TM Independent State of

CultureGrams
Kids Edition 2017 Samoa
Malo Tutoatasi O Samoa

Samoas ocean waters are home to nine hundred kinds of fish and two hundred kinds of coral.
Faa Samoa, or the Samoan way, means living a relaxed and peaceful life that also respects tradition and ones
elders.
For two days each year, a worm called the palolo leaves its home in Samoas coral to spawn (deposit eggs) in the
ocean. Samoans catch the worms in nets and eat them as a special delicacy, either raw, or fried in butter and
spread on toast.
Many Samoans havefale (openhouses with thatched or corrugated tin roofs, wooden or cement platforms, and
no walls) in front of their houses. Fale are reserved for guests, family meetings, and special occasions.
A lavalava, which is a colorful, often flower-patterned knee-length cloth wrapped around the waist, is worn by both
women and men.
Ava, a drink made from the root of the kava plant, is an important part of Samoan ceremonies.
In 1962 Samoa became the first Pacific Island nation to gain independence.
The nations capital, Apia, is the only city in Samoa.
The Puleimelei Mound, or Star Pyramid, is the oldest and largest ancient structure in Polynesia. Located on the
island of Savaii, the pyramid is made of basalt stone and is close to one thousand years old.
Famous Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson spent the last years of his life on the island of Upolu, where he
owned a 400-acre estate. The local people called him Tusitala, which means teller of tales.

Flag
The stars on the flag resemble the Southern Cross constellation, which has guided
Samoan sailors for generations. Red stands for courage, blue represents freedom, and
white symbolizes purity.

National Image
Samoas national flower is the teuila, or red ginger. Each year, the Teuila Festival is
celebrated with dancing competitions, choir competitions, fautasi (long canoe) races,
fire-knife dancing, tattooing demonstrations, and a Miss Samoa Pageant.

1
 TM

CultureGrams Samoa

Land and Climate

Area (sq. mi.)

1,093
Area (sq. km.)
2,831

Found in the middle of the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and Hawaii, Samoa is a group of nine islands: two
main islands (Savaii and Upolu) and seven smaller islands. The islands are covered with tropical rain forests in the
center and beaches and lava rock around the edges. Samoa is slightly smaller than Cape Verde or the state of Rhode
Island. The majority of the population lives on Upolu, which is also home to the capital city of Apia. Savaii is the largest
of the Samoan islands. Samoa lost much of its forests to lumbering, crop farming, cattle ranching, and hurricanes, but
reforestation and preservation efforts have helped restore them somewhat. Mount Silisili, on Savaii, is the nations
highest point, with an elevation of 6,096 feet (1,858 meters).

The weather in Samoa is pleasant almost all the time. Temperatures are usually between 75F (24C) and 85F
(32C). Samoa is also called Independent Samoa and is separate from American Samoa (which is a U.S. territory).

Population

Population
198,926

Most Samoans are Polynesians, descendants of the first people to live in the region. A
small percentage of the people have both Polynesian and European ancestors.
Approximately one in four Samoans live in or around Apia, the capital. The rest of the
population lives in villages scattered along Samoas coasts.

Language
People in Samoa speak Samoan. It is the oldest Polynesian language still spoken today. English uses 26 letters, but
Samoan only uses 14 letters: five vowels and nine consonants. Three more letters (h, k, and r) have been added so
that Samoans can pronounce foreign words. All consonants are separated by a vowel and all vowels are pronounced.
Spelling is phonetic, with words written exactly the way they sound. Many Samoans in the capital city of Apia also
speak English, but some people living in rural(countryside) villages do not speak English that well. There is a formal
version of Samoan used in traditional ceremonies and in conversation with elders or important guests.

Can You Say It in Samoan?

Hello Malo (mah-LOH)
Good-bye Tofa (toh-FAH)
Please Faamolemole (FAH-ah-MOH-leh-MOH-leh)
Thank you Faafetai (FAH-ah-feh-TAI)
Yes Ioe (ee-OH-yeh)
No Leai (leh-EYE)

2
 TM

CultureGrams Samoa

Religion

Source: The World Factbook 2017. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2017.
Almost all Samoans are Christian, and religion plays an important role in daily life. Most businesses are closed on
Sunday. Every village has at least one church, and some villages have as many as six or even seven churches. In the
evening, most villages outside of the capital city observeSa. Each village rings a bell or blows a conch shell signaling
that it is time for everyone to go to their homes. Then 10 minutes later the bell rings again, signaling that prayer time
should begin. No one is allowed on the village roads at that time. Families pray and sing together for about 15 to 30
minutes. Then a bell rings to signal that Sa is over.

About one-third of Samoans are associated with the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa, established in the
early 1830s by missionaries sent by the London Missionary Society. Other major denominations include the Roman
Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Seventh-day Adventist
Church.

Time Line
Before 1000 BC Polynesians migrate to Samoa from the west
AD 1
ca. AD 95 Tongans invade Samoa; many Samoan tribes hide in caves during the
invasion

ca. 1250 Samoans drive out the Tongans

1700
1722 The Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen visits the islands

3
 TM

CultureGrams Samoa
1830 The first Christian missionaries arrive in Samoa

1889 A hurricane destroys nearly all of the American and European warships
near Apia
1899 An agreement between Britain, Germany, and the United States gives
Western Samoa to Germany

1900
1908 The Mau Movement is organized to fight German rule
1909 The Germans send away leaders of the Mau Movement to the island of
Saipan
1914 New Zealand takes Western Samoa from the Germans during World
War I
1919 An influenza outbreak kills 8,500 people, one-fifth of the population
1929 Eleven Samoans are killed in a Mau demonstration in Apia
1939-45 United States troops are stationed in Western Samoa during World
War II, but no battles are fought on the islands
1947 A legislature (lawmaking body) is created with local members
1962 Western Samoa becomes an independent nation
1990 Universal suffrage (the right for all adults to vote) is extended to
Samoans
1997 Western Samoa changes its name to the Independent State of Samoa
2000
2002 New Zealand apologizes for its mistreatment of Samoans during New
Zealands colonial rule
2007 Chief Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II dies after 45 years as the reigning
monarch; he was the worlds third-longest reigning monarch after King
Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand and Britains Queen Elizabeth II
2009 Samoa switches to driving on the left side of the road like other South
Pacific countries; an earthquake causes a tsunami that hits the
southwest coast of Upolu, devastating 20 villages and killing over 140
people

4
 TM

CultureGrams Samoa
2011 Samoa crosses the international dateline (imaginary line running
between the north and south poles that separates one calendar day
from the next), losing a day in order to bring its workweek closer to that
of its neighboring countries
2012 Samoa celebrates the 50th anniversary of its independence from New
Zealand
PRESENT

Ancient Samoa
The first people arrived on the Samoan islands more than three thousand years ago, having journeyed there from other
parts of the Pacific Ocean. These early Samoans were excellent sailors and built beautiful canoes and longboats. They
also constructed piles of earth, which they shaped like stars and used as platforms for the royal sport of pigeon
catching. These star mounds can still be found in Samoa today. Most of what is known about these early inhabitants
comes from stories and traditions passed down orally(by word of mouth) through families.

European Arrivals
Samoans had little contact with the world beyond the Pacific until Dutch and French
explorers arrived in the early 1700s. Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen was the first
European to visit the islands, in 1722. The early explorers named the island the
Navigator Islands because the islanders were known for their superb navigating skills in
their canoes and longboats. Decades later, Europeans began moving to Apia. Many of
these early settlers were Christian missionaries, and Samoans quickly adopted
Christianity as their new religion. European settlers also established rubber, coconut,
and cocoa plantations.

World Powers Collide

By the end of the 1800s, the nations of Britain, Germany, and the United States had
claimed land in Samoa. Each wanted control of all the islandsand they were ready to
fight to get it. But after a powerful hurricane destroyed their warships near Apia, they
agreed to divide the islands instead. Britain didnt get any of them but was promised
other Pacific islands. The eastern Samoan islands went to the United States (and today
are called the Territory of American Samoa). The other Samoan islands, including
Upolu and Savaii, became the German colony of Western Samoa. The monarchy was
officially abolished (done away with).

Samoa for Samoans

When Germany lost World War I, New Zealand took over Western Samoa. The people
of Western Samoa had disliked German rule, but they didnt like being ruled by New
Zealand either. The leaders of what was called Mau a Pule, or the Mau Movement, put
pressure on New Zealand to allow Western Samoans to govern themselves. Samoa
for Samoans was the movements slogan, and as time went by, Samoans slowly were
given more control in the government. Finally, in 1962, Western Samoa became its own
nation. In 1997, it changed its name to the Independent State of Samoa.

5
 TM

CultureGrams Samoa

Samoa Today
Today, Samoa is still primarily an agricultural society, although it is becoming less so as more and more people work
as well as having plantations. Many young Samoans choose to leave their homes and move to nearby New Zealand or
American Samoa in order to find work in different fields. The Samoan government is trying to encourage its youth to
stay home by developing other industries such as tourism, but many still choose to emigrate to other countries.
Western clothing and T-shirts with a lavalava (a one-piece cloth worn from the waist down) or shorts are popular with
young people, male and female.

Games and Sports

Samoans love to play their own version of cricket, which they call kirikiti. Cricket isa game similar to baseball that is
played on a round field with a bat and ball. But with Samoan kirikiti, the bat has three sides (instead of the usual two
sides), which makes the ball harder to hit. Also, instead of having just the typical 11 players on a team, Samoans allow
more players so that everyone gets a chance to play. Throughout each game, the players dance, sing, and clap to
keep spirits up. They celebrate good plays and encourage each other. At the end of the game, the losing team must
perform a dance in front of the winning team.

Rugby is another very popular sport in Samoa. Most village boys and young men play rugby several times a week, and
it is becoming popular for girls as well. Most villages have at least one rugby field, and village- and district-wide
competitions are a very popular weekend activity. Most villages have nightly bingo games at some churches and
community fale (open houses with thatched or corrugated tin roofs, wooden or cement platforms, and no walls). Bingo
is used to raise money for new church buildings, uniforms for a church choir, or school supplies. Women and girls play
bingo often, but most men do not. Some Samoans recycle their bingo sheets to use as toilet paper.

Holidays
The second Sunday in October is known as White Sunday. Its a day to celebrate kids. People dress in their best white
clothing to go to church, and children are allowed to lead the church services and perform skits, dance, and recite Bible
verses. Sometimes the church service lasts four or five hours. Afterward, everybody goes home to have a large feast
with family members. That feast is one of the few times when kids in most families are allowed to eat before the adults.
Parents also give their children gifts.

The Swarm of the Palolo is celebrated each year when the palolos (coral worms) emerge to spawn (usually in late
October and early November). The palolos rise at night to the surface of the lagoons when the moon and tides are just
right. To gather the palolos, which are considered a delicacy, Samoans take lanterns and paddle their canoes into the
lagoons, capturing the worms in nets. Samoans enjoy them raw or cooked.

Food
Samoans make delicious food with ingredients such as bananas, fish, taro, coconut
cream, chicken, breadfruit, and rice. Most evenings, a member of the family makes
coconut cream by scraping all the coconut meat out of a husk and squeezing the flesh
to get the cream out. A typical evening meal consists of fresh fish or chicken soup, with
boiled taro or breadfruit covered in coconut cream. For breakfast or lunch, many
Samoan villagers have a bowl of hot koko-alaisa (rice with pounded, roasted cocoa
beans) or bread and butter sandwiches. Samoans living in Apia, the capital, might get a
take-out lunch of fish and chips(french fries) or chop suey(vegetables and meat with
rice) and have hot, deep fried pancakes, keke puaa (pork dumplings), or German buns
(caramelized coconut in a fried bun)for breakfast.

The best meal of the week is on Sunday after church. The young and old males in the
family get up at four in the morning to prepare the umu, an underground oven made
6
 TM

CultureGrams Samoa
with hot lava rocks covered with banana and breadfruit leaves. Some families roast a
whole suckling pig in the umu. After church, the family shares a huge toonai (brunch),
often including a Samoan specialty, palusami. Palusami is made of coconut cream and
onion wrapped in young taro leaves and baked inside banana leaves in the umu. Kids
like to snack on guava, mangos (when they are in season), ice blocks (like popsicles in
a plastic baggie), or chips or candy from the small village shops. Doughnuts, soda, and
cookies are special treats.

Schools

Adult Literacy
99%

The Samoan government wants to make sure that every kid goes to school until they
are fifteen. Some families need help from their children during the day to do chores,
keep a grandparent company, or sell trinkets or housewares at the bus station in the
capital. However, this is discouraged by the government, and those that get caught by
the police and the Ministry of Education are encouraged to go to school. In the past,
students were punished for misbehaving, but now this is illegal. Many students go to
school in the capital city because the schools are often higher quality. They live with
their extended families in Apia during the week, and then take the bus home to see
their parents on the weekends.

Most students are taught in a combination of English and Samoan. Some students
dont complete all thirteen years of education and drop out between 8th and 12th
grades. In school, students study math, Samoan, science, business, social studies, and
English. All schools have uniforms, and each schools uniform is a different color or
style. At some schools, girls have to wear the same color hair ribbon or they are sent
home for the day, and boys have very strict rules about the length of their hair, which
must be kept very short.

Life as a Kid
To go to school, kids in Samoa usually have to wear uniforms. Girls wear colored skirts.
Boys wear lavalavas (one-piece cloths worn from the waist down). Every school has a
different colored uniform. When not in school, some kids help with chores like picking
up trash around their familys house, sweeping the yard, helping with fishing or on the
plantation, helping cook dinner, running errands around the village, or helping out at the
pastors house. Many evenings, some children help at bingo games, take care of
younger siblings, play with friends, or go to choir or youth group at the local church. In
their spare time, children love to play rugby or play at a nearby beach or river. Children
are responsible to their elders (even older siblings) and in many cases help serve
dinner. After a meal, some kids bring bowls of water to their grandparents or parents to
wash their hands off.

7
 TM

CultureGrams Samoa

Government

Capital
Apia
Head of State
Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi
Head of Government
Prime Minister Tuila'epa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi

Samoa used to be a monarchy. The head of state is now chosen by the 49-member Legislative Assembly (called the
Fono) for a five-year term. Samoas prime minister, who is responsible for running the government, works with the
Legislative Assembly to make laws and important decisions. For many years, the only people who could vote for the
legislators(lawmakers) were the family leaders known as matai, or chiefs. Only 5 percent of matai are women, but
more and more families are recognizing the important role that women play in Samoan culture. Sometimes teenagers
are made matai at the age of 16 or 17, but usually people are made chiefs in their thirties or forties. Now, all adult
Samoans can vote. The voting age is 21. Each village also has a council of matai as well as a pulenuu (mayor), who
serves as a bridge between the government and the village.

Money and Economy

Currency
Tala

Most Samoans make a living by farming, and they raise much of their own food. Often,
the wife and children work while the husband farms. Or the husband and children work
while the wife stays home. Fishing is important, too. Samoans also send coconut
products, cocoa, bananas, and wood to many parts of the world. In recent years,
tourism has brought money to Samoa. Many travelers visit each year to enjoy Samoas
beautiful beaches, rain forests, and warm climate. However, thousands of Samoans live
and work in other countries so they can send money back to members of their families.

Getting Around
Cars are common in Samoa.Families that have cars or trucks are usually very
generous and offer rides to friends and neighbors. Hitchhiking is very common and safe
and can be an interesting way to travel back and forth to the capital. Boats and ferries
take people from island to island.If people have to travel short distances, they usually
walk. For longer journeys, most Samoans ride the bus, which can be very
crowded.People pile up on each others laps, sometimes four or five to a bench, and
many people ride in the aisles. Usually older people get a seat, but often students have
to crowd in the aisles or sit on each others laps. In some cases, even pigs get to ride in
the back of the bus, but they are wrapped up in burlap sacks.

8
 TM

CultureGrams Samoa

Samoan Traditions
Samoans love to sing and dance, and dancing is a very important part of the Samoan
culture. Many Samoan villages host dances for youth from other villages or hold dances
as fundraisers. Young kids learn how to dance as soon as they can walk and are
encouraged to perform at dances for the entire village. At a Samoan feast, or fiafia,
people play guitars, ukeleles (small guitars), and drums. They perform skits or
traditional dances in which the dancers tell stories with their graceful hand motions.
Fire-knife dancing is also popular. Kids as young as four or five may learn how to dance
with knives on sticks, sometimes lit on fire. Kids perform elaborate fire-knife dances at
special events or for tourists.

Samoan women also get together to make colorful siapo fabrics and weave mats to
sleep on called fala mats. Siapo is made from the bark of a mulberry tree, and the ink
patterns are made from mangrove tree juice mixed with charcoal. These can take
months to complete. They are given to neighbors at special events such as weddings or
funerals.

Some Samoans still get a traditional tattoo. The tatauis for men, and the malu is the
tattoo that women get. The tatau covers a man from above the belly button to below the
knees. The malu is composed of traditional patterns, passed down from their ancestors.
Women get it from their upper thighs to just above the knee. It is considered sacred,
and many men and women only show their tattoos while dancing a special dance at a
wedding or other important event. These tattoos are made with sharks teeth or boars
tusks and can take as much as a month to finish.

Learn More
Contact the Permanent Mission of the Independent State of Samoa to the United Nations, 800 Second Avenue, Suite
400J, New York, NY 10017; phone (212) 599-6196; web site https://www.un.int/samoa. Samoa Tourism Authority, web
site www.samoa.travel.

TM

2017 ProQuest LLC and Brigham Young University. It is against the law to
CultureGrams
copy, reprint, store, or transmit any part of this publication in any form by any ProQuest
means without strict written permission from ProQuest. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 USA
Toll Free: 1.800.521.3042
Fax: 1.800.864.0019
www.culturegrams.com

9
10