SEARCHING FOR THE DIGITAL FĀGOGO A Study of Indigenous Samoan Storytelling in Contemporary Aotearoa Digital Media Amy Jane Tielu MCT 2016 SEARCHING FOR THE DIGITAL FĀGOGO A Study of Indigenous Samoan Storytelling in Contemporary Aotearoa Digital Media Amy Jane Tielu A thesis submitted to the Auckland University of Technology in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Creative Technologies (MCT) 2016 Colab Auckland University of Technology Page 2 of 194 Searching for the Digital Fāgogo Table of Contents Attestation of Authorship ......................................................................................................... vii Abstract .................................................................................................................................. viii Dedication .................................................................................................................................. x Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... xi List of Figures ........................................................................................................................ xiii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 14 Positioning the researcher .................................................................................................... 14 The research question .......................................................................................................... 15 Overview of this research .................................................................................................... 16 Chapter 2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY DESIGN ........................................................... 19 Extending knowledge and decolonising research design ..................................................... 24 Ontology of the Pacific World View ................................................................................... 25 Epistemology of Su’i fefiloi / Synthesis / Weaving............................................................. 29 Axiology of Teu Le Vā ........................................................................................................ 33 Research methodology of Talanoa ....................................................................................... 34 Research methodology of Fāgogo ....................................................................................... 36 Research method of Case Study .......................................................................................... 39 Research method of Talanoa ................................................................................................ 41 Challenges and limitations of this research design .............................................................. 45 Chapter 3. CONTEXT REVIEW THROUGH LITERATURE .............................................. 47 Page iii of 194 Searching for the Digital Fāgogo The sociocultural value of stories ........................................................................................ 47 An indigenous perspective ............................................................................................... 48 Fāgogo: a Samoan way of knowing ................................................................................. 49 Designing for audience participation ................................................................................... 58 At time of circulation ....................................................................................................... 58 Within the process of production ..................................................................................... 64 Conclusions .......................................................................................................................... 67 Chapter 4. CONTEXT REVIEW THROUGH TALANOA .................................................... 69 Fāgogo in the indigenous context ........................................................................................ 70 Nature and style of delivery ............................................................................................. 79 The journey towards the digital fāgogo: Contemporary use and investigations .................. 83 Taking fāgogo into contemporary environments within Samoa ...................................... 83 Decline of historical fāgogo and cultural erosion ............................................................ 86 Building towards a digital fāgogo in Aotearoa .................................................................... 89 Cultural considerations .................................................................................................... 89 The challenge of dwindling sources and version control ................................................. 93 The logistics of content delivery and funding .................................................................. 93 Chapter 5. CASE STUDIES OF DIGITAL MEDIA ............................................................... 95 Digitising the historically formational fāgogo ..................................................................... 99 Fāgogo. Fables of Samoa ............................................................................................... 100 Myths and Legends of Ancient Samoa | NZETC .......................................................... 104 Page iv of 194 Searching for the Digital Fāgogo Contemporising the historically formational fāgogo ......................................................... 106 Rays of Sound Project: Gagana Samoa ......................................................................... 106 The Legend of Sina and the Eel (by Victoria University of Wellington) ...................... 111 TheCoconet.TV .............................................................................................................. 113 Adapting foreign fāgogo .................................................................................................... 124 Island Time .................................................................................................................... 124 Digital contemporary fāgogo ............................................................................................. 127 Faitoto’a o le Alofa ........................................................................................................ 128 The Factory Story .......................................................................................................... 130 Baby Mama’s Club ........................................................................................................ 132 FRESH Housewives of South Auckland ....................................................................... 135 Memes: #SamoanProblems and “Samoan Quotes & Sayings” ..................................... 137 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................ 141 Chapter 6. DISCUSSION ...................................................................................................... 144 What is the relationship between ‘digital’ and ‘historical / formational’ fāgogo? ............ 146 Historical fāgogo that preserve the past ............................................................................. 149 Contemporary fāgogo that reconcile with the present ....................................................... 153 Linguistic accessibility....................................................................................................... 158 Technical accessibility ....................................................................................................... 158 Ethical considerations of multicultural negotiation ........................................................... 159 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................ 164 Page v of 194 Searching for the Digital Fāgogo Chapter 7. CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................. 166 Five Principles for a Digital Fāgogo .................................................................................. 167 What do we tell? ............................................................................................................ 168 How do we tell it? .......................................................................................................... 170 Why do we tell it in these ways? ................................................................................... 171 Future recommendations .................................................................................................... 173 Future narratives ............................................................................................................ 173 Trials with remote A’oga Amata ................................................................................... 173 Research into Samoan digital cultures in Aotearoa ....................................................... 174 Research into Culturally-Responsible Business Models ............................................... 174 Final Remarks .................................................................................................................... 174 APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................