The Head of State His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi and Masiofo Filifilia are visited by Aorere College students and teachers from New Zealand
A group of young Samoans from New Zealand is being exposed for the first time to a way of life they are supposed to be a part of, but have never experienced fully in true life.
The more than 40 of them are college students studying Samoan language and culture at Aorere College and McCauley High School, in South Auckland, where most of the Samoan population is concentrated.
They have been sightseeing around the country for more than a week now and are staying on until after absorbing the experience of the children’s White Sunday in Samoa.
The young visitors are third generation Samoans and being in Samoa is a hands on experience of real Samoan life for them. It is a chance to see the ‘real thing and to actually participate in it,’ according to the organizers of the trip.
There is however a deeper and much more serious objective underlying the whole need to expose these impressionable New Zealand born Samoans to the social, economic and religious roots of Samoa.
As a teacher of Samoan for the past 20 years, Mrs. Jennie Tapu who is traveling with the group, treasure the opportunity as so valuable for injecting missing pride in the children about being Samoan.
“This new generation of Samoans in New Zealand are in no-man’s land with one leg here in Samoa and the other in New Zealand,” Mrs. Tapu observed.
“There are those who are exposed to the Samoan culture through the Samoan Churches, like the EFKS and the Methodists, so they do learn from there but not all of them go to church.
“Many of the parents don’t tell their kids about Samoa and that is puzzling to note. When you ask a kid if his father is a matai he’ll say. ‘I don’t know’, if you ask them about their village and you get the same answer.”
The preference by parents for their children to speak English is another blow to the pride of being a Samoan, although it is a problem shared by other cultures in New Zealand as well.
The attitude is disconcerting for people like Mrs. Tapu who see it as typical of colonial mentality in the Samoans where the ‘palagis’ are held in such high regard they encourage their children to ‘go and marry one.’
“You actually have two choices, either you are told to go find a palagi to marry or look for a faifeau.”
“Our young Samoan generations are facing the same language problem as the Maoris, where they end up not knowing how to speak Samoan.”
The situation according to Mrs. Tapu is complicated further by kids who limit their knowledge to common, everyday English.
“ I tell my students that they are speaking ‘pub English’ or the ones you pick up from the pub instead of from inside the classrooms.”
Another eroding factor seen through the eyes of Samoan children appears to be the perception created by parents struggling to raise families in New Zealand.
Samoan families are not regarded as poor but kids grow up in an environment Mrs. Tapu described as ‘struggling for things that other kids in better families have.’
When all these setbacks and shortcomings are added together, disappointed observers like Mrs. Tapu ardently argues that it paints a very discouraging picture of Samoa as a poor country, in the minds of these kids.
The visit is however helping to overcome stereotype perceptions for these children.
The mind image of Samoa is fading very quickly as they eager young eyes see the multi-storey buildings and busy streets of Apia instead of huts with dirt floor they were expecting in their minds.
“They see the cars on the road and they can’t believe that some of them are luxury models they never expected to see here or let alone see in New Zealand.”
Mrs. Tapu believes that the visit is so important to developing a pride for the children in who they are and what they are capable of.
‘When we visited the Samoa Observatory they were very impressed with young Samoans working there who not only spoke fluently in both English and Samoan, but were also well educated.”
Mrs. Tapu admitted to the problems of illegal drugs and violence facing the islands youth in New Zealand, and she believes wholeheartedly that learning and appreciating the culture plays an important role in controlling the problems.
She believed that the older people who are involved in criminal activities are influencing the young kids in a life of illegal drugs or other forms of crime.
“Visits like this to Samoa is very important to these kids, because they learn a lot from it, especially the part where pride in their cultural roots contributes to a sense of responsibilities and leadership.”
Mrs. Tapu felt that the visit with the Head of State His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi and Masiofo Filifilia, meant so much to the goals they are trying to achieve in the kids as teachers.
“Before this visit all these kids saw of His Highness was a picture of him I have on the classroom wall, so to come to Samoa and actually meet him in person is so important.
“His Highness is the father of the Samoa and by meeting him in person makes it more personal. His Highness becomes a father figure these kids can identify with Samoa and the culture.”
Chaperoning the students on cultural visits to Samoa is not new for Mrs. Tapu, this is actually the 6th trip she has organized, since it started in the late 1980’s.
She is currently the Head of Department of Samoan studies at Aorere College, while her husband , who is also part of the trip, teaches Samoan at nearby McCauley High School.
“The teaching of the Samoan language in schools is very important and we’re getting a lot of support for that from the New Zealand government.
At the same time too, changes are starting to be seen with the Samoan attitude to exposing their children to the cultural heritage and it is all very positive .”
What!#$@% Identity? written by Emile Grey,
October 09, 2008
Hold on a moment! we just arrived from Samoa yesterday after a 5 1/2 month stay and feel sick after reading this! I'm a New Zealand born Samoan married to a Palagi with 4 daughters and I am sorry but if you read in between the lines here it is all about money, reference groups and being on committees! In actual fact creating an us and them in New Zealand is doing Maori and Pacific island people more damage then anything else and we cant even begin to compare ourselves with the plight of the Maori. Theirs was and is a totally different path.
Regardless whether I can speak Samoa or not I am and will always be Samoan and asking to be treated differently in another country is an excuse for "The older generation" leading the young astray! Maybe Mrs Tapu and the head of state should start looking back at Samoans history and the many writings by many authors and the truth will be found there in the past as it is still the same today. Samoans are lazy and getting even lazier on the mainland and to make it worse, here in NZ, some Samoans believe we have a right to being recognised?? What is that?
Does Samoa have support services or committees to look after and assist families like ours going to Samoa? NOPE! Actually and Factually They continue to ask for Money! for doing nothing! My point is after my waffle is this!
Samoa is corrupt and there is always a hidden agenda behind the good deeds some Samoans do get real and get honest and dump the Fa'a Samoa at Auckland Airport and leave it there!!
Regards
Emile Grey Nelson
So Sad, Too Bad, I'm glad they fight for their Identity. written by Fe'e 4 Corners,
October 09, 2008
I feel for Emile Grey for it seems that it is her first time in Samoa. When ex-Samoans come to Samoa for a visit, it is the family's expectation that they bring with them the wealth from the palagi world. Many of your aigas never had a chance to leave Samoa. They always think that the milk and honey flows in places where you have chosen to live overseas. Unfortunately, it is not always the case. I can sense that in Emily's encounter with her family. I'm so sad, too bad and am glad that Emily has seen and experienced the other side of the Samoan way of life. I can see that she did not have a great time in her homeland and she blamed it on the Samoan culture and the laziness of the Samoans. The Samoan culture and traditions can be appreciated if you grow up with it, live with it, feel it and understand it. I believe that this is the whole idea Mrs Tapu is trying to instill to the young Samoans who are yearning to learn and trying to understand their roots. It is a journey to search and learn where their identity lies and what makes them different from our other brothers and sisters in the Pacific. Zulu bravo to Mrs Tapu for taking the initiative to make this journey each year for the sake of the young Samoans who are trying to learn and experience our culture. . My special thanks and appreciation to the Tamaaiga ma lana Masiofo for supporting this important program. God Bless!
... written by Tango,
October 09, 2008
Corruption is everywhere. And I know that some samoans are getting lazy living on welfare and living on benefits and not enough confidents to look for jobs, I can relate to you there. Here in Samoa is not easy to find a job it's all about brains or all about who you. Peace
Emile Grey written by SamoanGal in the USA,
October 09, 2008
Welcome to the world of Pio Sioa.
... written by Nesse Samoa,
October 09, 2008
Reading this article, Hawaii comes in mind. I respect these teachers that are doing their best in trying to preserve our culture and our language. I don't always agree and like some of the Faa Samoa, however I really don' want to see my culture and especially the language go away. We need to look at hawaii and learn from their mistakes, althought America forcefully took over, but the language didn't need to go away, and now they are trying to teach it in school, but there are no true hawaiians that can teach it, so people that are teaching hawaiian in school only teach fews words but not conversational sentences. Hawaii's history is very sad. Please lets not repeat that. Samoa must always keep and preserve our language and culture, we must always teach our kids Samoan. We must be proud of who we are....and the way we show tha is teaching others and especially our kids so the culture and language will always be here. Take the spanish people for example, these people are proud of who they are.....they teach their kids everything there is to know about their culture, especially language right from birth even down to their food. Spanish parents are always speaking in spanish to their kids and Samoa should be doing the same. Mrs Tapu...my hat off to you, for teaching these youngers our language and culture and I hope it wll continue on. I wish you and others the best in teaching others.
Nesse Samoa
Bravo NEW ZEALAND! written by Another Samoan-American,
October 10, 2008
Hats off to New Zealand! Very refreshing to read success stories such as these!
I am a strong supporter of our people and our organizations within both in the Samoas and anywhere abroad that help in the preservation of our Samoan language and the Fa'asamoa, our cultural way of life. It is sooo imporatant that we support efforts like this so that our identity will live on long after our generation is gone. Start documenting since we now have the means and technology to do so. Our stories of times past must be documented to be available for our future generations to learn from.
Samoa is a unique culture in its own right. Keep Samoa's language and culture alive!!!!!! Don't let it be forgotten!!
Samoan Principal in the USA written by Sane Mataitusi,
October 12, 2008
It's very interesting to read what people think should be valued in our Samoan culture. I'm a firm advocate for education because I know that's one way to successfully meet your obligations with 'fa'alavelave' and still have sufficient to sustain your family.
It's true that way too many Samoan students are coming to elementary school unprepared, illiterate, and confused, however, there is hope. Perhaps we need to encourage more Samoan parents to get involved in their children's education. Too many are not volunteering or show an interest in what their children are learning. It's not because our parents don't care but somehow our culture has always given that responsibility to the teachers and the 'faifeau' but if you live outside of Samoa things are very different.
Fortunately, my school district is working with me to start a Dual Immersion language program in Samoa where students learn Samoa 50% of the time beginning in Kindergarten. Every year we add another grade - but here's my dilemma, in order for me to move forward I will need fluent Samoan teachers that are NCLB qualified in the state of California. Unfortunately, we don't have any that I know. The few college students I've recruited from the college level are either nonspeakers of the language or want to get into Social Worker. I have 5 years before I launch the program so if you're out there and interested in becoming a teacher in California, then get yourself to school.
It's true that our families back home call us for money. Which I don't mind at all (say for example this week alone for White Sunday, I knew my sister was going to call so I send some money before she called). But I don't always give her money when she calls either. There were times when she'd called and I had to tell her that I'm sending her nothing or just a small amount. People only take advantage of you when you let them. I also kindly remind them that there are no money trees in America and the "milk and honey" that flow here is quite expensive to say the least.
Our language not only gives us a sense of identity but distinguishes us from the rest of the world. There is more to the Samoan culture than the 'faalavelave's', food, and dance that we all go to.
Mrs. Tapu is doing an excellent job and I hope to travel there soon to see what they're doing in that part of the culture.
I'm a hard core educator for all students and I'm particularly interested in how Samoan students are doing in school or even in higher learning. I'm very pleased with Samoans in the island because they seem to have it together with their education and they speak both languages with so much pride.
Kudos to all of you.
Mr Principal
Malo! written by SamoanGal in the USA,
October 12, 2008
Sane Mataitusi: Please keep up the good work. It is not easy to change the curriculum of public education. It is so important that you get this message out to the Samoan community so they can take the necessary steps in completing the requirements you set forth. Also, you may be able to get help from Rowena Reid, she is on staff at BYU-Hawaii in the International Cultural Studies & World Languages Department. I believe she teaches Samoan. There are also Peace Corps workers and church Missionaries that have served in Samoa and would probably be interested in qualifying to move your plan forward. Good job and good luck!!
Kudos! written by Robert,
October 14, 2008
Mr. Sane Mataitusi, nice touch! And keep up the good work. I’m looking forward to hearing of your success for the Samoan youths in California in the near future.
SamoaGal, malo suga! I call you my “Action figure” babe from the States. Because you know how to rowdy up the trolls on here & then sarcastically and gently lay them down.
So, brace! Here they come! Because they somehow think we are patting each other on the butt or instigators of some sort? Not really, just complimenting.
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Regardless whether I can speak Samoa or not I am and will always be Samoan and asking to be treated differently in another country is an excuse for "The older generation" leading the young astray! Maybe Mrs Tapu and the head of state should start looking back at Samoans history and the many writings by many authors and the truth will be found there in the past as it is still the same today. Samoans are lazy and getting even lazier on the mainland and to make it worse, here in NZ, some Samoans believe we have a right to being recognised?? What is that?
Does Samoa have support services or committees to look after and assist families like ours going to Samoa? NOPE! Actually and Factually They continue to ask for Money! for doing nothing! My point is after my waffle is this!
Samoa is corrupt and there is always a hidden agenda behind the good deeds some Samoans do get real and get honest and dump the Fa'a Samoa at Auckland Airport and leave it there!!
Regards
Emile Grey
Nelson