I have tried my best to stay out of the Traditional Tattoo/ Tatau/ Malu debate. It's been a much talked about topic since the Nike fiasco and then singer Rihanna's stint with what appeared to be Malu pattern designs tatted on her hand after her tour in Auckland New Zealand recently. And then she covered it up. The whole topic involves a lot of emotions, provokes a lot of thoughts, usually with references to what is the correct practise around the use of the Traditional Tattoos, who should get one, who should be imposing tattoos, and now lately, which is the better sex to impose the Malu, which is traditionally reserved for Samoan females. I have tried to stay out of this topic, mainly because one, I don't have a Malu, and I don't plan on getting one anytime soon (mainly because I want to lose weight first and save up for it - they literally cost an arm and a leg, two thighs to be exact), and thirdly because I feel that the emphasis placed on the arguments could be better, or let me put it this way - it could be different. The arguments have been the same for as far as I can remember! Who, why, when and how! What about relevance? What about importance in relation to our culture and our connection with each other? Yes, its the ultimate honour that any Samoan woman could get, it is her induction into the realm of Samoan womanhood, signifying strength and independence. But is it the only honour that is accorded to a Samoan woman, or man? Is it the only ultimate acknowledgement that we can award a Samoan man or woman? Because all this debating has shadowed every other forms of honour that Samoan men and women can come into.
Which brings me to my argument. I feel that the popular arguments on the topic are putting too much emphasis on overused points, and therefore exhausting the topic itself, which quite frankly, I thought it was getting too boring to write about anymore. Yes the Malu is traditionally valuable and important. The Tatau is important. It is a traditional art. Simply put. I mean no disrespect to the entity of the Malu or any man or woman who has had the Tatau or the Malu. In fact I have huge admiration for those who have weathered the a'u and made themselves and their families proud. I have many relatives who have the laei. It is definitely a mark to bear with pride and honour. The fact that I am related to them,even makes me proud.
But then there is also something more important that I feel we are not giving enough credit in the world of print and social media. The honour of bearing the lineage of your family. The privilege of gaining the trust and respect of your Aiga, by being selected out of no doubt hundreds of extended relatives to bear the Titles or Chiefly Matai names of your families. Chiefly Titles or Suafa Matai, are Samoa's Mea sina/Taonga/Treasures. Without titles your lineages will be lost. Without titles your traditional gafa/lineage may cease to exist. A Matai is carefully selected by their extended families, in a fono or gathering of other already titled leaders of the family. Whoever's going to bear the title, must be courageous, brave and fearless to take their place amongst the saofa'iga or seating of chiefs in the village, and chiefs of the extended families. The chosen will receive the blessings of the village or district Pastors and church leaders, before they receive that of the already titled chiefs or matai of their Aiga. The ceremonies requires a lot of collected monetary donations to the villagers, extended families and sometimes neighbouring districts, as well as a celebratory feast for all who attend,(which is usually the whole village, men and women alike).
This aspect of the fa'a Samoa (Samoan Way),is pivotal to its very existence. The Matai Village Council is the highest and most powerful entity in the village. Whatever the council says, the villagers will ask how much? Samoa is the only country in the world with a Village Council Act, which regulates the decisions and actions of the village council impacting on the development and wellbeing of the village. Samoa is also the only country in the world that has a Lands and Titles Court, where cases determining the rightful ownership of titles and land associated with these titles are determined in a Court setting. A Samoan title, I must say is just as honourable as any English Royal Family title. Both useless in both countries, but extremely valuable in their own lands. In fact, former Head of State and much loved leader of Samoa, the late Honourable Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II; is well known for stating to the late King of Tonga, when he was asked as to why his people don't bow to him, his famous reply was; "In Samoa, everyone's a king". A saying no truer than its exact translation. Our titles mean, we are kings/leaders in our own families.
Matais are bestowed titles in order to take up the responsibilities of leading and guiding their Aiga, Villages, Districts and extended families. A famous Samoan saying goes; "O le Ala I le Pule o le Tautua", "The Path to Leadership, is through Service". You are selected to take up the privilege and responsibility; of carrying your whole aiga's heritage, by the way you have served your family. Whether you have brought them honour and pride in your individual efforts in life, whether you have honoured your family through service to the village, church and extended family, whether your father and his father before him had served the Aiga and the villages well. Service. You don't just decide by yourself, "I am going to get a Matai Title". You don't just decide, "I am going to pay $3,000.00 next week so I can get a title". No. There are traditional sacred protocols that must be followed. Leaders who's opinions are crucial, have to determine whether you make the cut. Whether you've done enough to serve your family, and make them happy, proud and want not for anything. Service. It is not received through a mere ancient traditional artistic practise, it has to be EARNED through hard work, dedication, commitment, sweat, honesty, and most of all alofa/love for your Aiga. Some may argue that it is hardly the case these days. That it is almost just as commercialised as the Traditional Tattoos. But we all know different. Yes, it may be the case for some families, but it may well be, that those individuals received that honour, if not by their service, but through the service of their ancestors and their parents before them.
It would be six years this month, since I had received the same honour from my mother's family. In November of 2007, my mother decided with her brothers and sisters, who are the Matais and leaders of our family; together with chiefs of her extended families, that instead of her, the title will go to her only child and daughter. I would be bestowed with the title of Semau, an oratory title (meaning I have a whole lot of serving to do), alongside chosen others like me. I remember having mixed feelings about it all. Waking up early that morning, to the fresh air of the big Island of Savai'i, and wondering whether I had earned this respect. Whether I had done enough. Whether I deserved it. Getting cold feet and overwhelmed with the reality of just how much of a responsibility I would be taking on. Was I ready to face titled men in my extended family, as another matai and more importantly as a titled woman? Women getting titles was still fairly new for most families, and some conservatives were still taking it hard.
Interestingly, I remembered being filled with a serene calmness that morning. An epiphany then hit me, I felt the warmth of my ancestors, of my mother's mother who had once adored me and smothered me with love and always welcomed me with open arms, she always made me feel that that was where I belonged. (We hardly went to my mother's family when I was a child). It came to me, without this link, I may never go back to that beautiful luscious greenery of Savai'i, should my mother leave this world. With my afakasi upbringing, I sometimes tended to lean more towards the western world more comfortably than the my Samoan heritage on both my parents' families. I remember thinking that 'if I don't take up that link, that challenge, I may never go back without my mother. My children may never know of their grandmother's family, her village, her extended aiga and her mea sina'. It was a beautiful awakening notion. My title would be my living link to my mother's family, and her mother's family. My children will have the right to go there anytime, any day and they will rightly say, 'This is my Aiga'. Since my title bestowal, only my family and close friends know that I am a matai. This is mostly because, I had believed in the words of my other grandmother, that a 'tamali'i' does not need public acknowledgement. People will know who you are, you don't have to tell them. She's right. But today, I am breaking my own rule, to acknowledge the people who have allocated their trust, respect and honour to me. My Lauano Semau Aiga.
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There are hundreds, if not thousands like me. They bear not a traditional lae'i, but they bear the titles and heritage of their families. They bear the links that will carry one generation into the next. A code that will hold a family intact for many years and many services and many bestowal ceremonies. They silently serve their families, village and church, through traditional fa'alavelave, through love, commitment and support. I like to call them 'silent servants' (although in my case, I'm not always silent when fa'alavelaves hit me in volumes). Not sensational enough to sustain much of any social networking arguments. But powerful enough to lead and hold together a family through service. Tattooed or not, those men and women, are wearing the lae'i of their family gafa. Bodies decay with the earth, but lineage lives on through time, forever even, for as long as the Lord wills this earth to exist. Soifua.
