Currently in Samoa for her fieldwork, Tanya will be spending time as a participant-observer in small coastal villages, interacting with local people as they go about their daily chores, gardening, fishing, weaving, carving, cooking. In the climate change and environmental space, there are a multitude of outside interested parties, including NGOs, governments and world organisations, but Tanya’s aim is to understand how ordinary, local Samoans are responding to climatic and other environmental issues, from the ground up.
Tanya is utilising a Moana-based theoretical approach called TāVā (see Māhina 2010) as it aligns well with Samoan epistemology, and with fa’aSamoa, as well as being resonant with broader indigenous movements that are reclaiming their own ‘voice’ and ways of viewing and being in the world. With her musical background, Tanya also hopes also to communicate through her research the importance of music, performance and song to Samoans as a means of communication, expression and ‘space’ sharing. Previously an oral culture, the use of the voice, and mastery of language remain important to prestige and recognition in Samoa. In other words, the voice, music and performance create ‘space’ and reiterate traditional knowledges for those present. Furthermore, she will be following her interest in navigation and wayfaring skills of early Polynesians and exploring local boating traditions, as well archeological sites called ‘star mounds’ which aided in navigation and learning the movement of constellations across the skies, one which is found on the island of Manono where her father’s family’s title and customary land is based.
Samoa, like many other small or developing nations, maintains its traditional outlook and cultural socio-political structures while also participating in the 21st century, with digital media, modern conveniences, or streaming services like Netflix available to the islanders. Yet, as both an insider and outsider, Tanya is interested in understanding how Samoans are negotiating the differences between the embodiment and practices of faaSamoa versus western ideologies and influences, and what contrasts there are to be found, for example, between western understandings of the climate crisis and Samoan approaches to climatic changes that are occurring.
Photo caption: Taken alongside the Sognefjørd in Western Norway where Tanya resides, and is also fortunate to be a visiting scholar with Universitet i Oslo – University of Oslo attending occasional PhD courses there.