Every year, Tisa’s Barefoot Bar on Alega beach on the east side throws a tattoo festival. Tattooing is very much apart of the Samoan culture and this event celebrates the art. On one of Tisa’s decks about 5 or 6 machine tattooists and 1 traditional tattoo artist were set up. Awesome ink was everywhere.
There was also a little show with traditional dance costumes made of flowers and leaves and a display of the traditional tatau (tattoos). In Samoan culture select men and women of Matai families are chosen to wear the pe’a (for men) and the malu (for women). The tattoos go from waist to knee and involve a very long and painful process. It is said that if one can undergo these tattoos, then they are strong enough to endure anything.
Cultural Lesson: “In Samoa, the tradition of applying tattoo, or tatau, by hand has been unbroken for over two thousand years. Tools and techniques have changed little. The skill is often passed from father to son, each tattoo artist, or tufuga, learning the craft over many years of serving as his father's apprentice. Honoring their tradition, Samoan tattoo artists made this tool from sharpened boar's teeth fastened together with a portion of the turtle shell and to a wooden handle.
Traditional Samoan tattooing of the “pe'a”, body tattoo, is an ordeal that is not lightly undergone. It takes many weeks to complete. The process is very painful and used to be a necessary prerequisite to receiving a matai title; this however is no longer the case”
Of course no one was receiving the pe’a at the festival, but many other tattoos were being given using the traditional method. And, boy, was it painful to watch. The process, though, was very exciting, and I think the traditional designs are very beautiful.
Check out these sites if you interested in reading more about the traditional tattoos:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_tattooing#Samoa
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