It took 45 long hours for Basil Api to receive his traditional Samoan tattoo—or tatau—the same ritual his father endured many years before him.
Known as the pe'a, the intricate design spans from above his waist and extends to below his knees and signifies a rite of passage into manhood and service.
"Like dad, I had [it done] to honour our family," Basil says.
