Stories behind the book — 'Tatau: A History of Samoan Tattooing'
The Public History Talks are hosted by the Ministry for Culture & Heritage History Group at the National Library of New Zealand. They are usually held on the first Wednesday of the month from March to November
Date: Wednesday, 5 June, 2019
Time: 12:10pm to 1:00pm
Cost: Free. You don't need to book.
Location: Te Ahumairangi (ground floor), National Library, corner Molesworth and Aitken Streets, Thorndon
Hear Ockham winning author Sean Mallon talk about his book
In this talk, Sean discusses the book’s development and its key themes with reference to specific and some possibly surprising stories.
Tatau won the Illustrated Non-Fiction Award at the 2019 Ockham Awards.
3000 years of Samoan tatau
The Samoan Islands are virtually unique in that tattooing has been continuously practiced with indigenous techniques: the full male tattoo, the pe’a has evolved in subtle ways in its design since the nineteenth century, but remains as elaborate, meaningful, and powerful as it ever was. This cultural history is the first publication to examine 3000 years of Samoan tatau.
Through a chronology rich with people, encounters and events it describes how Samoan tattooing has been shaped by local and external forces of change over many centuries. It argues that Samoan tatau has a long history of relevance both within and beyond Samoa, and a more complicated history than is currently presented in the literature.
The book is richly illustrated with historical images of nineteenth and twentieth century Samoan tattooing, contemporary tattooing, diagrams of tattoo designs and motifs, and with supplementary photographs such as posters, ephemera, film stills and artefacts.
About the speaker
Sean Mallon, who is of Sāmoan (Mulivai, Safata) and Irish descent, is Senior Curator Pacific Cultures at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
He is a co-author of both 'Tangata o le Moana: The story of New Zealand and the people of the Pacific' (Te Papa Press, 2012) and 'Art in Oceania: A new history' (2012), which was awarded the Authors’ Club’s Art Book Prize.
Sean has been a council member of The Polynesian Society since 2008.
Image: Cover of 'Tatau: A History of Sāmoan Tattooing' by Sean Mallon & Sébastien Galliot (Te Papa Press, 2018)
💨 Wellington: Is the real summer finally here?
It’s the talk of the town (and every coffee queue): the Wellington "summer" has felt more like a very long, very damp spring! 🌧️ We’ve definitely had our fair share of grey skies and raincoats lately.
In fact, The Post reports that our "pretty average" summer has been tough on the local venues and events that usually thrive under the sun. But don't pack away the sunscreen just yet!
The good news? The next couple of weeks are looking a bit more "settled" (the Wellington word for "not a gale-force downpour"). With autumn officially here, now is the time to squeeze every last drop out of the season! ☀️
Any local hidden spots or activities you’d recommend for a calm Wellington day? Drop them in the comments! 👇
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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38.1% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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61.9% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Western Suburbs Stroke Survivors meeting – Tuesday 10th March
Western Suburbs Stroke Survivors meeting – Tuesday 10th March
Kia ora,
Our next meeting of the Western Suburbs Stroke Survivors will be on Tuesday 10th March 2026 at 10.30am at Huntleigh Home, 221 Karori Road.
To find us, go in and ask Reception where we are.
We look forward to meeting all fellow stroke survivors, carers and friends, sharing stories and discussing how we are getting on.
Nga mihi,
Peter Macleod
Convenor
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