Tattoo was ‘extra special'

Otago Daily Times

3 days ago

Getting a traditional Samoan tātāu (tattoo) really does bring a tear to the eye — in more ways than one.
Dunedin-born Samoan Vicky Fitiao, who got a Tualima (a traditional hand tattoo) yesterday, said she was fine until she could feel the Au (tattoo comb) hitting the bones in her fingers.
"It was extremely painful, only in certain areas — mainly my fingers, in the lower parts of my fingers — they were the worst.
"I think it was more [that] I could feel it hitting my bone."
Most Samoans get one hand done at a time, but Mrs Fitiao had both done.
She said she had had two sons, and it was not quite as painful as childbirth, but pretty close.
Yet, the thing that really brought a tear to her eye was the fact her tātāu was done by world-renowned tufuga tā tātāu (master tattooist) Su'a Sulu'ape Peter, during a live public demonstration at Tūhura Otago Museum yesterday.
She said it was an honour to have her tātāu done by Mr Peter.
Dunedin-born Samoan Vicky Fitiao proudly shows her Tualima (traditional Samoan hand tattoo), done by tufuga tā tātāu (master tattooist) Su'a Sulu'ape Peter (below) yesterday. Photos: Peter McIntosh
"It just gives it that extra special meaning.
"It makes me proud of my heritage and my culture.
"And just hearing all the people in there, with their words of encouragement, got me through it.
"It certainly brings a tear to the eye, in more ways than one.
"These are tears of joy and happiness, that I've been through it now."
The public event was historic because Tūhura Otago Museum was the first museum in the world to show how the sacred art form was created.
Museum Pasifika engagement co-ordinator Leota Meredith said the museum was honoured to host such a significant event.
"This is an incredible opportunity for our Pasifika communities and the wider public to witness and gain insight into this powerful, unique and historic traditional art form."
The work was done in front of a live audience at Tūhura Otago Museum.
She said it offered a rare and respectful window into the resilience, beauty and cultural importance of Samoan tattooing.
The event included an 'ava, or kava ceremony, and a public talk about the culture behind the practice, followed by the live tātāu demonstration.
The art form has endured through generations, resisting the forces of colonisation and Western religious ideologies that sought to suppress it.
Mr Peter is a direct descendant of Samoa's principal tattooing lineage and he continues in his forebears' footsteps, upholding and protecting the sacred tradition entrusted to his family.
He will be in Dunedin for the next two weeks, performing Pe'a and Malu — traditional Samoan tattoos for men and women — along with his Mea nā'itaua (wife of the tufuga tā tātāu) and au koso (essential assistants).
The tattooing is a deeply spiritual process that honours the recipient's ancestors and family, creating a powerful connection between past and present.
During his time in Dunedin, Mr Peter will perform a traditional Pe'a for a Dunedin man, which is expected to take up to a week to complete.
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