William O. Field's Footage of Samoa 1963

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William O. Field's Footage of Samoa 1963

SILENT film clip showing a group of Samoans engaging in a 'ava (kava) ceremony. The drink is made from the root of the piper methysticum plant which has psychoactive properties. Ceremonies in the past were only held during very special occasions and only chiefs would take part in consuming the beverage. Today kava is consumed widely by the diaspora of the South Pacific in Western countries during social events as a way of connecting with their heritage. Each person has a specific role in the ceremony: the young girl is the palu'ava who mixes the kava, a position that was often held by the daughter of a chief. The tāfau is stationed behind her ready to catch the fau which is thrown over the right hand shoulder of the mixer. The tautu'ava then serves the kava in a ipu tau ʻava which is a half shell from a coconut. The way in which the kava is served indicates the status of each matai (chief) as well as the occasion. William O. Field was an accomplished glaciologist, as well as a skilled photographer and filmmaker. This film is housed in the National Anthropological Film Collection (formerly the Human Studies Film Archives) in the National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

2 min 2 sec

archival historical educational film video anthropology archeology parks ethnographic history culture "cultural geography" "heritage sites" 16mm architecture transportation