Fa'a Samoa
Encyclopedia
Fa'a Samoa means literally The Samoan Way which describes the socio-political and cultural way of life for the people of the Samoan Islands
.
In Samoa
, it refers to an all-encompassing tradition
al system of behavior and responsibilities that spell out each person's relationship to one another and to persons holding positions of authority.
Central to the organisation of Samoan society is the culture's Fa'amatai
traditional system of social organisation.
In addition to prescribed familial
relationships, which extend to one's entire extended family
(the aiga) with its familial chief (the Matai
), one also owes respect to other persons in positions of authority, and to customs of long standing which have rather more force than mere etiquette
.
For example, most Samoan villages enforce a period of prayer in the early evening signified by ringing a bell or blowing a conch shell. During this period (the sa) one should not stop in the village if passing through, and there may be appointed guardians standing by the road to ensure that travelers do not. Likewise, it is extremely rude to eat or drink when walking through a village. The host is responsible for the actions of his guests, and may incur a fine from the village authorities if any breach of custom occurs.
While this level of communal influence on what many Westerners might consider their private lives is pervasive, it also makes possible the allocation of communal resources in a predictable and coherent manner. With much land held in communal trust by the local matai, it is adherence to customary rights and traditions that makes this theoretical autocracy
less onerous than many Westerners might believe.
Samoans use a term that literally means "The Auckland Way" to describe the culture of some members of the Samoan emigree community in New Zealand
.
This term was often used by Umaga
in professional wrestling before his trademark maneuver, the Samoan Spike.
Samoan Islands
The Samoan Islands or Samoa Islands is an archipelago covering in the central South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia and the wider region of Oceania...
.
In Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, it refers to an all-encompassing tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
al system of behavior and responsibilities that spell out each person's relationship to one another and to persons holding positions of authority.
Central to the organisation of Samoan society is the culture's Fa'amatai
Fa'amatai
Fa'amatai is the chiefly system of Samoa, central to the organization of Samoan society.It is the traditional indigenous form of governance in the Samoa Islands, comprising American Samoa and the Independent State of Samoa...
traditional system of social organisation.
In addition to prescribed familial
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
relationships, which extend to one's entire extended family
Extended family
The term extended family has several distinct meanings. In modern Western cultures dominated by nuclear family constructs, it has come to be used generically to refer to grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins, whether they live together within the same household or not. However, it may also refer...
(the aiga) with its familial chief (the Matai
Fa'amatai
Fa'amatai is the chiefly system of Samoa, central to the organization of Samoan society.It is the traditional indigenous form of governance in the Samoa Islands, comprising American Samoa and the Independent State of Samoa...
), one also owes respect to other persons in positions of authority, and to customs of long standing which have rather more force than mere etiquette
Etiquette
Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group...
.
For example, most Samoan villages enforce a period of prayer in the early evening signified by ringing a bell or blowing a conch shell. During this period (the sa) one should not stop in the village if passing through, and there may be appointed guardians standing by the road to ensure that travelers do not. Likewise, it is extremely rude to eat or drink when walking through a village. The host is responsible for the actions of his guests, and may incur a fine from the village authorities if any breach of custom occurs.
While this level of communal influence on what many Westerners might consider their private lives is pervasive, it also makes possible the allocation of communal resources in a predictable and coherent manner. With much land held in communal trust by the local matai, it is adherence to customary rights and traditions that makes this theoretical autocracy
Autocracy
An autocracy is a form of government in which one person is the supreme power within the state. It is derived from the Greek : and , and may be translated as "one who rules by himself". It is distinct from oligarchy and democracy...
less onerous than many Westerners might believe.
Samoans use a term that literally means "The Auckland Way" to describe the culture of some members of the Samoan emigree community in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
This term was often used by Umaga
Eddie Fatu
Edward Smith "Eki" Fatu was a Samoan-American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Umaga...
in professional wrestling before his trademark maneuver, the Samoan Spike.