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- Samoan fine mats (ie toga): Finely woven pandanus mats, soft as cloth, that are exchanged at weddings, funerals and title ceremonies. Look at the fringes and the weave to see why one can take months to make.
- Siapo bark-cloth: Sheets of beaten mulberry bark stamped or hand-painted with geometric patterns in brown and black. The museum shows how the tradition looks in its older, more austere form.
- Kava bowls (tanoa): Carved wooden bowls on multiple legs, used in the ava ceremony that opens formal gatherings. The dark, polished interiors show generations of use.
- War clubs and weapons: Carved wooden clubs with hard, sculpted edges, a reminder that this was a society of chiefs and rivalries long before the Navy arrived.
- Fishing gear and canoe pieces: Hooks, lures and canoe parts made from shell, bone
- Samoan fine mats (ie toga): Finely woven pandanus mats, soft as cloth, that are exchanged at weddings, funerals and title ceremonies. Look at the fringes and the weave to see why one can take months to make.
- Siapo bark-cloth: Sheets of beaten mulberry bark stamped or hand-painted with geometric patterns in brown and black. The museum shows how the tradition looks in its older, more austere form.
- Kava bowls (tanoa): Carved wooden bowls on multiple legs, used in the ava ceremony that opens formal gatherings. The dark, polished interiors show generations of use.
- War clubs and weapons: Carved wooden clubs with hard, sculpted edges, a reminder that this was a society of chiefs and rivalries long before the Navy arrived.
- Fishing gear and canoe pieces: Hooks, lures and canoe parts made from shell, bone and coconut fiber. They show how closely daily life was tied to the reef and the open sea.
- Tattooing tools: Combs and implements used for the traditional pe’a and malu tattoo. They put an ancient and still-living practice in context.
- The old Navy building itself: The museum occupies a thick-walled structure from the early American naval period, and the harbor views from the front are part of the visit.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.