SAMOA CULTURE

U.S. NAVY ADMINISTRATION WAS NEVER OPPRESSIVE AND SAMOAN CULTURE WAS PRESERVED.  SAMOAN CULTURE WAS PRESERVED AND CHIEFS WERE ALLOWED TO RETAIN THEIR OWN FORMS OF ASSEMBLAGE.  NATIVE BORN AMERICAN SAMOANS ARE U.S. NATIONALS.  THEY ARE FREE TRAVEL
 BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIESAND THEY RESIDE IN EITHER .  THEY TAKE PRIDE IN THEIR STATUS AS A US TERRITORY AND SEEM UNINTERESTED IN INDEPENDANCE.

SOME AMERICANS LIVE HERE BUT THERE AREN'T THAT MANY.  UNTIL THE 1950'S THE TRADITIONAL HOUSES WERE OVAL STRUCTURES WITH FLOORS OF CORAL PEBBLES AND A ROUND WOODEN POSTS WITH A BEEHIVE SHAPED ROOF.

THEY HAVE NO ISLAND OUTCROPS ON TOP OF A MOUNTAIN RANGE.  THEIR POPULATION ESTIMATED IS 172,000 FOR PRESENT TIMES.  A SMALL NUMBER ARE OF MIXED DESCENT AND POLYNESIANS.  THEIR FLAG HAS AN EMBLEM OF CHRISTIANITY.  THEY HAVE A HIGHLIGHTED CROSS.  THE SEA AND COCONUT PALM ARE ARE THEIR PRIMARY FOOD SOURCES.  THE CHIEFS DRINK KAVA FOR THEIR AUTHORITY OF THEIR TRADITION.  THEY HAD SOME STRUGGLES WITH THE NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS.  BY 1962 THEY CELEBRATED THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL EMBLEM.

SAMOANS REFER TO THEIR NATIONAL IDENTITY.  THEY REFER TO THEMSELVES AS A SAMOAN FAMILY.  UNFORTUNATELY THE GERMANS, BRITAINS,  AND THE U S CONSULAR PRESENCES ATTEMPTED TO IMPOSE THEIR AUTHORITY.  MUTUAL SUSPICION, DISUNITY MEANT THE SAMOANS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.  THE WESTERN PART OF THE ARCHIPELEGO CAME UNDER GERMAN CONTROL.   THE EASTERN PART  OF SAMOA WAS INDER AMERICAN NAVAL ADMINISTRATION.  THESE ATTEMPTS PROVOKED VARYING DEGREES OF ANGER IN 1900 AND A SMALL NEW ZEALAND  EXPEDITION ENDED THE GERMAN ADMINISTRATION.

AFTER WORLD WAR I NEW ZEALAND ADMINISTERED WESTERN SAMOA.  IT ESTABLISHED AUTHORITY AND PURSUED A COURSE SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE GERMANS.  IT PROVIDED AN INEPT ADMINSTRATION AND ITS MISHANDLING OF THE S ST.AIVVNES ARRIVAL.  25% OF THE PEOPLE  DIED FROM INFLUENZA.  THE MAU PROCESSION IN 1929 LEFT THEM DISALLUSSIONED.  THEY MADE ATTEMPTS TO PROMOTE VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT THAT STRENGTHENED THEIR DETERMINATION TO RECLAIM THEIR LANDS.  THEY FOUND LABOR GOVERNMENT IN NEW ZEALAND IN THE MID 1930'S. 

AFTER W W II THE UNITED NATIONS MADE SAMOAN A TRUSTEESHIP  AND GAVE NEW ZEALAND RESPONSIBILITY FOR PREPARING IT FOR INDEPENDENCE.  THE AVAILABILTY OF THE MATERIALS  AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PRIVATE HOMES, INDIGENOUS BUILDINGS SAWN LUMBER FRAMING AND CLADDING IRON ROOFING  AND CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS. 

SAMOANS EAT A MIXTURE OF LOCAL  IMPORTED   FOODS.  THEIR STAPLES ARE FISH, LOBSTER,  CRAB, CHICKEN AND PORK, ROOT VEGETABLES AND YAMS.    IMPORTED FOODS INCLUDE RICE , FISH , BUTTER, JAM , HONEY AND SUGAR.

MANY PEOPLE DRINK TEA AND A MAIN MEAL IN THE EVENING.  DURING  THEIR CEREMONIES THEIR MEALS ARE TOAINAI.  THE FEAST  ACCOMPANIES WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS AND THE CONIFERING OF CHIEFLY  TITLES AND AMUSED FEASTS.  THEY MAKE A KAVA, A BEVERAGE FROM A POWDERED PLANT OF PIPER METHYSTICUM.  IT IS SHARED IN CEREMONIAL MEETINGS AMONG MEN.

SOMOAN PRODUCERS PRIMARILY HAVE  COMMODITIES FOR EXPORT - TIMBER, COPRA, COCONUT PRODUCTS, ROOT VEGETABLES, COFFEE, COCOA, AND FISH.  AGRICULTURE CONSTITUTES 90% OF EXPORTS. THE MOST PROMISING EXPORT CROP IS TARO.  IT WAS ELIMINATED BY LEAF BLIGHT IN 1993.

A SMALL INDUSTRIAL SECTOR DESIGNED TO PROVIDE EXPORTS PROCESSES INCLUDED COCONUT CREAM AND OIL, ANIMAL FEED SOAP, BISCUITS, CIGARS AND BEER.    THEY IMPORT FOOD, FUEL, BUILDING MATERIALS AND MECHANICAL  EQUIPMENT.  THE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYS 30% OF THE WORKFORCE.  THEY HAVE A NUMBER OF TUNA CANNERIES.  SIXTY PERCENT OF FAMILIES LIVE BELOW POVERTY LEVEL.

MOST LAND IS OWNED BY SAMOANS.   SOME WHITES MARRIED TO SAMOAN WOMEN AND ACQUIRED LAND HERE.  COMMUNAL OWNERSHIP OF LAND WAS CONTROLLED BY MATAI.  THEY HAVE  6 CRUISE  SHIPS VISITING FROM THE U.S.  THEY HAVE 100 GROCERY STORES AND 200 FAMILY OWNED GENERL STORES.

THEIR LARGEST INDUSTRY IS FISH PROCESSING  AND CANNING TUNA AND PET FOOD BY PROCTS.  CANNED.  THEY SHIP CANNED TUNA TO THE U.S. AND THAT IS 94% EXPORTS.

YOUNG FOLKS ENGAGE IN STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES WHILE ELDERLY HAVE A MORE SEDENTARY ROLE.  THEY HAVE A VILLAGE COUNCIL THAT IS MADE UP OF  A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO RULE THEIR COMMUNITY.  THE MEN PREPARE AN EARTH OVEN FOR USE IN TRADITIONAL CULTURE.  THEY HAVE SOCIAL SERVICES FOR DISABLED, ALCOHOL COUNSELING, AND VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION.  

TRADITIONALLY THE MEN WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR HEAVY AGRICULTURAL WORK, FISHING, AND HOUSE CONSTRUCTION, THEY COOKED FOOD AND SERVED AT CEREMONIAL EVENTS.  WOMAN SERVED AND COOKED  AT CEREMONIAL EVENTS.  THEY SERVED , WOVE SLEEPING MATS AND COOKED WITH MODERN DAY APPLIANCES.  THEY WEAVE SLEEPING MATS.

THEY IMPORT RICE  FROM PAGO PAGO AND OTHER  FOOD, FUEL AND BUILDING MATERIALS.  IT IS A   MALE DOMINATED SOCIETY. MARRIAGE IS BETWEEN FAMILIES ALLIANCE BETWEEN   FAMILIES.  NO ONE CAN MARRY A BLOOD RELATIVE.  MOST MARRY IN THEIR LATE TWENTIES,.   A COUPLE MAY LIVE IN ONE HOUSEHOLD OR THEY MAY WORK TOGETHER ON FACILITIES.  THEY WORK ON FAMILY LAND CONTROLLED BY MATAI.  RIGHTS TO LIVE ON AND USE CERTAIN LANDS ARE GRANTED TO MEMBERS OF A KIN GROUP WHO REQUESTED  THEM.  THE TENDENCY IS TO GIVE CHILDREN  THE LA LAND THAT PARENT'S DEVELOPED.  THE KIN NEEDS TO GIVE CONSENT. 

AS ACCORDING TO CHRISTIAN TRADITION THE ELDERS ARE GIVEN RESPECT.  AFTER AGE 5 CHILDREN ARE GIVEN RESPECT,  AFTER AGE 5 CHILDREN EXPECTED TO TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE FAMILY ECONOMY AND COMPLY WITH PARENTS WISHES.  THE BELIEF  THAT POTENTIAL IS PART OF AN OBEDIENT CHILD WHO SHOWS RESPECT AND IS GROUNDED IN THEIE SAMOAN FAMILIES.

THEY HAVE A CHURCH LINKED TO SCHOOLS AS WELL.  THEIR IS GREATER RESPECT FOR HIGHER EDUCATION.  SAMOAN BELIEF IS CHRISTIAN.  THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT SECTS.  CERTAIN CONDITIONS ARE BELIEVED TO BE SAMOAN ILLNESSES.   OTHERS ARE TREATED BY EUROPEAN DOCTORS.

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