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Students learn about our heritage and ancient arts in Paopao Project

Students with master carver

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Some 30 high school students have been working with Matua o Faiva or master carver Faleagafulu Filipo Tauai on carving three paopao or small fishing canoes for the past several weeks.

The Paopao Project is collaboration between NOAA National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa (NMSAS) and Department of Education (ASDOE). It is part of the STEAM Enrichment Summer program at Tafuna Elementary where 100+ students between ages 5 to 18 were participants. The collaboration gave NMSAS an opportunity to educate students about maritime heritage, the relationship between people and the ocean, streams or waterways, and how our ancestors used the ocean as a source of food, transportation and more.

For the participants – students and educators alike – it was their first time to experience the building of a paopao from learning to use locally sourced wood for the body of the canoe to using traditional tools and materials to put it all together.

Others who contributed to the month-long project are Faleagafulu’s sons Tolutasi and Kuku Tauai and talented artist Tile Talamoa Tuala-Tamaalelagi of the American Samoa Arts Council. The project is funded by a mini-grant in celebration of NOAA’S Office of National Marine Sanctuaries 50 year Anniversary and NMSAS’ 10 year anniversary.

Wood carver and mosaic artist Tile Talamoa Tuala-Tamaalelagi works on smoothing edges of one of the paopao that he’s helping to carve all the while teaching 30 high school students the process and the importance of the paopao to our ancestors and our Samoan way of life. This project is funded by a mini-grant in celebration of the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries 50-year Anniversary and the 10-year anniversary for the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa (NMSAS). [photo: faaTalanoa Media]

Wood carver/artist Kuka Tauai uses the afa or sennit to hold a part of a mini canoe he and his brother Tolutasi are putting together as part of the Paopao Project — a collaboration between NOAA National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa (NMSAS) and Department of Education (ASDOE). The project teaches students about the importance of the paopao in Samoa history, our maritime heritage, the relationship between people and the ocean and how our ancestors used the ocean as a source of food, transportation and more. The Tauai brothers learned to carve traditional canoes from their father, Matua o Faiva or master carver Faleagafulu Filipo Tauai who is overseeing the Paopao Project. [photo: faaTalanoa Media]