Tales of Taonga - The history of the Samoan fale

The traditional fale designers in Samoa - the Tufuga Fau Fale are revered as age old knowledge holders.
This precious art form is now being passed down and re-energised by groups of young Samoans, who are building new forms of the ancient Samoan fale.

[@searex06]

Fa'afetai tele lava for keeping the knowledge alive. Malo lava le fai ole faiva.

[@johnnyah-ching866]

Thank you Coconet TV for covering this, and such blessing to see Athol featured here to share his knowledge and passion for this artform. Priceless. Inspirational. Humbling.

[@user-wz4hr5xu4k]

This is a bit off topic, but when they showed the tattoos around their bodies, they look a little bit like Akkadian cuneiform. Cuneiform is an ancient writing form that uses wedge-like shapes, similar to the shape of the patterns on those tattoos. (Google it, uncanny similarities). It's interesting that the Hittites who had a language with words very similar to Polynesians, also adopted and used the Akkadian cuneiform. I've often wondered if those wedge like patterns on the Samoan tattoos, had a more ancient "written" meaning but gradually was forgotten and or lost because of thousands of miles and hundreds of years of relocation and journey... I suspect that Polynesians are (if genetic drift isn't an issue), a very ancient people or at the very least came from a very ancient origin, all the way back to the Middle East or rather central Asia. And i believe that they've always been dispersed and journeyed in waves of migratory groups. I've seen some very Polynesian looking archaic skulls of alleged ancient "hunter gatherers" in different locations of Europe, and ive seen some in Turkey that could be comparable to Polynesian skulls. This suggests to me that Polynesians may not be a recent genetic drift, but that present day DNA tools and knowledge is not yet refined enough to detect that connection.

[@p0ooLahH]

Very informative vid about our unique Samoan architecture designs and diff types of fales and their purposes.

[@jaypzl]

Fa'afetai tele lava for these architects having the desire and vision for perpetuating our fau fale art and knowledge! As a kid growing up in Leone AS, I watched a fale kalimalo built right in front of our house! The process was fascinating. The end product was magnificent. I was always in awe of the intricacies and craftsmanship of the ribbing lines and lashing patterns. They stayed with me and influenced my art to this day! When I would visit over the years, I was sad to see the fale deteriorate, and has now finally been torn down, I believe even a casualty too of the 2009 tsunami. I always dreamed of having a fale built in my backyard here in California. If I ever get rich, I would love to commission a team to come out and spend a season or so to build me one out here. Malo lava y'all for keeping the flame lit for our culture!

[@netz2636]

Mean clip. Good to see a Lasallian brother in there 💯

[@user-wz4hr5xu4k]

Fascinating video. It's encouraging to see our people acknowledge our ancient customs and traditions and to both try to preserve and maintain them. I was saddened when just a few months ago i learned about our fine mat making tradition losing its traditional continuation to more modern conveniences. At least keep the knowledge of how they're created through video compilations. Even the mention of how the construction of the fale is now being adopted and viewed internationally as environmentally friendly, and less costly way to erect homes, is defintely a reason to be proud of them. Thank you to my ancestors for their many and varied skills. I wish my parents were alive so that i could share my new found knowledge with them and tell them how talented, skilled, clever and great they and our ancestors truly were. I appreciated how he explained the incorporation of the constellations into the building of the fale. Which is a significant part of our ancestral history and the journey of all Polynesians to Polynesia. Everywhere in the ancient world, we learn about these excavated ancient civilizations whose builders positioned either their religious and priestly housings and council meeting places in alignment with certain constellations. I've long suspected our Polynesian people are descendants of some of those fascinating megalithic civilizations and constructions of the archaic past! The constellations were also important to our Samoan people and Polynesian people for maritime travel. We're also one of the greatest mariners of all the earth. So it's truly marvellous to see this youtube clip having various parts of the fale named after the constellations. Keep up the good work. Thank you for sharing.

[@danaitutaki8340]

1:50 Finally somebody talks about it in camera 🇼🇸🙏🏽❤️

[@Luv_2P]

yeap our Real History was always manipulated.

[@AllahsWayTV]

Love this ❤️

[@joshuastiatiatiatia9717]

The reason why I am watching this because I am doing my homework and my homework is to build a fale samoan but a little one with wood and leafs and other things.I am gonna have so much fun building it because I have always wanted to build a samoa fale 😊😊😁😁❤❤💖💖

[@joshuastiatiatiatia9717]

By the way I was born in samoa so yea😅😅🇼🇸🇼🇸

[@joshuastiatiatiatia9717]

And thank you Coconet TV for showing the history of samoa so yea I just wanna say Thank you so much for telling us😊😊❤❤

[@joshuastiatiatiatia9717]

*Samoa fale*

[@andrejmazar960]

LOVING SAMOA LIVING-I WISH TRIP

[@isaialeuila9327]

The house is also where the dance called Le Taualuga comes from.

[@faamaoniakape8793]

🌟🌸🌸🌸🌟😍😍😍🌟🌸🌸🌸🌟 Fa'afetai tele lava Coconet TV G.B 👍✌️💥🙏🏻💥❤️❤️❤️👌🇼🇸

[@moekontze116]

iove the Samoan fale in mangers, Auckland.🇼🇸

[@tolunua221]

I'M SO THANK TO YOU ALL ARE TRY TO KEEP OUR FAA SAMOA WAYWE LIVE MEAN OUR FALE!!!. OUR FAA SAMOA FALE UA LEILOA. NOT TO MANY KNOW HOW TO BUILD ONA. IT LOST. O TE FIA ILOA OUTOU,UA LEVA ONA OU MAFAUFAU E FAI UMA MATOU FALE FAA SAMOA. I COME FROM MANU'A TELE. IT WILL BE SOON. THANK YOU WE KEEP IN TOUCH.

[@sonimasila9673]

Fale Samoa is closely related to Fiji bure, the shape, and architecture

[@ffuifui]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽❤️

[@MrTin71]

Towards the end of this video the young Samoan lady states her opinion of her knowledge or should I say her span of research of how we preserve our stories. Dig dipper sis and you'll know. God bless Samoa.

[@p0ooLahH]

Did you mean “deeper”? Looks like you need a research yourself 😅

[@RastasNevaDie]

I’m in love with that girl 😍lol

[@SBW_85]

You want to fau her fale uce.

[@hainisuafa8049]

There. Are. So. Many. Different Names. Of. FALE. Faasamoa exactly. You. We're. Talking thank you in. Samoan Way. God. Bless. American. Samoa Soifua

[@kimberleywilliams5228]

Rex Hill - tangola ,savaii - safuni Ross funefai titles given ..hello to the tu unga family( albert ) ( five stars band ) ..mark hill

[@jmjm1920]

Very interesting similar to Fale Tonga built by title clan tangaloa tufunga tangaloa eitumatupua also Ietonga for the Highest 🤗♥️

[@killacali4610]

I love Tonga’s most grand house the Fale Faka Manuka (Manu’a House) it’s beautiful!!

[@maraealoulanting5801]

Sure

[@samoanmiketatau]

actual term Tunoa, ✌🏽

[@isaialeuila9327]

Cook house is actually called Tunoa, not falekuka

[@viliboymareko1526]

Fea omai ai gei kagka ma lakou faasamoa....faleumu????tf...gao le kauvalea ai o kakou se....

[@taoipupauli5322]

Umukuka.🇼🇸👌

[@mkfleez5319]

Taoipu Pauli the word kuka is a loan word from the english word “cook” you can tell by the use of the letter K which is also an imported letter so no, the “umu kuka” you’re referring to is either an oven or kitchen, both of these non-existent to samoan traditions...the real word is tunoa😊

[@Lishmaa]

Tufunga in Tongan means builder as well

[@HAMOEVACHEEHOOO]

Tufuga means master for example master navigator, master house builder, master craftsman, master hunter and more, that's what a Tufuga is

[@linofaiumu8919]

E matagofie lava fale Samoa moni eleai ni fao ole afa lava sa faaoga faafetai tele lava mo le video alofa atu mo outou uma

[@ZA3L3AA]

malo lava le faasoa faafetai! tbh what is Taonga? lol

[@p0ooLahH]

Taonga is Maori term for treasure/heirloom/ just like measina for us Samoans

[@vailima49aston99]

Why is taonga spelt with an N? Samoan language don’t use the N they only use the G

[@p0ooLahH]

lol am guessing you’ve never heard of this Māori term before? Let me enlighten you it’s a Maori term given to their treasure/heirloom just like us Samoans to our Measina.

[@viliboymareko1526]

WERE DIS GUY CAME FROM????OH NO...WHAT COLLEGE???? STOP PLSSS LETS HEAR FROM OUR ELDEST NOT FRM STUDENTS...

[@samoanartist4655]

Is it not a good thing that the youth be informed and share what they have learned. Be proud of them and not be hateful

[@cameronleaana1153]

Thank you for the knowledge