The island nation of Sāmoa is rich in natural resources and cultural heritage, but it also has a turbulent history of colonisation and occupation by foreign powers, primarily New Zealand and Germany.
Following the Tripartite Convention in 1899, Sāmoa first became a German protectorate. The German administration, while making German an official language and introducing other European systems, sought to retain Sāmoan customs.
At the start of World War One in 1914, New Zealand seized Sāmoa from Germany and administered it until its independence in 1962. During this time further regulations were imposed on Sāmoans, resulting in growing tensions and – at times violent – conflicts. These shared histories have had lasting effects on the relations between the three countries.
This symposium presents current and recent research projects that examine these interconnected relations through various platforms, including museum collections and exhibitions, university research, and the arts. While a lot of this research is focused on the past, we also seek to explore what the future could look like for these relationships.
Attendance is free, please reserve your free ticket. Tea and coffee will be provided.
Morning session (9:00-11:30):
9:00-9:15 Welcome Session
9:15 – 10:00: Material Differences: Locating connections in archival history and museum curating
Dr Christine Winter and Courtney Powell
This presentation is a distillation of the research produced at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in August – November 2023 by Courtney Powell, in collaboration with Dr Safua Akeli Amaama and Dr Christine Winter. Courtney and Christine reflect on their exasperations and opportunities when coming together with two different modes of analysing and telling a story. This project delved into the entangled relations between Germany, Sāmoa, and Aotearoa New Zealand across the colonial period through objects in Te Papa’s collections. These collections demonstrated spaces of contact, movement, exchange, and contest; the archives allow different connections between Sāmoa and Germany to come to the fore than the museum. This discussion centres flags and postcards as they relate to key historical moments and how they can be interpreted through these different lenses. Central questions include: What are the limitations when engaging with objects? How can archives supplement – or problematise – the stories connected to material culture? What does the end of an empire look like in the view of different disciplines?
10:00 – 10:45: Falemata’aga: Community engagement and cultural exchanges in Sāmoa
Utufa’asili Sharon Rosita Roma
This presentation will explore the different ways in which Falemata’aga, the Museum of Sāmoa, works with local communities in Sāmoa, using the resources and spaces of the museum. This includes, for example, guided tours for school groups or producing educational material for wider distribution. Utufa’asili Sharon Roma, the Coordinator and Principal Museum Officer of Falemata’aga, will also reflect on her recent overseas trips to Germany and Aotearoa New Zealand, where she met with colleagues from other cultural institutions. This will show how international partnerships and cultural exchanges can assist and impact on the work of museums like Falemata’aga from a Pacific perspective.
10:45 – 11:30: Re-connecting digitally to Sāmoan measina that have travelled the world
Taputukura Raea and Ulu Afaese
DigitalPasifik will be running an interactive activity to allow you to explore and connect with digital Sāmoan measina that are held in institutions around the world. This will be an opportunity to connect and share your knowledge on the collections through the DigitalPasifik user contribution feature. Bring along your device so you can explore the thousands of measina held on DigitalPasifik.
See the afternoon session here: Shared histories, connected futures: The entangled relationships between Aotearoa New Zealand, Germany and Sāmoa – Afternoon Session – Friends of Te Papa
Dr Christine Winter is a historian whose work connects the Pacific with Australasia and German speaking Europe. She has published widely on legacies of German colonialism, effects of WWI and WWII, collecting, and identity transformation of Pacific Islanders of German heritage, including her co-authored books SCHOLARS AT WAR Australasian Social Scientists, 1939-1945 (2012) and Chicanery: Senior Academic Appointments in Antipodean Anthropology, 1920–1960, (2023). She is teaching MA courses in Archives and Museums at Adelaide University, Australia, and was Australian Research Council Future Fellow (2014-2018) and inaugural Matthew Flinders Research Fellow, Flinders University (2019-23). Associations: Assoc. Researcher, Centre for Collection Development, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen; Research Affiliate, Department of History, Sydney University College of the Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University.
Courtney Powell is a recent graduate with a Master of Arts in History. Her thesis explored the bringing of Pacific peoples and their objects to the New Zealand and South Seas exhibitions in 1889 and 1925. Courtney has previously worked as a Research Assistant at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and written a Waitangi Tribunal report for the WAI 2500 Military Veterans Kaupapa Inquiry. She currently resides in Narrm Melbourne and is a Research Officer at the Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.
Utufa’asili Sharon Rosita Roma is the Coordinator and Principal Museum Officer at Falemata’aga (Museum of Sāmoa), under the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture in Apia, Sāmoa. She has held previous positions at multiple government departments and holds a BA in Social Anthropology and Pacific Studies from the University of Auckland. Through her involvement and leadership, Falemata’aga has forged partnerships with local schools, village communities, and cultural industries. These partnerships have resulted in a variety of innovative programs, workshops, and events. Her commitment to inclusivity, community engagement, and innovation continues to enrich the cultural fabric of her Sāmoan community and inspire future generations of museum professionals.
Taputukura Raea is the Programme Manager for the Pacific Virtual Museum project at the National Library of New Zealand. The DigitalPasifik website is a key component of this project. Taputu is from the beautiful islands of Mauke and Palmerston in the Cook Islands. Taputu specialises in working with Māori and Pacific communities and giving them opportunities to share their stories and own their narrative.
Ulu Afaese is of Sāmoan descent, hailing from the villages of Falealili Mata’utu and Sagone, and grew up in Auckland. As a Content Analyst for DigitalPasifik, Ulu is responsible for the day-to-day relationship of content partners that contribute metadata to digitalpasifik.org. Ulu is currently seconded from the Research Services team in the Alexander Turnbull Library and has previously worked at a range of other libraries in the public and academic sectors.
Image credit: Issued ten pfennig German stamp overprinted with ‘Samoa’, 1900, Germany, maker unknown. The New Zealand Post Museum Collection, Gift of New Zealand Post Ltd. 1992. Te Papa (PH002609)