Taulasea, or traditional healers, play a significant role in Samoan society, new study finds

RNZ News

2 days ago

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RNZ
A new study has found traditional healers, or Taulasea, have a key role in Samoan society.
The
study
was published in
Kotuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online
.
Researchers interviewed 14 Taulasea - three were from Aotearoa and the others from Samoa. They were aged between 44 and 94 years old and practiced a range of healing methods.
The findings revealed four major themes: sacredness of the Taulasea knowledge and practice; Taulasea specialisation; Taulasea methods and approaches; and holistic views that impact health.
Lead author Professor Riz Firestone from Massey University said Taulasea play a sacred, community-centred role "rooted in spiritual duty rather than commerce".
"Healers diagnose holistically, combining prayer, plant-based medicines, massage and dietary advice, and they act as gatekeepers, referring severe cases to westernised medical care," she said.
"Present-day lifestyle habits that are modernised, reliant on processed foods and sedentary lifestyles contribute to surging diet-related conditions like type 2 diabetes and malnutrition. Taulasea advocate a return to simple traditional diets."
The study said traditional healers are often the first port of call for Samoans in need of care.
"The healing practices of Taulasea are deeply rooted in a spiritual context, where their work is above mere employment and is perceived by them as a sacred duty," it said.
"This sense of duty shapes how they conduct their practices, emphasising the role of service over financial remuneration.
"Although it is difficult to validate the spiritual dimension of the Taulasea's work, as people continue to use their services as either a first port of call or simultaneously whilst seeking Westernised medicine, the perpetual use of traditional healing reinforces the value of their positionality in society."
Taulasea also recognised shifts in practices due to the changing environment and conditions that people present to them, the study said.
"The blend of traditional, cultural, spiritual, and scientific may provide a robust framework for addressing health issues and enhancing overall quality of life.
"In some societies, there have been collaborative approaches, where Taulasea have played a complementary role with Westernised doctors, but this has been largely regulatory towards traditional healers.
"Nonetheless, both practitioners can coexist, but a model of care and the nature of the collaboration requires further consultation between the two."
The study also noted recent research that showed there may be "subjective benefits" that patients reap from seeing a traditional healer, that "may not be quantifiable in a Western framework", and so the subjective benefits must be further explored to get a deeper understanding of their work and role.
"As global standards are shifting to incorporate more indigenous and traditional knowledge, it would be important to acknowledge the Taulasea still have a significant role in current modern-day systems, and this could be capitalised upon.
"What is currently needed is a further understanding of why people continue to use Taulasea; and how a reciprocal model of care be informed and developed for use in the future, where Samoans (and all Pacific people) have access to the best of both traditional and Westernised healing practices."
The study also said the Taluasea were strict on patient commitment and compliance.
"From the Taulasea's perspective, this is a critical part of their service, because should the patient not comply, the consequences are detrimental to the Taulasea themselves or their family members.
"They believe that the sickness or illness transfers to them and/or to their family members; whether people regard this as being superstitious, it is a commonly held view by the Taulasea in this study from generational knowledge passed down to them."
The study did note its limitations, including a small, non-random sample size, possible translation issues, and its reliance on narrative interviews without other forms of methodological triangulation, such as observational data.