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A Study Of A Samoan Savage Summary

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How is Yuki Kihara’s art piece “A Study of a Samoan Savage” a commentary on Western ethnocentrism in relation to Pacific cultures?

Ethnocentrism occurs when a researcher views another culture from the perspective of their own, and is influenced by their own experience, culture, social roles, and natural basis of reality. Often, this entails the belief that one group is therefore superior to another (Barger, 2014). Within Yuki Kiharas’s art piece, it is apparent that there are two different groups represented- the demigod Maui, a prominent mythological figure in Pacific culture, and an anonymous white examiner, each respectively symbolizing Pacific and Western cultures.

Maui, in Polynesian legend, is a demigod who discovered fire, captured the sun, and pulled the North Island of New Zealand …show more content…

Kihara utilizes this historical connotation to pose the question of whether a character who transcends physical appearance should be measured anthropometrically in order to be understood. Maui has significant cultural importance and mana, something that cannot solely be determined by the width of his skull.

Societally, ethnocentrism is displayed through the European perspective of Polynesian people as savages to be subjected to scientific interpretation in order to be understood. This can be seen historically, through recounts of colonizers being disturbed by the Pacific connection to land and surroundings, rather than to material possession. For example, La Perouse’s voyage to Samoa has him depicting Samoans as ‘savages’, simply because they didn’t have the same cultural and societal beliefs as the Europeans (Linnekin,

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