Teo Tuvale
Encyclopedia
Teo Tuvale was a significant Samoan historian who served terms as Chief Justice and Secretary to Government in Samoa
during the era of colonialism
.
Tuvale is the author of An account of Samoan History up to 1918, a key historical text in Samoan history
which includes first hand accounts of the rivalry between European colonial powers and Samoan chiefly families. He was also an official translator and spoke English
, German
and some Fijian
.
village on the north coast of Upolu
island. His father was Vaaelua Petaia (1822–1881), one of the first Samoan Christian
converts to the London Missionary Society
and the first pastor of Faleasiu. Following in his father's footsteps, Tuvale attended the seminary at Malua
village in 1875. The Malua Theological College had been established in 1848. He taught at the Malua training school in 1877. An older brother with the family's matai chief title of Le Mamea was a Samoan official in the government and helped him to get work in the administration. In 1878, he was appointed assistant secretary to the official indigenous Samoa government based at the village of Mulinu'u
. He held successive positions through different colonial regimes. He spent some years in Fiji
where he became friends with Fiji's paramount chief Ratu Cakobau. In 1900, he led a group of traditional dancers to Germany
where he met the Kaiser
. He was a translator for Wilhelm Solf
, the German governor in Samoa.
He also worked as a government translator, and wrote the historical account in 1918 at the behest of Colonel Robert Logan, the commander of the British Military Occupation.
, genealogies (gafa), fa'a Samoa
, culture, language and ceremonies.
Tuvale writes in the introduction of An Account of Samoan History up to 1918;
Tuvale also helped two brothers compile another important historical document Tusi Fa'alupega (Samoan ceremonial greetings in oratory) which was gifted to the London Missionary Society.
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...
during the era of colonialism
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
.
Tuvale is the author of An account of Samoan History up to 1918, a key historical text in Samoan history
History of Samoa
-Myths:According to legend, Samoa shares the common Polynesian ancestor of Tagaloa; according to many legends, Samoa was Tagaloa's first creation...
which includes first hand accounts of the rivalry between European colonial powers and Samoan chiefly families. He was also an official translator and spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and some Fijian
Fijian language
Fijian is an Austronesian language of the Malayo-Polynesian family spoken in Fiji. It has 450,000 first-language speakers, which is less than half the population of Fiji, but another 200,000 speak it as a second language...
.
Background
Tuvale was born in FaleasiuFaleasiu
Faleasi'u is one of the largest village settlements on the island of Upolu in Samoa. It is located on the northwestern coast of the island.Faleasi'u is part of A'ana Alofi I Electoral Constituency which forms the larger political district of A'ana.Faleasi'u consists of five sub-villages pito nu'u:...
village on the north coast of Upolu
Upolu
Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long, in area, and is the second largest in geographic area as well as the most populated of the Samoan Islands. Upolu is situated to the east of...
island. His father was Vaaelua Petaia (1822–1881), one of the first Samoan Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
converts to the London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
and the first pastor of Faleasiu. Following in his father's footsteps, Tuvale attended the seminary at Malua
Malua
Malua is a small village on the Samoan island of Upolu. The name originates from the Samoan word "Maluapapa" which is translated 'shelter under the rock'. It is located on the northwestern coast of the island in the electoral constituency of Sagaga Le Falefa which forms part of the larger...
village in 1875. The Malua Theological College had been established in 1848. He taught at the Malua training school in 1877. An older brother with the family's matai chief title of Le Mamea was a Samoan official in the government and helped him to get work in the administration. In 1878, he was appointed assistant secretary to the official indigenous Samoa government based at the village of Mulinu'u
Mulinu'u
Mulinu'u is a small village situated on a tiny peninsula on Upolu island in Samoa. It became the site of the colonial administration in Samoa in the 1870s and continues to be the site for the Parliament of Samoa...
. He held successive positions through different colonial regimes. He spent some years in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
where he became friends with Fiji's paramount chief Ratu Cakobau. In 1900, he led a group of traditional dancers to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
where he met the Kaiser
Kaiser
Kaiser is the German title meaning "Emperor", with Kaiserin being the female equivalent, "Empress". Like the Russian Czar it is directly derived from the Latin Emperors' title of Caesar, which in turn is derived from the personal name of a branch of the gens Julia, to which Gaius Julius Caesar,...
. He was a translator for Wilhelm Solf
Wilhelm Solf
Wilhelm Heinrich Solf was a German scholar, diplomat, jurist and statesman.-Early life:Wilhelm Solf was born into a wealthy and liberal family in Berlin. He attended secondary schools in Anklam in western Pomerania and in Mannheim...
, the German governor in Samoa.
He also worked as a government translator, and wrote the historical account in 1918 at the behest of Colonel Robert Logan, the commander of the British Military Occupation.
Historian
Tuvale's historical works included detailed recordings of Samoan architectureArchitecture of Samoa
The architecture of Samoa is characterised by openness, with the design mirroring the culture and life of the Samoan people who inhabit the Samoa Islands. Architectural concepts are incorporated into Samoan proverbs, oratory and metaphors, as well as linking to other art forms in Samoa, such as...
, genealogies (gafa), fa'a Samoa
Fa'a Samoa
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....
, culture, language and ceremonies.
Tuvale writes in the introduction of An Account of Samoan History up to 1918;
Tuvale also helped two brothers compile another important historical document Tusi Fa'alupega (Samoan ceremonial greetings in oratory) which was gifted to the London Missionary Society.
Death
Tuvale's last job was supervising the burial of the dead during the 1918 flu epidemic which killed an estimated 22% (8,500) of Samoa's population. He died in December 1919, immediately following the epidemic. He is buried in Faleasiu.Descendants
Tuvale is the grandfather of Samoan author, educator and professor Peggy Fairburn-Dunlop.External references
- An Account of Samoa History up to 1918 At NZ Electronic Text Centre, CC-BY-SA 3.0 NZ Licence. Retrieved 16 November 2009