Learning the why behind Samoan traditions at Brisbane's Le Fale Aganu'u - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Why is the ʻava served in a particular order? Why do people sit in specific places during a gathering? Why are some roles reserved for certain people? These are some of the questions being explored at Le Fale Aganu'u in Brisbane, a cultural learning space created in response to growing interest from Samoan adults wanting to deepen their understanding of fa'a Samoa. Through lessons on everything from the ʻava ceremony and preparing an umu to family roles and village life, participants are learning not just what to do, but the values, relationships and responsibilities that sit behind those traditions.

Three Samoan women preparing to make kava. Photographed by an unknown photographer in about 1890.(Wikimedia Commons)