While a Samoan matai does not wield the kind of supreme authority you might expect of royalty in other cultures, our fa'amatai - our...
Matai – How to become a Samoan Chief [Part 2]
In the first article of this series, we looked at what it means to be a matai and how you could begin the process of becoming a Samoan...
This Samoan Proverb is a warning about procrastination
I've been hanging out with my uncle lately. He's a pretty intense kinda guy. He's loud. He laughs like thunderclaps... or sometimes suffocation. And he tells those long, drawn out jokes with such conviction that the anticipation kills you... ...and then the punchline is hit or...
Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III: A Peaceful, Powerful Resistance
Do you know the story of Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III? He was one of the leaders of O le Mau a Samoa, Samoa's resistance against New Zealand rule in the early 1900s... and in 1929, he was one of several Samoans shot to death by New Zealand police during a peaceful march along...
Why alagaupu (Samoan proverbs) are so important and how to learn them
A little while ago, I posted a list of 12 alagaupu (Samoan proverbs) that I'd found in my grandfather's notebook, with explanations I got from my mother and her tulafale (orator chief) brother. I had no idea how popular that post would get - or how big an appetite our community...
Do I have to be Samoan to get a Samoan tattoo?
This article is a bonus post in a series called: The Truth about the Samoan Tattoo (tatau)... which has so far sparked so much conversation in the comments section (below). This series is about the history of the tatau, about the cultural significance of the pe'a and malu...
The Truth about the Samoan Tattoo (Tatau) – Part II
Back in 2010 I had the privilege of interviewing my Samoan culture teacher, Tofaeono Tanuvasa Tavale, outside of class. I had so many questions for him about our fascinating culture, but I especially wanted to know about our tatau (tattoo) traditions. That interview turned into...