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Despite political and
economic differences over the last hundred years, American Samoa and
Independent Samoa share a closely-related traditional culture. Samoan
culture dates back to the arrival of the Polynesian people in about 800
BC. Although most Samoans these days are Christian, their adherance to
traditional life (fa'a Samoa) exceeds that of all other Polynesian
people. Religion is a big part of Samoan life and the Sunday service is
the most important event in the week. Absolute fealty to the church pastor
and strict observance of the religious rules is a must. Many visitors have
suggested that Christianity has become 'Samoanised', and this observation
is borne out in the complex code of traditional ethics and behaviour
mixing with distinctly Christian practices.
Samoan culture is steeped in a complex set of
social hierachies, courtesies and customs that regulate all aspects of
public and private life. Samoan culture is based on the fa'amatai
system of government, with a chief, ormatai, responsible for an
entire aiga or extended family. The family works on extended
socialist principles with wealth and food being distriubuted according to
need, and honour and social standing being shared or shouldered by all
members of the aiga. The matai is responsible for
remembering ancient folklore, family geneologies, and the old stories,
which he passes on to his successor. He also hands out justice when
required and makes sure that all customs and rules are properely observed.
Respect, therefore, is something earned. As long as visitors behave
themselves (in locals' eyes, anyway), respect will be forthcoming. A sign
of that respect is a desire not to upset you; locals will often give you
the answer they think you want to hear, rather than the truth about
something. This can be frustrating, but it springs from a well-meaning
source.
Dancing, singing and music play a big part in
Samoan culture. The fiafia was originally a village play or a
musical presentation performed by a number of villagers. These days it
simply refers to a bit of a Samoan knees-up at the larger hotels where
both the siva (a dance performed by women acting out impromptu
stories with their hands) and the sa sa (a dance performed to the
beating of a wooden mallet) are performed. For young males, tattooing is a
significant rite of passage. When a boy is born, his grandmother will
begin collecting dye for his tattoo, and when a male is 'fully grown' (12
to 14 years old) he's taken to the tufuga who spends up to a month
covering the youth in tattoos from waist to knee using shark's teeth. The
process is incredibly painful and represents the strength of a man's heart
and his spirituality. When a girl is born, on the other hand, the
grandmother is charged with weaving a fine mat for her dowry. This might
be more work for the grandmother, but for the young girl it's an absolute
breeze compared to what the boys endure.
Food in Samoa, as you would expect, derives
mainly from tropical crops, root vegetables, coconut products, fresh
fruit, pork, chicken and, of course, seafood. The traditional Polynesian
feast involves an umu or above-ground earth oven. The traditional
Sunday meal is nearly always cooked in the umu. As a prelude to
ceremonial gatherings and village meetings 'ava or kava is consumed
in a ritual called the 'ava ceremony. The drink serves as a mild
tranquiliser, an analgesic, an antibacterial and antifungal agent, a
painkiller, a diuretic and - being high in fibre and low in calories - an
appetite suppressant. Westerners who try 'ava and don't like it (it
reportedly tastes like dishwater; but would you trust someone who knew
what dishwater tasted like?) have an easy escape; it's not considered rude
to tip it onto the ground, you're making a generous offering to the gods. For
more general information
on Samoa, go to: |
