TAPA CLOTH

Tapa cloth is made from bark that has been softened through a process of soaking and beating. The inner bark is taken from several types of trees or shrubs, often mulberry and fig, and designs are applied with paints and vegetable dyes of light brown, red, and black.





A woman scolds a young mother for talking impatiently to her little child. How to raise a child or handle a husband are common topics of discussion. The Fale Hanga is the place where people can talk freely amongst themselves. It is a place where a woman identity within the village is solidfield the stability of the community and maintenance of tradition finds its roots within this weekly gathering.