Tiafau Zahriya Leaoasoma

Miss Samoa Victoria Tiafau Zahriya Leaoasoma with her head shaved
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA — When Miss Samoa Victoria shaved her head on the weekend, it was a cultural sacrifice as well as a personal one. Hair is considered tapu, or sacred, in many parts of the Pacific. In Polynesian culture, hair is believed to hold the sacred power of mana, or spiritual energy. But...