'Amerika Samoa' exhibit at Field Museum meant to highlight Samoan community in Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The "Amerika Samoa" exhibition at the Field Museum was curated by Samoan artists to give an authentic, first-person introduction to Samoan art and culture and highlight the Samoan community in Chicago.

Inside a Field Museum gallery, visitors can step into the islands of American Samoa, part of the Samoan islands that have been a U.S. territory since 1900.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

The "Amerika Samoa" exhibition features cultural traditions that date back centuries.

"I think it's exciting for visitors to the Field Museum to learn about this community and also understand that Chicago has a really vibrant Samoan community that's still part of our cultural landscape today," said Ryan Schuessler, exhibition developer for the Field Museum.

The exhibition centers on two revered Samoan practices: traditional tattooing, which carries a deep cultural and spiritual meaning, and siapo, the art of painted barkcloth.

SEE MORE: 'Our Chicago: Breaking Barriers' celebrates AANHPI Month

"The fabric, barkcloth, is made from the bark of a tree that is pounded and spread out almost like a textile," Schuessler said. "All of the patterns represent different things in Samoa, from starfish and shells, to animals and plants that are there."

One centerpiece of the show is a massive collaborative barkcloth created during workshops held at the museum last year.

Members of Chicago's Samoan community, museum staff and visitors all helped create the work alongside master artists from the island.

It's an example of how Samoans take pride in their culture and their contributions to American society.

"Samoans in American Samoa have the highest per capita rate of military service of any U.S. state or territory, but are not considered U.S. citizens," Schuessler said.

The "Amerika Samoa" exhibition will be in the Halls of the Pacific at the Field Museum for the next two years.