerly bleached hair from ancestors)
3. Feathered tufts
4. Front piece consisting of irridescent shell/s and 3+ decorated long prongs

Looking forward to this workshop in sharing this specialist knowledge with our communities and especially in learning abou the understanding behind the making of this beautiful headpiece for generations to come...

 

Happy 57th Wedding Anniversary to my parents...

 

I've been so crazy busy lately with classes started, studies continuing and family life but I always try to take out time for the important things like family celebrations in being grateful to God for the people in my life.

Yesterday, my parents celebrated their 57th Wedding anniversary and I had the privilege of taking them out to lunch and spending this special time together with them.

They are now both grandparents to my children and great grandparents to my siblings' grandchildren (as I was a late bloomer) with all my studies etc.

We later celebrated over prayer and a celebratory cake over at our house and my dad bought a special ring for his bride just for the occasion of which my children thought was pretty special.

They spoke about how they first met in 1962 just after the celebrations of the declaration of Independence in Samoa that year. 

At the time, my dad was working on the Tofua (banana boat as it was called in those days) and my mum was the first in her family to leave for New Zealand to start a new life by living with her cousins and other relatives and would send money back to Samoa to support her family.

They kept in touch for two more years before they married and lived in Onehunga and then bought a house in Mangere in the mid-1960s. They and have lived there ever since but in the last 10 years decided to move back to Samoa and build a house there whilst travelling too and from Samoa. A couple of years ago we built a larger house next door for them and for our whole family to visit.

It's been a blessing to witness their journey together and especially for my children to see what enduring love looks like and the special bond and love between their grandparents and how they laugh together and love together. 

Every year is a blessing to be with them and I pray that God grants them many more together and especially that it continues to inspire our next generations to love and care for that special spouse who will be there with them every step of the way...

Farewell to our CEO Te Ururoa Flavell...

 

Photo Source: Te Wananga o Aotearoa

Yesterday, our Wananga said farewell to our CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Te Ururoa Flavell and a strong, humble leader as he departs to continue in his endeavours further afield.

It has only been around two years since he took the helm but in that time he has been a strong advocate of best practice and high standards.

He was an amazing leader to have especially during the time of the pandemic first breaking out in NZ and under his leadership our Wananga was able to work under pressure to bring about quick change to go digital with our classes with Zoom classes etc.

He was an experienced leader and highly motivated having been a school principal, he was the unsuccessful leader of the Maori party and has had experience in leadership positions with the neighbouring Wananga of Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi.

It is with much sadness that we said farewell in a special poroporoaki (Maori farewell ceremony) whereupon he was able to share his thoughts, a gift of a pounamu patu (greenstone carved club) was given to him and staff were able to share their thoughts too.

Afterwards, there was the singing of waiata (Maori songs) and a shared meal where more speeches were shared and many staff were able to share their final goodbyes and well wishes with him. Te Ururoa definitely has a good sense of humour as we laughed through some of his comments that he shared with us as a Maori leader of the Wananga.

Hopefully, the person that takes over in the leadership will also have as much mana (prestige) and inspirational leadership as he did and we wish him well for his future endeavours ahead and where his leadership path takes him...

Measina a Samoa (Palefuiono) head-dress...

 

One of the interesting things that my Ph.D studies has taken me is to being sponsored by the Ministry of Education's Pacific Innovation through a successful funding proposal of last year to support community workshops for our Samoan bilingual Early childhood centre.

The theme of the workshops is to explore the making and significance of measina (treasures of) a Samoa. One of the first workshops that we had was for the making of a Palefuiono (pale=head dress) and (fuiono= nautilus seashell). Upon further research, I've found out more about the origins of what it used to look like compared to what it looks like now to the way that it was made originally.

There are many interesting facts but one that I find very important was the idea of attaching silvery shells onto a headband that was worn on the head for ceremonial occasions in Samoa. This principle has still remained in currently made 'pale' but the difference is that shiny shells have been replaced with plastic shiny shapes that are often glued onto material that is then tied onto the head for cultural rituals.

There's so much that I'm learning now and am considering how to discuss this with participants who will be attending the measina workshops to explain what some of the measina used to look like and their functions to what they now look like and how some of the functions have changed. Something that I'll be writing about more in coming months...

Easter Friday reflections...

 

This morning, I went with my family for our Easter Friday service to our local church called Life Church (South) which is different from my 'birth church' i.e. the Mangere PIC Pacific Islanders (Presbyterian) church.

Both churches appeal to different audiences or congregations and it was a blessing to attend the Easter morning service as it was full to capacity with standing room only. I was moved by the music and songs, and it was especially beautiful to share in communion together with my family in a small wafer and red drink. 

I think with the realization that someone (Jesus Christ) would sacrifice his life in the most violent manner with excruciating pain with no recompense, at the time, and especially for Mary as a mother watching her son go through would have been very difficult to experience and for people who didn't care at all.

Easter, for me, is a time of reflection and as I've been particularly busy these last few weeks with my class just starting, I'm glad to be able to take some time out to and thought I'd missed out on 'The Watch' of which I've attended in the last couple of years as a time of contemplation but I see that it's been moved to an online digital platform to experience. You can check it out on:  https://www.easteratlife.co.nz/#the-watch

Another amazing thing, was meeting with a couple that I hadn't seen since my 21st birthday. They both attend our local church but as I've just been so busy supporting my birth church, I haven't had the time to visit, so it was good to catch up and re-new old ties.

There were also some hot crossed buns with small butter pottles to add for those who wished to. However, we decided to go to Denny's and had a family lunch there (after a long wait) as many had the same idea after church and then back home to relax and comtemplate some more...

Bruno Mars et. al. new 2021 song release...

 It was so interesting yesterday when I took our eldest to the salon for her hair appointment and then I decided to stay and chill, flip through some magazines and listen to the radio whilst the hairdresser 'did her thing'.

Whilst all this was happening, a song started playing on the radio that caught my attention because I'd never heard it before but it had a 70s vibe (for those music connoisseurs) like the BeeGees etc. and I had to wait until the song finished to find out who the artists were.

Well, then I found out that it was the new 2021 release by Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, with Silk Sonic. Even the official video has those silky vibes which is quite a laugh as it seems light-hearted and not as serious as the lyrics might suggest...