E sui faiga ae tumau faavae: A journey to preserving material culture

Sinnet is a type of cordage made by braiding strands of dried fibres of a specific type of coconut tree and it is an important material culture in the cultures of Oceania, where it is used in building, architecture, and traditional ornamentation designs. In Samoa, sinnet (‘Afa) is the most significant cultural product discovered by the Samoans over millennia. Historically, ‘Afa is made only by men and commonly twisted and plaited by village chiefs at village council meetings throughout Samoa. Sinnet was the traditional nails widely used in Samoan society in the construction of traditional Samoan fales (oval houses), boat building and lashing of various tools. In modern Samoa, the traditional practice of plaiting sinnet in village council meetings has disappeared and at present sinnet now is largely used as ornamentation.

'E sui faiga ae tumau faavae' is a Samoan proverb that encompasses the idea that our practices may change but the essence of our foundations remain. This presentation encapsulates the essence of this Samoan proverb in the context of ‘Afa. It offers insights into ‘Afa preservation by co-creating, incorporating non-Samoan, VOGUE-inspired designs into the creation of premium quality fashion clothing.

Speaker

Aliimalemanu Dr Bernadette Samau is a Senior Marketing and Management Lecturer and is also the Head of the Department for Marketing and Management in the Faculty of Business and Entrepreneurship at the National University of Samoa. Bernadette attained her PhD in Marketing Management from the University of Otago. Her research interests are in the fields of project management, cross-cultural studies, Samoan tattooing, cultural tourism and sustainability, marketing strategy, consumer behaviour, cultural heritage, mental health and wellbeing in the Pacific and fashion and clothing.

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