Conclusion: Samoan
life is filled with important moments of social
transition, including birth, school graduation,
marriage (which redefines the relationship between
individuals and entire families), title taking, and
death. The family and community honor these
transitions in life and individual status with
celebration and ritual that often includes adorning
the body with special clothing (decorated bark
cloth and fine mats), accoutrements (headdresses)
and/or tattoo. By artistically dressing the body,
Samoans acknowledge and celebrate the individual
crossing over these bridges in life. Other events
in the community, including State occasions, the
welcoming of visitors and many aspects of religious
celebration, also warrant the performance of
costumed dancers, dressed hosts, and the
multivalent ritual gestures of gift giving. All of
these events serve to strengthen the bonds between
individuals and their community, and to define
individual social status. While the importance of
the dressed body is a deeply rooted link with the
past, Samoans continue to creatively alter and
enhance artistic forms to keep them contemporary
and relevant, and thereby continually reaffirming
the expressive place of self-embellishment in fa'a
Samoa (the Samoan way).
According
to 1996 estimates, the population of American Samoa
was 58,000 and Independent Samoa was 161,000.
Today, an estimated 60,000 Samoans live in
California.
"Worn with Pride: Celebrating Samoan Artistic
Heritage" was curated by Teri Sowell, Ph.D.
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