Aloha, It may seem odd that immediately upon returning from Australia and Aotearoa my newsletter this time is largely on Samoan tatau. Honestly I had this largely prepared before leaving as II knew my time at home would be very limited. Next month I'll include more links to Maori art, people and places I encountered. I did meet some absolutely wonderful people-many amazing artists-- and got to reconnect with a lot of old friends. It was a great trip but most definitely not long enough. I regret not having time to get to Wellington or up North in Aotearoa and didn't get to Melbourne either. Next timeŠ and yes, there will be a next time, hopefully SOON!

CONFERENCES & MAINLAND EVENTS

The Easter Island Foundations conference on all things Pacific is coming up in July in Marin County, Northern CA. The deadline for early registration discounts, however, is March 30th. See http://islandheritage.org/wordpress/?page_id=636  for details and sign up soon if you are in the area! It should be a great conference.

The Pacific Islands Ethnic Art Museum in Long Beach is having their Living Arts showcase on May 5th & 6th. I should be there tattooing, assuming all permits can be secured. Booths are available for community groups and local Pacific Island artists. See http://www.pieam.org/pasifikalivingartsshowcase

ONLINE

Robert Keli'iho'omalu speaks of the true meaning of aloha and perpetuating Hawaiian values (which should be UNIVERSAL) at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osUe3TdLC6Q

YouTube is a fantastic source for observing Polynesian culture and dance. One of my favorite dance groups is Black Grace, a NZ based men's dance troupe that blends traditional Polynesian with contemporary dance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF5VDdHJsw4

Tatau is a Samoan men's dance group that all wear the traditional Samoan pe'a (knee-to-waist tattoo). They began in Auckland, but now have spread to Australia as well. A good video of one of their performances is online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCy_hNfmc6E  The group Tatau also participated in the 2011 Teuila Festival, perhaps Samoa's largest annual cultural event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoZI5XpgOO0

A Samoan comedy dance performance by Delicious Dance Crew is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjH_G_4holw  Very silly Mau Muaiava also has a video online on her Samoan tattoos, focusing especially on her malu. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6G9hW9O4Us. A second, quite different video with Mau's prose & Samoan proverbs is at http://vimeo.com/25793691 Faavela lele!

Another nicely done video featuring the work of Su'a Vitale Petelo is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiLwMppjaIY. Yes, there are more Tufuga named Petelo than we thought! Also see http://www.newswire.co.nz/2009/09/cultural-learning-goes-more-than-skin-deep/ which is an article on a shoulder piece done on a palangi (non-Polynesian) by Su'a Vitale.

Su'a Wilson Fitiao of Tutuila is interviewed while tattooing at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54p-NYyLbmw

Su's Suluape Paulo, a true master tufuga is featured in a memorial video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA0gmq_9M40

>>>><<<UPCOMING SCHEDULE>>><<<<

The following dates may vary, but only slightly, pending the final number of clients scheduling in each city.

Mar 25th - Apr 15th: Home on O'ahu
Apr 19th - Apr 29th: East San Francisco area
May 4th - May 15th: Los Angeles
May 19th - 23rd: Oceanside
May 29th - June 20th: Home on O'ahu
late-June - mid-July: San Francisco Bay Area

If you are interested in scheduling an appointment you can reach me at (808) 734-8677 or e-mail me at tattoo@lava.net. CALL SOON!! It is necessary to sign up in advance for guaranteed appointments and appointments are filling quickly. I do give priority in scheduling according to the date of deposits so the sooner, the better. Also, by signing up early it allows us more time to create a custom design for you. See http://www.ThePolynesianTattoo.com for details. If you are a new client, reading the FAQ as well as the SCHEDULE link will be beneficial. Or better yet, CALL! If you are currently signed up & ready to schedule, please give me a call. I'm slowly working my way through the long phone lists.

Aloha, Tricia