“Taking Samoa’s Traditional Sinnet Garments to Global Audience”
Apia, Samoa – Friday, 26th July 2024
The NUS-Faculty of Business and Entrepreneurship (FOBE) has launched the ‘Afa Project’, a remarkable initiative aimed at promoting and preserving Samoa’s rich and vibrant cultural heritage for future generations. The project is led by Aliimalemanu Dr. Bernadette Samau Sila, Head of the Department for Management and Marketing, and Muliagatele Sesilia Lauano, Head of the Department for Accounting and Economics.
Through this collaborative project, NUS has donated four traditional Samoan sinnet garments to four prominent museums in Europe, showcasing Samoa’s cultural textile artistry and craftsmanship to a global audience.
The ‘Afa Project has three primary objectives:
- To promote and preserve Samoa’s cultural heritage.
- To encourage and empower emerging researchers to engage in research and publication.
- To create local and international collaboration opportunities.
The project was made possible through funding provided by the Education Sector Funding (ESF).
The talented weavers, Falenaoti Juliana Joy Tuiletufuga and Sala Tuiletufuga Ulu, designed and crafted the beautiful garments that are now on display in the European museums. The team behind this impressive project includes Aliimalemanu Dr. Bernadette Samau Sila, Muliagatele Sesilia Lauano, Falenaoti Juliana Joy Tuiletufuga, her daughter Sala Tuiletufuga Ulu, and Rachel Bell.
Dr. Bernadette and Muliagatele represented NUS and departed Samoa on June 14th to visit four museums in Europe: Übersee-Museum Bremen in Germany, Wereld Museum in Leiden, Netherlands; The National Museum of World Culture in Stockholm, Sweden; and The Museum Five Continents in Munich, Germany. During their journey, they delivered six presentations at the museums before proceeding to Prague, Czech Republic to present their conference papers.
The sinnet garments donated to the museums are a representation of Samoa’s rich cultural heritage, and each garment was officially handed over to the museum directors, adding to their respective collections.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to share our cultural heritage with the world,” said Aliimalemanu Dr. Bernadette Samau Sila, the project leader. “This gesture not only preserves our cultural traditions but also promotes cross-cultural understanding.”
The donation of these exquisite traditional sinnet garments to prominent museums in Europe is a significant achievement for the National University of Samoa that will pave the way for future collaborations and research initiatives.
About the ‘Afa Project
The NUS – FOBE ‘Afa Project is an effort to preserve Samoan cultural heritage both locally and globally through various initiatives such as research, education, and community engagement. The project focuses on the importance of coconut fiber as material culture in arts and crafts, with one of its themes being a wedding or evening dress made from traditional materials like bark and coconut fibre.
