When Ta’iao Matiu Dr Matavai Tautunu visited the museum in 2023, he “felt the spirit of our ancestors through the objects”.
The measina collection was taken during German colonial rule in Samoa between 1900 and 1914.
Measina such as war clubs, pigeon hunting tools and fish hooks are some of the smaller objects that will be returned while a significantly larger object would be an ‘alia’ which is a type of va’a Samoa.
Ta’iao said the return of these artefacts is critical as it will allow Samoans to reconnect with their history and culture, especially the impact it will have on the generation of today.
