Culture of Samoa

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(Redirected from
Samoan culture
)

The traditional culture of

aiga or extended family lives and works together. Elders in the family are greatly respected and hold the highest status, and this may be seen at a traditional Sunday umu
(normal oven).

Samoan culture is present in both the Independent State of Samoa and in American Samoa (a territory of the United States).[1][2]

Traditional art forms

Construction of a Samoan fale, c. 1896 (see: Architecture of Samoa)
Pe'a
, traditional male tattoo

Both men and women can be tattooed (tatau). A man's tattoo is called the soga'i miki while a woman's tattoo is called a malu.[3][4][5]

'ie toga, finely woven mats used in ceremony and gift exchanges.[6][7] In terms of material goods, during ritual exchange, women give fine mats 'ie toga and decorated bark cloth siapo while men give woodworking items and red feathers.[8]

plant leaves
to massage the affected area.

Wooden figurative sculpture was extremely rare in pre-Christian Samoa, and shares some similarities with Fijian and Tongan sculpture.[11]

'Ava ceremony

Main article:
Samoa 'ava ceremony

The

'ava ceremony is the most significant ritual which takes place before all important occasions, including the bestowal of matai chiefly titles.[12] The overall ceremony is highly ritualized, with specific gestures and phrases to be used at various times. Ceremonial items for the 'ava ceremony include the tanoa (round wooden bowl) similar to those used in the kava cultures of other Polynesian societies. The tanoa are made of varying sizes supported by many short legs around it. These bowls and other related instruments are often highly decorated. Known as kava
in other parts of Polynesia, the 'ava is a beverage produced from a plant that is drunk throughout the western Pacific region. The drinking of ʻava in Samoa is generally done through highly ritualized ʻava ceremonies. The kava is prepared by a group of people called aumaga. It is brought to each participant by the tautuaʻava, or ʻava server, in the order proscribed by the tufaʻava, or ʻava distributor. Usually, the highest chief of the visiting party is served first, followed by the highest chief of the host party, and then service proceeds based on the rank of the rest of the participants. The drink is served in a polished coconut half shell.

Dance

siva afi
)

The traditional Samoan

birthdays and other Samoan celebrations.[13]

In the Samoan culture the Taualuga is used for special celebrations, started by the village chief's son (manaia) or village chief's daughter (taupou). The Tuiga is a Samoan traditional headpiece (crown) that is made out of things like feathers, human hair, and a variety of different types of shells. It is now a privilege to wear the Tuiga because in the 19th century it was only to be worn by the high chief's son, daughter, and also by extended families. Before they start the taualuga, he or she must bow their head and spread out their hands to the people, to thank the people for coming out and for their support. This happens before and after the taualuga. The outfit is made from fine woven mats that symbolizes time, honor, and traditions, then we add red feathers from the birds of the islands. Next the outfit with a Tapa is made from the bark of the tree and it represents the art and the craft of the Samoan culture. Then there was the Ula Nifo, a necklace made from whale-tooth that is worn by the head chief or by the person who dances the taualuga. It was also a symbol of wealth. Finally, the meaning of the dance. Back in Samoa in the 19th century the person who performed the dance was the high chief's son or daughter that was a virgin.[citation needed]

Languages

In American Samoa, most people are bilingual; they speak both English and Samoan. People in Samoa are also bilingual, but Samoan is stronger and more widely spoken, although the inhabitants of Swains Island speak Tokelauan.[citation needed]

Names

The meaning of a given name is important when naming a child in the Samoan community:

  • personal traits: Malosi (strong), Umi (tall), Vave (fast), Fa'avalevale (foolish)
  • religious: Toefuata’iga o le talalelei (restoration of the Gospel)
  • events: Dodiana (this name was created to commemorate Dodi Fayed and Princess Diana's death)
  • objects: Tala (dollar) "selegi"(quarter) "lima sege" (nickel) "sefulu sene" (dime)
  • animals: Maile (dog) pusi(cat) pusi feai (wildcat) lioga(lion) aeto(eagle)
  • descriptive: Leilani (heavenly flower)
  • traditional: Pua’a’elo (this was the name of a Samoan high chief)[14]

Dress

Casual day to day wear will usually comprise an ie lava lava and T-shirt with jandals for shoes (also known as thongs in other regions of the world). Shorts are an alternative to an ie lava lava.

For events or work attire, the traditional ladies clothing is the

anaesthesia and is extremely painful. Ceremonial attire includes a headdress called tuiga which is made of shells and feathers.[16][17]

Cuisine

Samoan umu, an oven of hot rocks above ground
See also:
List of Oceanian cuisines

Sundays are traditionally a day of rest, and many families congregate to share an

coconut cream wrapped in taro leaves baked in the umu. This dish is eaten in its entirety including the leaves and is rich in taste due to its coconut content.[citation needed
]

Pisupo and supoketi served with white rice

A staple of the modern Samoan diet is pisupo, or canned corned beef. Commonly imported from New Zealand or Australia, pisupo is conventionally served alongside white rice or alaisa fa'apopo (coconut rice), combined with vegetables and noodles to make sapasui, simmered with taro leaves in coconut milk as in palusami, or mixed with supoketi (cooked spaghetti).

The word pisupo is derived from pea soup, which was one of the first canned foods introduced to the island in the 19th century.[18] Today, the word is applied more generically to all foods preserved in cans, especially corned beef, which has become incorporated into the daily social and gastronomic life of Samoans. On occasions such as weddings and birthdays, it has become commonplace to receive cans of corned beef as gifts.[19]

Critics claim that pisupo represents a form of "food colonialism" wherein Western dietary standards displace those of the indigenous populations of the South Pacific, creating a dependence on foreign trade and the importation of processed goods.[20] In recent years, pisupo has been targeted for contributing to an emerging health crisis in Samoa, which has seen a steady increase in obesity and diabetes since the 1960s. It was projected that, by 2020, 59% of men and 81% of women in Samoa would be classified as obese.[21] Nutritionists have pointed to the influx of imported processed foods, sugary beverages, and rice as contributing to the rise in obesity and diabetes in the island. Canned corned beef, in particular, is high in saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol[22] and, like many processed foods, is linked to hypertension.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Samoa
Savai'i

Religion in Samoa encompasses a range of groups, but nearly 100% of the population in

Baptist.[23]

Methodist Chapel at Piula Theological College on Upolu
island

There are also members of other religions such as

Malietoa Tanumafili II, King of Samoa (1913–2007), who was the first reigning Bahá'í monarch.[26] Although there were no official data, it is generally believed that there are also some practicing Hindus, Buddhists, and Jews in the capital city.[23]

All religious groups are multiethnic; none are composed exclusively of foreign nationals or native-born (Western) Samoans.[23] There are no sizable foreign national or immigrant groups, with the exception of U.S. nationals from American Samoa.[23] Missionaries operated freely within the country.[23] There is strong societal pressure at the village and local level to participate in church services and other activities, and financially support church leaders and projects.[23] In some denominations, such financial contributions often total more than 30 percent of family income.[23] The constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respected this right in practice.[23] The US government found there to be no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice in 2007.[23]

Sports

Samoa performing their Siva Tau before playing South Africa at the 2007 Rugby World Cup
Main article:
Sports in Samoa

The main sports played in Samoa are

Soccer is a popular sport in Samoa, with the national team
being ranked 149th in the world.

All Blacks
.

Bulldogs, competing at the Arafura Games and the 2002 and 2005 Australian Football International Cup
.

Samoans have been very visible in American

The Headshrinkers, Rikishi, Roman Reigns, and Sonny Siaki
all have a Samoan heritage.

Sports in American Samoa

Main article: Sports in American Samoa

Sports in American Samoa are influenced by

soccer, netball and volleyball
.

Fa'aaloaloga

The most salient and perhaps the most prominent part of Samoan culture at formal events is the process of Fa'aaloaloga (formal presentation of gifts). At

funerals, opening of houses or churches
, or any other public gathering of Samoans, Fa'aaloaloga will always be performed.

Ever since the formalisation of Christianity in Samoa and the inclusion of the Christian taeao or mornings into the general recitation of 'mornings' in Samoan speeches, the set protocol has been that the first presentations are always presented to the religious representatives present at the event. This is followed by the highest ranking chiefs by order of rank.

A standard set of presentation is called the sua. This is usually made up of vailolo (drink with

biscuits and material or a combination of other small foodstuffs like a can of corned beef), and a suatalisua (a box of corned beef and chicken or similar). This is followed by a fine mat or several fine mats (mats of state - ie o le malo), which could vary from 5 metres (16 ft) long to 25–30 metres (82–98 ft) long and 10 metres (33 ft) high. Depending on the occasion and the rank of the person, each of those elements above could be magnified several times by the addition of numbers, and could also include a huge tapa cloth
being tied to the young lady presenting the vailolo or draped several metres behind her as she presents it.

Museums

Main article: List of museums in Samoa

There are several museums in Samoa, ranging from

Falemata'aga - The Museum of Samoa to the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum.[27]
In addition there are a number of arts centres.

Other

In

Vaitogi continue to re-enact an important aspect of the legend at Turtle and Shark by performing a ritual song intended to summon the legendary animals to the ocean surface, and visitors are frequently amazed to see one or both of these creatures emerge from the sea in apparent response to this call."[28]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Samoa | History, Flag, Map, Population, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  2. ^ "American Samoa | Culture, History, & People | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
  3. ISBN 0-8223-3562-X
    .
  4. ^ Sowell, Teri (2000). Worn With Pride: Celebrating Samoan Artistic Heritage. Oceanside, CA, USA: Oceanside Museum of Art. pp. 10–17.
  5. ISBN 0-8248-2675-2
    .
  6. ISBN 0824826752
    .
  7. ^ Sowell, Teri (2000). Worn With Pride: Celebrating Samoan Artistic Heritage. Oceanside, CA, USA: Oceanside Museum of Art. pp. 30–35.
  8. ISBN 978-1-883528-40-9
    .
  9. ^ Pritchard, Mary (1984). Siapo: Bark Cloth of Samoa. American Samoa: Council on Culture, Arts and Humanities, Special Publication Number 1.
  10. ^ "siapo.com". siapo.com. Retrieved 2015-06-22.
  11. ISBN 0824830849
    .
  12. ISBN 0824826752
    .
  13. ^ Samoan Sensation. http://www.samoa.co.uk/dance.html
  14. ^ NamepediA Blog - Names Under the Dome: a Peek into Samoan Culture, article about Samoan culture and naming traditions
  15. ISBN 9780824826758
    . Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  16. ISBN 0824826752
    .
  17. ^ Sowell, Teri (2000). Worn With Pride: Celebrating Samoan Artistic Heritage. Oceanside, CA, USA: Oceanside Museum of Art. pp. 36–37.
  18. ^ "Michel Tuffery, Pisupo Lua Afe (article)". Khan Academy. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  19. ^ "We know it's a health problem. Can we have our pisupo and eat it too?". ABC Pacific. 2023-08-28. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  20. ^ "CATALYST - The Influx of 'Pisupo': Food Colonialism in the South Pacific". CATALYST. 2022-06-16. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  21. PMID 35449683
    .
  22. ^ "We know it's a health problem. Can we have our pisupo and eat it too?". ABC Pacific. 2023-08-28. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  23. ^
    Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (September 14, 2007). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain
    .
  24. ^ "Samoa". WCC > Member churches > Regions > Pacific >. World Council of Churches. 2006-01-01. Archived from the original on 2008-06-11. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
  25. ^ "Samoa Facts and Figures from Encarta - People". Encarta. Vol. Online. Microsoft. 2008. Archived from the original on 2009-09-13. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
  26. ^ Baháʼí International Community (2007-05-14). "Funeral and memorial service planned for Samoan head of state". Baháʼí World News Service. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
  27. ^ Bennett, E. M. "Representations and belonging: a brief study of the social contexts of museums in Samoa and Fiji." (2017).
  28. ^ a b https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/pdfs/14000925.pdf National Register of Historic Places Registration Form - Turtle and Shark (American Samoa). Retrieved July 4, 2020.

Further reading

  • Sowell, Teri (2000). Worn With Pride: Celebrating Samoan Artistic Heritage. Oceanside, CA, USA: Oceanside Museum of Art.
  • Mallon, Sean (2002). Samoan Art and Artists O Measina a Samoa. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
    ISBN 0824826752
    .
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