Moral of the story: listen to your elders wisdom is taught and hand down through generations

@Stellaaahhh

Жыл бұрын

It is time dor them to listen to US for they have forgotten their own way selling us out to the palangis way

Her poetry at the end moved me beyond the tears pooling in my eyes, beyond the beat of my heart. Wow! What a beautiful soul, and a treasure of her culture. Thank you for sharing.

@dircepacheco

2 жыл бұрын

I felt exactly the same!

I am bawling my eyes out. Maybe because I appreciate my native indigenous Pacific Islander heritage and I know how much has been lost in the generations and how much power we have in our current generation to promote and educate each other and ourselves. To be kind to ourselves first. Thank you for this!

Wow I'm Tongan and was compelled to watch! Thank you Professor absolutely inspiring and ignites a renown passion to get to know deep my family tree and hold tight the traditions and symbols passed down for the future of our lineages and may they never loose sense and pride of who they are truly

The tattoos, piercings, drawings, paintings, sketchings, potteries, and other artistic expressions of Native Oceanians are marvelous

So proud of my Tongan heritage as I am a direct descendant of King Taufa'ahau Tupou 1 of Tonga. He is my 5th Great Grandfather. Thank you for sharing this with us and God bless!

@mrfin02

2 жыл бұрын

I have a ancestor named Finau ulukalala. That's where my Finau name derived from.

@teti_99

2 жыл бұрын

@@mrfin02 OISH!!! Ulukalala is also an ancestor of mine on my Dad's side. Malie Feletoa koe matapā oku fatunga koa!!! 🔥

@sasharowen9584

2 жыл бұрын

@@teti_99 I guess we’re related lol

@sasharowen9584

2 жыл бұрын

@@mrfin02 I am a descendant of him as well.

@Kava650

3 ай бұрын

My nigguh related to everybody lol, come on Tokz quit the cap 😂😂

This was very moving for me. Thanks Frances. Vinaka vaka levu o Fa'a fetai lava o Malo 'aupito

OMG, I knew it! I knew it, I KNEW IT!!! I wondered for a very long time about our Samoan print and tatoo's. I knew it meant more than just some random markings or design. I have been looking for someone such as yourself to learn the anchient ways or historical information etc. I am thankful and I hope we can all dig for more truth about the 3 islands. Wow, great job!

Dr Frances C.Koya Vaka'uta from the village of Saleimoa, Samoa. malo..malo..le "TAU" God Bless..

@CresantiaFKoya

7 жыл бұрын

Hi, thank you for your kind words. Proudly representing bloodlines from Saleimoa and Nofoali'i.

Yes, all of our tatau must be kept in our tradition(s) due to our history being told within the designs.

This has rendered me to tears. It evoked such emotion in me. Mrs. Vaka'uta you speak with all of our tua'a. This is the very reason why I detest the usage of the Maui costume by Disney and the tuiga as an accessory for their Moana doll. It is much more than just beautiful. It's sacred. Our people need to really absorb this video. Incredibly done Mrs. Vaka'uta. Alofa aku!!

@CresantiaFKoya

7 жыл бұрын

Thank you @DEMTOiLOLOsS, I agree with you completely. I too am concerned about the indiscriminate use of our Pacific heritage arts and indigenous knowledge systems. They are so much more than just "pretty" artifacts but sadly so many foreigners and some of our own, are too blinded by the 'glitter' of Disney to really engage or to realize exactly what is happening. But, all is not lost, there are enough of us out there connected by Va Tapuia who will continue to represent and to always be "in their faces" :) Thank you for taking the time to comment.

@SuperSlaws

7 жыл бұрын

DEMTOiLOLOsS Native Americans have been fighting the same thing for years. We are not costumes.

@maliana86

7 жыл бұрын

Cresantia F. Koya I really appreciate this information. I am half Tongan but have never lived there or even visited. I have been researching tapa motifs specifically lately to try to understand what they mean and their significance and wanting to incorporate them into quilt design, since I don' t have access to a mulberry tree 😊 I want to do this with respect and understanding but dont know where to start. What can the younger generations who are more isolated from from the islands do to learn and reconnect with their culture? Especially in cases where parents have possibly been more concerned with their children adapting to and fitting into a new culture?

@garyblackbourne120

6 жыл бұрын

oh get off the grass. Why should your culture be so sacred taht Disney cant use it? Do you want to out it in a jar and lock it away? Then do so and no one will know of it!

@kk_451

6 жыл бұрын

gary blackbourne disney can make a movie about polynesia but we ask to be respectful about our sacred traditions. Meaning to not make our cultural outfits as halloween costumes, and to not be mocked for our ways. Or to understand the depth of our tattoos before you get them just cause they look cool.

powerful message professor... honored to hear about the history of our culture

BRILLIANT!!! I am positive your grandmother's spirit is just beaming knowing how her beautiful grandaughter has managed to bring this incredible knowledge to the entire world! Perhaps if you'd photographed her, you'd never have been inspired. I thoughoughly enjoyed your talk. Mahalo nui

Beautiful! Identity, Place within Space. I am a Hawaiian and can identify with your stories. Thankfully, like you, my grandmother shared many stories giving me a sense of identity. Each and every minute and minor detail means something in the great scheme of our universe as we knew and know it. Mahalo nui loa.

Meu Deusss Watching this for more than 20mins was the most powerful and touching words about "Roots, respect, responsibilties,,,, and goes on to Power" And with all respect I must say "Ia so'oga liligi ma ia fa'amaguia kele aku lo kakou Akua Silisili Ese i lau Afioga Dr Frances C.Koya Vaka'uta!" Tears covered my face as you led me back to a real sence of being a real samoan full of hope with much pride of who we really are as people of the land, a sence of being great significance and value to wherever I'am. Even far away fr my Samoa and a seed of a great and powerful woman from Nofoali'i. Ia maguia kele au faiva e que Deus todo poderoso te abençõe Dr C.Koya Vaka'uta!

@CresantiaFKoya

7 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your kind words. I am so very very humbled and am forever grateful for the fāgogo at a time when we didn't have technology and television. In this world of so many distractions, the one thing that holds me is knowing we carry the ancestors with us wherever we are and their stories, their life lessons and values ground us.

A lovely intro into the complexities behind the symbols, its certainly opened my eyes. I would hope that the history and meaning of all pacific symbolism is being/has been well documented for reference somewhere? As for its use today, yes there are true traditional use cases where the proper meaning is sacred but this shouldn't imply that patterns are not to be used in fashion, with documentation in place symbolism can be used creatively without losing sight of its true meaning.

The knowledge, understanding and interpretation of such indigenous wisdom is truly heartfelt. I am so glad to been able to hear and see you speak so poetically such histories of intricate symbolism and connectedness. Beautiful.

One of my most favorite lecturers at USP back in 2011

Moved beyond words!!!!! So powerful and enlightening. Thank you for sharing!!!!

I love how it was concluded at the very end. Just beautiful.

Divine timing for me to hear this message. So beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

Malo 'aupito/Vinaka vakalevu Frances. A great presentation and journey into our past... and future. 'Ofa atu mo loloma levu x

So beautiful. Thank you. I, too, cried.

Thank you so much for sharing, you've brought me back to this page numerus time just to hear your wisdom & knowledge of our culture. That was beautiful. Thank you again.

Thank you Frances Koya Vaka'uta....such powerful words of our symbols.

Indigeneity is the story of our suppressed cultures. Nānā i ke kumu o nā kūpuna (look to the source of our elders & ancestors) for truth. Mahalo iā Frances for a beautiful presentation. Aloha nō.

What an inspiring and awesome presentation.

This is amazing!!! Thank you for gifting us with your heartfelt work of LOVE. Faafetai Lava😊

Wow, a great one....... loved it. thanks >> Frances C. Koya Vaka'uta

Great presentation. Proud to be of lapita heritage too. I also want to do something like what you did. Research on Mussau Islanders and their lapita trading. There seems to be a lot of connections to the samoan culture. But really appreciate your presentation.

That poem summed it all up 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

That was fantastic!! Thank you for enhancing my knowledge of where I come from 👏👏👏

i hope you still lecture, brilliant oratory, standout intellect

Beautiful and informative. Thank you!

A powerful and informative presentation. I've enjoyed your presentation very much. Thank you.

Wow wow wow !! Loved this !!

Awesome, thank you for sharing, appreciate you.

Eye opening

Wow, that was beautiful. I just had to take notes!

Thank you, beautiful story ❤️❤️

Well done introduction , I loved it very much ! Cheeeehoooooo !!

Fantastic! I have a lot to learn!

Love the poem.

I have a tapa cloth given to my father-in-law during WWII by fellow Navy sailor. The man is Hawaiian and being discriminated against. He was falsely accused of an infraction. My father-in-law spoke up and saved him from his fate. In return, the man gave him this tapa cloth after he returned from a trip home. The tapa cloth as had some deterioration. I want to frame it to preserve it. Also, I want to know if and how I should preserve it. If anyone reads this and has a recommendation on where to go, please reply.

@josemacbeth1641

2 жыл бұрын

If it is small I would freeze it in a glue substance as a whole like a picture frame. If it is big than it will deteriorate over time or just get a new one with same artform on it. I am Tongan and Tapa is one of our highest value to offer. Hopefully this helps

Wow… As a Samoan man I’ve learn some stuff from this… Thank you

Love it!

Your tatatau is supposed to be the story of your life. Each design representing the story and your rank in society!

My great grandmother had a body Tattooing, eldest daughter of Tongan high Chiefs

Powerful messages of our Pacific Ness 🌏❤️🌏❤️🌏Fakaue lahi 💝

Powerful

Thank you for sharing...very interesting...fellow pacific islander.

Powerful.

Beautiful poem 🤩

Thanks Frances I hope you have pushed ahead with the designs knowledge... designs need to be categorised and be re-learned

very powerful indeed... so powerful the poem activated my allergies & I don't have allergies lol manuia lava

Very good speech

Is any of your research published anywhere? I'd be honoured to read it.

MY ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION is no the ocean that you see in the Pacific wasn't there when our people arrived in the Pacific, Many of the landmasses that existed back then are not there anymore only in some of our stories if we remember those stories because some of our stories it's hard to believe when you hear it for the first time in your life that something like that can ever happen here on earth especially in the Pacific

What a beautiful presentation...malo lava.

im Micronesian from the islands of Chuuk. Tatooing in my language is called "Folufön" meaning thorn. It was outlawed in the late 1800s & early 1900s by European Missionaries including our ways of dancing & chanting & even the practice of praying to our ancestors.

@Lishmaa

4 жыл бұрын

Yes its so sad yet true. Some of our Tongan dances were lost due to dancing being outlawed by missionaries.

amazing

🙏🙏🙏

All from Ancient Tongan Lapita Origin settlement 😊

Does anybody know what her accent is, pleaseeee

@Mr.Lupena

3 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a formal Fijian accent

💙💙💙💙💙🔥💯

wow

Samoa & Tonga are Polynesian Fiji is Melanesian although there is mixing from War & in more recent times marriage. Fa'a Samoa.

@tagaloasroyallinesheartofp3478

5 жыл бұрын

In ancient times Samoa and Fiji were always at war, this is before the Tui Tonga empire, Tonga tapu means Sacred south while Tokelau is known as North Wind between these islands lies Samoa Sacred bird or forbidden heart, the king of Polynesia was Tagaloa lagi, considered a God in Tahiti(Ta'aroa) Hawaii(Kanaloa) Aotearoa(Tangaroa) Rapanui(to'aroa) Tonga(Tangaloa) including the rest of Polynesians all leads back to Tagaloa lagi, the residing place of Tagaloa was the Islands of Manu'a where Tui Manu'a dynasty ruled the rest of Polynesia, Fijians at the time were known as the invaders there empire was known as Tui Pulotu the ones who brought war to Tonga and the islands in the West, Tui Manu'a defeated this empire..

@Kava650

3 ай бұрын

@@tagaloasroyallinesheartofp3478gonna need some receipts for that Uce lol. Word of mouth is just not enough 🤷🏽‍♂️😂 especially in this day and age 💯

Protect the old Ways

As a former Peace Corps volunteer I absolutely snorted at that joke. We're intolerable.

I like samoan culture and tattoos .. so my question to polynesians is they keep telling motifs and tattoos tell their stories and each of them is specific to every person but how fo they tell the stories? How does a person choose a tattoo for a person? I am not a polynesian but i am a tribal from northeastern india from a place called itanagar. Some say we r the descendants of mongols. Some say we are chinese or tibetans .. so to sum up i want a tribal tattoo which defines my life too. I wanna know how to choose one for me. I didnt want to offend samoans or polynesians .. i want to honor it.

@longhairdontcare187

4 жыл бұрын

Honor it by not getting it. Your not Polynesian.

@tongas.3693

3 жыл бұрын

Please don't. Polynesian tattoos tell the history of people, culture and heritage.

@josemacbeth1641

2 жыл бұрын

It's your body and feel free to put ink in it. Disregard my people because this is your life

@bai252

Жыл бұрын

​@@longhairdontcare187 good one

Some of my family are surprised at how the Maori are assimilating Pacific styles of spelling and vocabulary. The Maori simply use swap the 'f' for 'wh' and so the entire meaning of words changes at the same time losing its richness and fullness of expression in its original Polynesia setting. My aunt had to teach at a rural primary school and she had to teach the Maori class and found it very easy beacuse their alphabet was very similar to Polynesian ones. I remember how some Maori iwi sued Lego for using Polynesian motif for its 'Bionicles' toys. Like Polynesia belongs only to the Maori.

Fijians are not Polynesian even though there is a long long history of mixing due to Wars & more recently marriage

@sandpaper631

4 жыл бұрын

@Moana Lahi yeah theres alot of fijians that look like tongans and samoans, alot of mixing happened back in the day

@jujucompton1215

4 жыл бұрын

They Samoa as missionaries as well. They sent the Samoa warriors to Palau and of course war occurred..

@billteeen1778

3 жыл бұрын

Back in the days there were no names such as Polynesia,Melanesia,Micronesia n Lapita..Those are names brought in by White Colonisers to distinguish us.When they saw us live in the largest ocean on earth sharing similar lifestyles,similar traditions,similar counting numbers,similar place names,similar people names..etc..Thats why they labelled us with those names according to our different physical characteristics nd re write our histories assuming that we came from Asia or Africa..Which is not the case..Because most of the dna taken lately have supported the verbal histories of our elders that we always live here in the Pacific deriving from our pre-flood land..

@mrfin02

2 жыл бұрын

@@billteeen1778 but still, we have different physical appearances. Polynesians are brown or Fair skinned. Melanesians are dark-skinned And Micronesians are in the middle.

First

Samoan with a Tongan last name?

@allem808

4 жыл бұрын

She married a Tongan man

There's a certain lean of the scale when listening to her speak...which only show to me personally that the Pacific islanders were one in one time of space...time only being a explanation of occurrence only true experience of truth can be account for one's truth...please being a Tongan in true nature, do not let this information be actual truth of existence...explore and find what the void has left for us to truly explore and find to be actual truth by community...My personal opinion will be mines and mines alone, only to hope that when taking in information , you will believe in what you yourself only believe in.

@forsaaken420

4 жыл бұрын

TrunkMaterial what are you even saying

@kelepiv4349

4 жыл бұрын

huh? lmao

@moekontze116

2 жыл бұрын

Trunk you sound like you don't believe being Tongan of course. ignorance can lead to confusions maybe you can do your research then Professor not and find out your truths. Samoa was where it all started. We two shared a lot of similarities, and wonder why that is,? I know but as you said you keep your thoughts to yourself and we keep ours. Good luck with your research professor trunk. Tonga is waiting for your thesis.

@TrunkMaterial

2 жыл бұрын

@@moekontze116 it's apparent that you know only what you're told. I can only assume that you actually speak from your self research and not that of what was told to you by others. I've done my own and I only can tell that when the sun rises first in Tonga Samoa is still in yesterday. What I meant to say was that we are all one as pacific Islanders. You my friend sound like you're a Descendant of the lupitans. Because if you even had enough to understand that we don't share anything in common with these asian descendants. To me there's a gap of understanding that we've not been taught or even maybe being withheld because as it is "dark ages" are not to be spoken of due to your lord and savior "Jesus Christ" but hey that's only my opinion , what else is yours?

Malo 'aupito

@learnmore7857

4 жыл бұрын

Nice profile photo toks

remember that story about the flood that happens in Noah days, well our people were there living in a place we know today as America THE WHOLE EARTH WAS ONCE CONNECTED BEFORE THE FLOOD CAME

IF THEY WERE IT WILL SHOW IT IN THE MIDDLE EAST

MY ANCESTOR WAS LIVING IN AMERICA LONG BEFORE THE ISRAELITES ARRIVE IN AMERICA my people were servent to the Gods including God the eternal father or the father of Jesus Christ

respectfully disagree with a lot of your premise about how our people were created, your learning is from what existed what society shows in the past n in the present in the pacific, my question to you young lady what about the history of those things once existed in the pacific in the time when our people first arrived in the pacific islands, let me ask u were the ocean that u see in the pacific always existed in the Pacific

Seki a sis

We did not come from Asia.

@mrfin02

2 жыл бұрын

We did lmao.

@Kava650

3 ай бұрын

@@mrfin02nigguh you did lol.

Tongan occupation...yep thanks for reminding us...thats why we hate them on the rugby field.

@theephraimite

5 жыл бұрын

Maika Tuisalialevu, yet many don't know that Tongan kings and their chiefs were actually ethnic Samoans.

@tagaloasroyallinesheartofp3478

5 жыл бұрын

Maika Tuisalialevu Tonga means south, yous are basically Samoans who became mixed up with Fijian bloods during the war of Samoa and Fiji!!..

@RastasNevaDie

3 жыл бұрын

@@tagaloasroyallinesheartofp3478 stop the lies sole uce.

@ltmg9832

3 жыл бұрын

@@theephraimite Yet many don’t know that Samoa was enslaved to Tonga for about 300-400 or so years. Having slaves and concubines to Tongan men. Especially to Tui Tonga. That’s where the connection is people! And you wonder why there’s still this generational shame and pride and this “tense hate” with some not liking Tongans, just to fabricate things which aren’t completely true and hiding that truth. It’s not something to be ashamed of. It’s history and it’s not something Tongans aren’t proud of either. When now thanks to scientific and archaeological findings because of technological advances which are showing something completely different. The truth is coming out into the light whether you people like it or not. One love people 🙏🏾🌴🥥💕

@theephraimite

3 жыл бұрын

@@ltmg9832 nobody’s denying that Tonga ruled parts of Samoa. The tuitonga also enslaved tongans. The lesser known truth is the tuitongas and other Tongan kings were Samoans. Even Tongan scholar Dr Mahina says it in his book, that the first tuitinga was the son of a Samoan chief, and that all the kings that followed married Samoans because the royal bloodline only came from Samoa. Here’s a qoute from George Tupou I : “Our relationship with Samoa is old, for it is from whence we came.” So, like you said, whether you like it or not, that is the truth.

Sharing ... Uuuuu aaaaahhhhhh. Wiliwili bang bang DENG.! Nalu wale. Da Links! Better do DNA. eg. Duh Plover here comes from Siberia too. My Hunny Beah mum comes from Russia...Go Figgah...noticed my link is also there. Go figgah...Ony da Kanaka wahine Sphinx knows....

Oh get off the grass. Why should your culture be so sacred that Disney cant use it? Do you want to out it in a jar and lock it away? Then do so and no one will know of it!

@seapearltoo1

6 жыл бұрын

i think disney should make cute movies about sacred cultures around the world since that is the best way to learn of their heritage. :/

@mushuwoowoo9063

6 жыл бұрын

To add on, watching disney movies about cultures is not the best way. If you truly wanted to learn you would seek out sources and those who posses the knowledge of what you're interested in.

@toakasi6425

6 жыл бұрын

Is Disney the best way to learn about Culture Gary ? Is that even what the speaker is trying to assert ? you should be able to watch learn listen read feel and do all ... not favour one over the other there are no pet likes or loves she's simply giving an insight into the Samoan and Tongan cultural traditions it is really amazing .... goes to show how authentic and sacred they are.

@toakasi6425

6 жыл бұрын

gary blackbourne Polynessia maybe an exotic playground or lab to some but revealing the notion of tapu is powerful and to an effect inspiring all the islands in the pacific are unique and have their own distinctive oral histories to be recovered.

@improvcooking9536

5 жыл бұрын

Gary is not entirely wrong, but there is also something as cultural appreciation. Somebody that sees an image or symbol and gets inspired to learn about any of the Polynesian cultures, has a right to learn about it. And I’ve read the comment that Disney might not be the best way to learn about the culture(that’s true), but it’s a small opening that leads to it for some. Throughout history there have been many cultures. Most did not last or they changed and adapted to the current situation. That’s just life. Why are you trying to go backwards while time is always moving forward?