"Our practice was quiet for a moment. It was quiet for a generation, it wasn't eradicated. And now it's back. And it's loud. And it's here, it's in your face — literally, on your face! And now we're just living that practice every day." Moale James' tattoos are a powerful link to her Papua New Guinean ancestors. The meaning of tattoo changes Island to Island, village to village, right across the Pacific. In some countries the tattoo has remained strong despite the efforts of missionaries...

As soon as that first drop of fat hits the frying pan, the smell of nostalgia fills the kitchen. If you grew up in a Pacific Island household, you can probably conjure it up wherever you are. It's the smell of corned beef, spam, bully beef – whatever you call it, those tins of salty, pink jellied meat have become a staple across the islands. But exactly how did corned beef gain such cultural clout in the Pacific? It's a world away from the fresh fish and taro our ancestors would have...

If you've ever wondered how kava went from being banned in some countries to trendy in others, why your aunties' traditional medicines worked so well or how the heck canned beef became a delicacy, join Seiuli Salamasina von Reiche on Culture Compass, a brand-new show from ABC Radio Australia.  It's an exploration of survival, revival and connection throughout the Pacific as we examine our cultures from the very beginning, right through to where they're at today.  And we might even take a...