Fa'asamoa
Encyclopedia
Fa'asamoa literally means the ways of Samoa
. Fa'a is a Samoan prefix that can be translated to English as 'the ways of'. Fa'a could also mean 'to do' or 'to implement' as in the word Fa'atonu (which means 'to implement a solution' or 'to instruct').
, and customs of relationships and culture, that is a traditional and continuing Polynesian
lifestyle of the Pacific Islands
and diaspora
. This is completely understood by all Samoans, and provides support and direction.
and Western Samoa, and other Samoan islands (such as Manua
and Aunuu in American Samoa).
in 1830, they found that many Samoan cultural
beliefs were similar to Christianity
, which contributed to the spread of Christianity
in 19th centurySamoa. An example of these shared beliefs is the concept of respecting and honoring elders -- even powerless elders. In the , the young respect
anyone that is older than them, especially their parents.
s" or Caucasian:
"I remember when I was a little boy." said Tauanu'u. "I heard everyone talking about it: "E! O mai e va'ai tagata ese ia o mai! E papa'e ia o lakou kigo!", which translated to "Hey! Come look at these strange people approaching! Look at them! They are so white!".
Tauanu'u Leotasili continued by saying, "I saw my aunt trying to figure out what to do. By then, everyone in the village was awake at about 5 o'clock in the morning to come and see the white folks. I was one of them. All of a sudden, my cousin Giu told everyone that there are going to create an siva samoa (the samoan Dance). Lue mai!, the dance started and every Samoan village member of what is now called leone. So they danced and that's all I remembered".
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...
. Fa'a is a Samoan prefix that can be translated to English as 'the ways of'. Fa'a could also mean 'to do' or 'to implement' as in the word Fa'atonu (which means 'to implement a solution' or 'to instruct').
Concept
The fa'asamoa consists of the Samoan languageLanguage
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
, and customs of relationships and culture, that is a traditional and continuing Polynesian
Polynesian culture
Polynesian culture refers to the indigenous peoples' culture of Polynesia who share common traits in language, customs and society. Chronologically, the development of Polynesian culture can be divided into four different historical eras:...
lifestyle of the Pacific Islands
Pacific Islands
The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....
and diaspora
Diaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
. This is completely understood by all Samoans, and provides support and direction.
Practice
The fa'asamoa is practiced in all nine islands of Samoa, including American SamoaAmerican Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
and Western Samoa, and other Samoan islands (such as Manua
Manua
Manua, or the Manua Islands Group , in the Samoan Islands, consists of three main islands: Tau, Ofu and Olosega...
and Aunuu in American Samoa).
History
When missionaries arrived from EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in 1830, they found that many Samoan cultural
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
beliefs were similar to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, which contributed to the spread of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in 19th centurySamoa. An example of these shared beliefs is the concept of respecting and honoring elders -- even powerless elders. In the , the young respect
Respect
Respect denotes both a positive feeling of esteem for a person or other entity , and also specific actions and conduct representative of that esteem. Respect can be a specific feeling of regard for the actual qualities of the one respected...
anyone that is older than them, especially their parents.
Tauanu'u Leotasili
Tauanu'u, an old chief, gives his account of Samoan life before the Europeans. He was one of the witnesses of the arrival of the "palagiPalagi
Palagi or papaalagi is a term in Samoan culture of uncertain meaning, but sometimes used to describe foreigners or anything that does not 'belong' to Samoan culture...
s" or Caucasian:
"I remember when I was a little boy." said Tauanu'u. "I heard everyone talking about it: "E! O mai e va'ai tagata ese ia o mai! E papa'e ia o lakou kigo!", which translated to "Hey! Come look at these strange people approaching! Look at them! They are so white!".
Tauanu'u Leotasili continued by saying, "I saw my aunt trying to figure out what to do. By then, everyone in the village was awake at about 5 o'clock in the morning to come and see the white folks. I was one of them. All of a sudden, my cousin Giu told everyone that there are going to create an siva samoa (the samoan Dance). Lue mai!, the dance started and every Samoan village member of what is now called leone. So they danced and that's all I remembered".
External links
- "Fa'asamoa - The Samoan Way", American Samoa government website
- Samoan Culture