indigenous housing as a solution to climate risks
TRANSCRIPT
Indigenous Housing as a Solution to Climate Risks
The Family Centre
The Family Centre
Locations of Prototype Indigenous Samoan Houses
Asau Village
Satalo Village
Nofoalii Village
The Family Centre
Indigenous Housing as a Solution to Climate Risks
Samoan Indigenous Housing
The Family Centre
Indigenous Housing as a Solution to Climate Risks
The Family Centre
Samoa, October 2009
The Family Centre
Indigenous Housing as a Solution to Climate Risks
Afeafe O Vaetoefaga, Samoa
Afeafe o Vaetoefaga has gained valuable experience in exploration of indigenous Samoan cultural technologies for the benefit of Samoan social and economic development. Afeafe o Vaetoefaga has maintained a positive emphasis on indigenous cultural strengths that can support innovative technological advantage over time, but also produce sustainable economic benefits for local women and men. Examples include:
2002/3: Samoan indigenous housing project at Afeafe o Vaetoefaga where a Samoan Fale Tele or Round house was built by Samoan indigenous Tufuga.
2004/5: Projects to revive Samoan sennit lashing skills which were almost lost. Since that time the men who were trained have now gained regular incomes while restoring Fauafa (sennit lashing skills) into everyday practices in Samoa.
2004: Project with the Kon Tiki Museum, Oslo Norway in order to carry out an archaeological project in Savaii and a follow up symposium with Afeafe o Vaetoefaga.
2005: Projects to revive old skills, by initiating with two funding partners, village based training groups of women and young men in the skills of harvesting materials, processing these and making housing thatches in order to restore roofing in older Samoan houses.
2006/2007: Projects to increase awareness of oceans and freshwater systems through facilitating and providing local partnerships to a New Zealand based NGO in a Pacific regional Water Biodiversity forum (o te Au o te Moana).
2008/2009: This initiative has continued to produce outcomes such as renovating a Nofoalii village freshwater pool so that it can safely be used for two purposes, i.e. bathing and separately for village women doing laundry.