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Otago Daily Times

Celebrating connection with homeland

Cleo Cole, 4, performs during the Samoan Independence Day celebrations in the South Dunedin Community Hall yesterday. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH Providing a space for Samoans living in Dunedin to connect with their homeland is the goal for the community when celebrating Samoan Independence Day. Yesterday, the Samoan community came together in the South Dunedin Community Hall to celebrate Samoa's independence. Fono Faufautua Samoan Advisory Council Dunedin chairman Afamasaga Pavihi said he was happy to see about 300 people attend the celebrations. "It's a forum to bring our people together ... and also to benefit the people who aren't able to go to the actual celebrations in Samoa." The day started with devotions, before the many performances began. There was also plenty of food, "almost too much", Mr Pavihi said. Most of the different church denominations were also present and had a performance. "This celebration is [about] singing together, eating together and dancing together." For the first time, Su'a Sulu'ape Peter, a traditional Samoan tattoo artist, made the trip straight to Dunedin from a visit to Hawaii, to attend the event. "He has come down to do some tattoo for the young men and young women in the Dunedin community this week," Mr Pavihi said. Samoan Independence Day is celebrated at the very start of Samoan Language Week, which runs from June 1 to 7. Having Mr Peter in town, and celebrating Samoan tattooing, was part of Independence Day celebrations and Samoa Language Week. Today, Mr Peter will be at Tūhura Otago Museum to give a talk on the process, history and significance of Pe'a and Malu — traditional tattoos worn by Samoan men and women. Tomorrow, he will be tattooing members of the Samoan community in Dunedin, including Mr Pavihi's daughter. "We are fortunate to have the celebrating of our independence this year and to have the privilege to have the presence of these artists to mark this celebration," Mr Pavihi said. Samoa achieved independence from New Zealand on January 1, 1962, and entered into a Treaty of Friendship. Since then, it has been celebrated on June 1 to avoid having the special celebration fall on New Year's Day. This year, it landed on a Sunday, so the day was observed in Samoa yesterday as an official public holiday.