The connections of Fijian and Samoan Tatau:  One of our esteemed Pasifika knowledge holders tells the stories of the ancient art of Veiqia in Fiji and its connections with other tatau across the Moana. Simione Sevudredre explains how our ancestors saw a connected Pacific rather than a divided one - where culture, customs, produce and taonga were shared and exchanged from Island to Island. Transported in the magnificent vaka that navigated the biggest ocean surface of the world, tatau was part of our inter Island knowledge system shared between islands.  "Our matua did not see territories of divivded islands like the colonial lens of today, they saw kinship and connectivity" - Simione Sevudredre

The Samoan selu: find out more about this beautiful age old Pacific adornment, popular in Samoa and Tonga across the centuries. These regal tall hair combs have taken many forms over the years, made from wood, tortoise shell and the frond of the coconut tree. Learn more about the history of these selu and how to make your own! Grab your household salu and get started here: - Digital Fāgogo is a Pacific storytelling series, looking at the ancient arts of the Moana which are brought to life through the skills of 8 different creators of Pasifika taonga. From the tuiga of Samoa, to plaiting skills from Rotuma, the tikanga of lei making in Hawaii and the weaving of the Cook Islands - this series aims to connect young Pacific Islanders with their heritage arts and culture.

"In Hawai'i we have kinolao - basically it's body forms of gods & goddesses & ancestors in flowers so there's a real familial relationship we have with greenery & flora"  Hawaiian lei makers Kawika Aipa and Kamalani Kapeliela show us how to make fresh lei as well as the important part:  to understand what it takes to retain culture, the effort required to have the knowledge & skills to make this natural piece of culture and history and then giving it away. - Digital Fāgogo is a Pacific storytelling series, looking at the ancient arts of the Moana which are brought to life through the skills of 8 different creators of Pasifika taonga.  From the tuiga of Samoa, to plaiting skills from Rotuma, the tikanga of lei making in Hawaii and the weaving of the Cook Islands - this series aims to connect young Pacific Islanders with their heritage arts and culture.

Artist Phylesha Brown-Acton shares the stunning art of lalaga Niue - fibre weaving. Here she talks about the history and importance of this beautiful taonga, how it’s an integral part of life in the Islands and the different adornments you can create. Learn how to make this pandanus hibiscus in these easy steps and put the knowledge from our Pasifika ancestors into practice. - Digital Fāgogo is a Pacific storytelling series, looking at the ancient arts of the Moana which are brought to life through the skills of 8 different creators of Pasifika taonga.  From the tuiga of Samoa, to plaiting skills from Rotuma, the tikanga of lei making in Hawaii and the weaving of the Cook Islands - this series aims to connect young Pacific Islanders with their heritage arts and culture.

"Cook Islands carving is a celebration of life, Cook Islands carving is a modern implentation of our ancestors and the greatness that they left us with ..." Cook Islands taunga/carver Elsie Hosking shares how she connects with her Cook Islands culture through carving and learning about indigenous processes and art form at Mike Tavioni's Vananga. She explains how each of the islands in the pa enua have their own patterns & motifs which is important to how they structure their identity and shows us her first piece. - Digital Fāgogo is a Pacific storytelling series, looking at the ancient arts of the Moana which are brought to life through the skills of 8 different creators of Pasifika taonga.  From the tuiga of Samoa, to plaiting skills from Rotuma, the tikanga of lei making in Hawaii and the weaving of the Cook Islands - this series aims to connect young Pacific Islanders with their heritage arts and culture.

Young artist Ezekiel Tuatea Tatuava-Enjoy breaks down the tikanga of his ancestors from Atiu in looking at how important the Coconet tree of life is to Cook Islands culture. You may have seen the many Island styles of coconut frond hats that people rock around the Pacific on hot days, from the visor styles to the full hats - these organic head shades come in all shapes and sizes and can be made straight from nature.  Zeke shares stories of his grandparents and how he was brought up to learn to weave and understand Cook Islands traditions, as he takes us step by step through the process of making a simple palm frond hat. These can be made with flax and even paper in countries that can't access coconut leaves, as he explains here -  - Digital Fāgogo is a Pacific storytelling series, looking at the ancient arts of the Moana which are brought to life through the skills of 8 different creators of Pasifika taonga.  From the tuiga of Samoa, to plaiting skills from Rotuma, the tikanga of lei making in Hawaii and the weaving of the Cook Islands - this series aims to connect young Pacific Islanders with their heritage arts and culture. 

"If you didn't know how to plait fibre you couldnt make fishing nets, baskets or adornments in Rotuma - its an essential part of our art of living" - Sofia Tekela Smith. Rotuman artist Sofia Tekela-Smith shares the stories and history of her homeland as she breaks down the importance of plaiting and braiding in her culture. In this video she breaks down how to do an 8 plait weave to make a simple and beautiful shell bracelet. Learn how to constuct this shell bracelet here and also how you can apply the 8 plait weaving skills to many different adornments and forms. - Digital Fāgogo is a Pacific storytelling series, looking at the ancient arts of the Moana which are brought to life through the skills of 8 different creators of Pasifika taonga.  From the tuiga of Samoa, to plaiting skills from Rotuma, the tikanga of lei making in Hawaii and the weaving of the Cook Islands - this series aims to connect young Pacific Islanders with their heritage arts and culture. 

The Tuiga is one of the most valued and recognisable measina of Samoa - and holds the mana of Samoan culture and often the wearer's ancestors on the tapu part of the body, the head.  In this exploration of the stories and history behind the tuiga headdress, tuiga maker and designer Bronson Seiuli shows us how the tuiga is constructed and how intricately it is placed and often woven onto the head.  For Samoan taupou's and manaia - the tuiga is the crowning glory of the cultural attire for a taualuga, or a ceremonial occasion as seen in this beautiful piece.  -  Digital Fāgogo is a Pacific storytelling series, looking at the ancient arts of the Moana which are brought to life through the skills of 8 different creators of Pasifika taonga.  From the tuiga of Samoa, to plaiting skills from Rotuma, the tikanga of lei making in Hawaii and the weaving of the Cook Islands - this series aims to connect young Pacific Islanders with their heritage arts and culture.