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Samoans
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Samoans are a Polynesian ethnic group living in the Samoan Islands. On their home islands they are divided between an independent state — Samoa (also informally known as Western Samoa, its former official name) — and a territory of the United States, American Samoa or commonly known as Eastern Samoa.
The majority of ethnic Samoans (c. 880,000 or 60 per cent) now reside in the Samoan diaspora, primarily in New Zealand (231,000), the United States (333,281) and Australia (48,091).
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Encyclopedia
Samoans are a Polynesian ethnic group living in the Samoan Islands. On their home islands they are divided between an independent state — Samoa (also informally known as Western Samoa, its former official name) — and a territory of the United States, American Samoa or commonly known as Eastern Samoa.
The majority of ethnic Samoans (c. 880,000 or 60 per cent) now reside in the Samoan diaspora, primarily in New Zealand (231,000), the United States (333,281) and Australia (48,091). Most Samoans are fluent in both Samoan and English.
Tattooing
Tattoos, or pe'a, demonstrate the strong ties many Samoans feel for their culture. Samoans have practiced the art of tattooing both men and women for over 2,000 years. To this day, a man's tattoo extensively covers from mid-back, down the sides and flanks, to the knees. A woman's tattoo is not quite as extensive or heavy. The geometric patterns are based on ancient designs, and often denote rank and status. The va'a or canoe, for example, stretches across a man's mid-back.
Samoan oral tradition generally recognizes that two Fijian women, Taema and Tilafaiga, introduced the practice of tattooing. Before the arrival of Christian missionaries, starting in 1830, all Samoan males got a traditional tattoo. Though the early missionaries did not succeed in outlawing the practice, which they considered as defacement of the human body and heathenish, they eventually succeeded in refocusing the custom on the sons of chiefs.
In Samoa's cultural past most males were tattooed between the ages of 14-18, when it was determined they had stopped growing, so the designs would not stretch and suffer in beauty. Today, there has been a strong revival of traditional tattooing in the past generation, not only in Samoa but throughout Polynesia, often as a symbol of cultural identity.
The Samoan word for tattoo is tatau which means "correct or workmanlike." It also signifies the correct quadrangular figures in reference to the fact that Samoan tattoo designs do not include circular lines, although other Polynesian tattoo motifs do. Early Englishmen mispronounced the word tatau and borrowed it into popular usage as tattoo.
Traditional tattooing is a painful process. The Samoan tattoo master dips his cutting tools into black ink made from the soot of burnt candlenut shells, and then punctures designs into the skin. The cutting tool, or "needle," consists of a short piece of bamboo or light wood with a piece of tortoiseshell bound at right angles at one end. A little bone comb is bound to the lower broad end of the tortoiseshell. The larger the comb, the greater the area on the skin is covered with fewer strokes. The master uses a small mallet to repeatedly tap a short handled instrument. The process takes days, and is sometimes partially accomplished over longer periods, with recuperation in between.
Tattoo designs have changed to include freehand symbols such as the kava bowl representing hospitality; the characterization of the Samoan house or fale signifying kinship; emblems of nature — shells, fish, birds, waves, centipedes; and the traditional geometric lines and angles of different lengths and sizes.
Migration
Migrants from Southeast Asia arrived in the Samoan islands approximately 3,000 years ago settling in Polynesia further to the east. Early contact with Europeans was established in the 1700s. Christianity was formally introduced with the arrival of L.M.S Christian missionaries in August of 1830. During the early twentieth century the Samoan Islands were partitioned by Germany, Great Britain and the USA. Tutuila and Aunu'u islands United States were claimed by the USA, and later joined by the Kingdom of Manu'a (1904) to become the current Territory of American Samoa. The western islands became German Samoa. In 1914, New Zealand forces captured the islands from Germany, thus becoming Western Samoa. Western Samoa regained its independence on Janary 1, 1962. In 1997 it formally changed its name as Samoa.
Culture
See also Category: Samoan culture
Some famous Samoans include Troy Polamalu, a famous safety for the professional football team the Pittsburgh Steelers and Mosi Tatupu of the New England Patriots. Samoans are also famous for Rugby most notably Brian Lima and the Samoa national rugby union team
Music
Modern pop and rock have a large audience in Samoa, as do several native bands; these bands have abandoned most elements of Samoan traditional music, though there are folky performers. Recently, the Samoan population has seen a resurgence of old Samoan songs, remixed in the style of Hawaiian reggae, but with some traditional elements, such as the use of the pate and the chord structure still in use. The nearly three decades of Samoan involvement in street dance and rap music in the United States has significantly impacted cultural production in other places where Samoans settled, particularly New Zealand. Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. hails from Carson, California and have been working with music since 1988. Boo-Yaa came into the hip hop game at the same time as the world renown Ice Cube, and they often resemble the West Coast hip hop style. Samoans truly came on to the stage in the U.S. after the migration to Los Angeles.
Initially in Samoan music, “there were just two instruments in use; the pate, a hollowed out log drum that comes in various sizes, and the fala, a rolled up mat beaten with sticks. In addition to this was the human voice. This limited range of instrumentation had no effect on the importance of music in Samoan life. Because there was no written language many stories and legends were propagated through song and the complex rhythmns from the pate are essential in the performance of many Samoan dances. In fact in many dances, the dancers themselves add to the rhythmn by clapping their hands, and dependent upon the way in which the hand is held produce a range of different sounds. Following the arrival of the Europeans the diversity of instrumentation available increased dramatically, but two instruments were developed that are now synonymous with Samoan music, the sielo and the ukele. The sielo is a stringed instrument made from a broomstick, or similar object, attached to a largish box, bucket or other object that acts as a sounding board. A single length of string joins the top of the stick to the box, which plucked to produce a sound similar to that of a bass. The ukele is a small guitar like instrument but with only four strings. It can be found in two forms, one which is like a miniturised guitar, the other where the body is made from half a coconut shell.” Western string instruments such as guitars are also now widely available across the Pacific Islands, with many bands performing and recording both acoustic and amplified music in Samoa since the 1970s. Younger generations continue to perform in string bands as well as gravitate towards genres such as rap, R&B, gospel, and soul. One group that has come onto the scene is the group called 315 “The Samoan Trio” and most of their talents are recorded online in many a cappella songs.
As with many South Pacific peoples Samoans are heavily religious. Over 90% of all Samoans in Samoa and Amerika Samoa are christian with over 90% of that population attending church weekly. Similarly high numbers are seen across the Samoan diaspora. Samoan choral music is vital in every religion practiced by Samoans and a number of prominent composers,are well known amongst all Samoans whether composing simple hymns or a classical "Salamo" (Psalms), a multi-movement choral piece. The most notable of these are from the Ekalesia Faapotopotoga Kerisiano i Samoa (EFKS or CCCS, the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa), the Ekalesia Faapotopotoga Kerisiano i Amerika Samoa (EFKAS or CCCAS, the Congregational Christian Church of Am. Samoa), and the Ekalesia Metotisi i Samoa (Methodist Church in Samoa). Ueta Solomona, Ioeslani Pouesi, Namulauulu Paul Pouesi, Flo Wendt, P.V. Manuma, and many others are among these composers. Other composers of similar prominence are from other faiths such as Sauni Kuresa of the Ekalesia Aso fitu e toe Afio mai (Seventh-Day Adventist Church) and Carl Toelupe, a well known Mormon of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS or Lotu Mamona).
Samoan Gospel music is a newer sub-genre in the Genre of "Pese Lotu" (Samoan Church music). Heavily influenced by African-American gospel it is most utilized in the Samoan Assemblies of God churches (Lotu PatiPati) although the style is very popular amongst youth groups (Autalavou) in several different religions amongst Samoan people known for its often upbeat and Black gospel influence.
Although originally most pieces were written for choir and Piano or organ, electronic keyboards and synthesizers are very popular. Brass and orchestral accompaniment though less common in early church music are often specified by composers today.
Typically though, Samoan Christian music is most commonly heard in the daily Samoan worship held by most Samoan families around the world. In the Samoa's themselves this time is sacred as most villages and towns ban any traffic through the streets during evening family worship or simply "Lotu". Families raise their voices in song without accompaniment which can heard all throughout the village. Whether out of love for God or out of unbreakable tradition; families, young and old, sing the hymns of old or newer songs of praise to preface their prayers to God.
Dance
Traditionally, German Samoans have always been very musically inclined and have incorporated dance in their customs. The original Samoan dance form is known to be one of the few areas of their culture which has not been heavily influenced by American tradition. The fire dance or Siva Afi also a big part of the Samoan culture. The slap dance, a dance performed by males, consist of fierce slaping of the body in rythmic motion to drum beats. .
Government
American Samoa is an unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States. Officials from the U.S. Department of the Interior administer the territory. Through Congressional legislative action, the Samoans drafted their own constitution and from that constitution their government exists.
A non-voting Congressional delegate is sent to represent the Territory of American Samoa. The 2008 Congressional delegate is Eni F.H. Faleomavaega.
The American Samoan constitution was written to incorporate a governor, lieutenant governor and the legislature. Both the governor and lieutenant governor are elected every four years. The legislature, known as the Fono, is bicameral. The Samoan Senate consists of 18 members chosen from the 14 Samoan counties. The House of Representatives consists of 20 members who are elected through popular vote. Swains Island residents select one representative to serve as a non-voting member in the House of Representatives.
From 1900 until 1929, American Samoa was known as a U.S. Naval coaling station. In 1929, the U.S. Congress passed legislation that officially recognized the eastern islands as, American Samoa. Until 1951, the United States Navy selected the governor for American Samoa. In 1956, the U.S. Department of Interior took over that responsibility. In 1977, the governor was elected by popular vote.
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