Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Harvard Museum Oceania Curator Dr. Ingrid Ahlgren was in American Samoa earlier this month to open a dialogue with traditional chiefs and dignitaries, academics, curators, archaeologists, librarians, archivists, artists, students and the general public community about a Harvard Fellowship project, educational opportunities.

She also shared information about the Samoan objects and photographs held at Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

She gave a Power Point presentation to representatives from Samoan Affairs, ASHPO, Arts Council, Constitution Office, JPH Museum Board, friends of the Museum, ASG Archives and the general public.

 “Dr. Ahlgren spoke about the reason for her visit by elaborating on a recent Harvard project that brought mainland Pacific Islanders together to examine and interact with their traditional material cultures.

 “The project is called the Harvard Oceanic Collections Engagement Fellowship (HOCEF) and will be expanding to the Pacific Islands soon. Scholarship and Educational opportunities at Harvard were also described for students interested in pursuing Cultural Resource Management (CRM). Her presentation displayed many Samoan objects from the 18th – 19th century of Explorers, Whaling, Missionary and Trader periods; with others from the late 19th Century Foreign Powers Period, including some that are apparently associated with the Mataafa, Malietoa, and Tuimanu’a paramount chief families.

 “A quantity of Samoan images from the 1880-90’s popular photography period was also shared. After the presentation, several questions about the dimensions, origins and conservation of the objects came from the audience and led to conversations about museum policy and protocol towards objects affiliated with traditional customs and historical families, such as the unfolding and conservation of fine toga mats.”

Dr. Ahlgren was invited to a traditional women’s tattoo “Samana” ceremony by Museum Board representative Reggie Meredith and she was a special guest of the Governor's Office at the 2022 Arts Council Christmas Holiday event at Tafuna Park.

At the conclusion of her visit, she was also at the American Samoa Community College where she held a session for faculty, students and the general public.

 “A fair crowd gathered to see and hear her second presentation and many questions and conversations arose.

 “It was a thought-provoking exchange that led to several new insights about the objects and photographs at Harvard.

 Afterwards the ASCC President and faculty gifted a number of ASCC Samoan publications to Dr. Ahlgren for the Harvard Peabody Museum Library.