The Preparatory Assistance, approved through the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund under the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, will enable Samoa to work closely with communities, traditional practitioners and other stakeholders to document Tatau Samoa and prepare the nomination file.
The initiative forms part of broader cooperation between UNESCO and Samoa to strengthen community-based safeguarding of living heritage, alongside ongoing support to reinforce national frameworks for cultural heritage and traditional knowledge.
Supporting the Safeguarding and transmission of Tatau Samoa
Tatau Samoa is a significant expression of Samoan cultural identity, knowledge and social values. Transmitted from generation to generation, the practice encompasses specialised knowledge, skills, customary protocols and cultural meanings that remain deeply embedded in Samoan society.
The Preparatory Assistance will support a community-centred process to prepare the nomination file, including consultation with traditional tattoo practitioners and communities concerned and the documentation of the practice, its transmission and safeguarding needs.
The process will provide an opportunity for communities and national stakeholders to identify factors affecting the viability and transmission of Tatau Samoa and to consider appropriate community-led safeguarding measures for the continued and transmission to future generations.
UNESCO welcomes Samoa’s continued commitment to safeguarding its living heritage and acknowledges the leadership of the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC), together with traditional practitioners, communities, and other national stakeholders involved in the process.
Strengthening National Frameworks for Heritage and Traditional Knowledge
Support for Tatau Samoa builds upon ongoing cooperation between UNESCO and Samoa under the framework of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. With support from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund, Samoa has advanced the development of a proposed National Heritage Board Bill and Protection of Traditional Knowledge Bill through an extensive participatory process.
Consultations across Upolu and Savai’i have brought together district representatives, traditional leaders, cultural practitioners and communities, helping to ensure that the proposed frameworks are informed by Samoan values, customary practices and community priorities.
