How rising seas are threatening the crucial art of weaving in Samoa

The Guardian

13 hours ago

In the Samoan village of Neiafu, Amio Pei Ioane sits with a group of women in a weaving house. Around her, rolls of stripped pandanus leaves, the spiky-leaved plant used to make woven mats, rest in bundles.
She began weaving when she was 15, assisting the village group before eventually joining the central line of weavers working on a large ceremonial mat. Now, she is the matua u'u, or elder master weaver, offering guidance and encouragement to others
'I have done this for too long, it's now their turn,' she says. The women are creating a mat for a village event, working from first light until just before sunset.
'We take short breaks, but otherwise, this is us for the whole day,' says Amio.
For generations, women in Samoa have harvested, prepared and woven intricate mats used in ceremonies and village life. The fine mats are the country's most treasured cultural artefacts but now, they are under threat as the pandanus is starting to show signs of decline.
The pandanus grows on the coastline, yet in Neiafu, and other low-lying parts of Samoa, the impacts of climate change are starting to affect the plant's growth. Saltwater intrusion, prolonged drought, and accelerating coastal erosion are altering the ecological conditions required for healthy pandanus growth. These environmental changes reduce soil fertility, increase salinity and make it harder for pandanus to thrive in shallow coastal zones.
'Climate change is profoundly impacting coastal communities in Samoa,' says conservationist Alofa Paul.
'Rising sea levels and increased storm intensity are exacerbating these stressors, creating conditions that are increasingly unsuitable for pandanus cultivation. Without intervention, these impacts are projected to intensify in the coming years.'
The women in Neiafu have noticed the changes.
'We can see a slow shift,' says Tutogi Mua, a weaver with the Neiafu women's committee.
Preparing the leaves is a communal effort that requires time, skill, and care. The process begins with harvesting and de-thorning, followed by sun-drying, boiling, and further drying before the leaves are split into thin strips and coiled for storage.
'It's important for the strips to be clean cut, to maintain the integrity of the weave,' says Tutogi.
As environmental pressures mount, cultural leaders are concerned that the pandanus decline could disrupt a practice central to women's roles in Samoan society.
'Across the Pacific, women have always held rich cultural knowledge, from weaving fine mats to working with traditional textiles,' says Alison Davidian, UN Women Representative in the Pacific. Cultural expert Toleafoa Solomona agrees, saying threats to pandanus are threats to women's contributions to village life.
Alai Tafola, who learned to weave as a teenager, says she hopes to pass the skill on. 'We need to maintain this practice, and I am grateful to have learned it and want young women to continue it.'
As the women of Neiafu wove, Maeva Moelagi, a first-year university student from New Zealand there to visit family, was invited to learn the basics from Amio, who briefly returned to weaving to teach her the beginning stages of the fine mat.
The women paused momentarily to watch as the elder meticulously wove the first line of the fine mat. As she guided Maeva's hands, she ensured that her skillset is passed to the next generation.
For now, the pandanus still grows behind the village and the women still gather to weave, holding their culture together, despite an uncertain future for the craft they hold dear.