Samoa Language Week

Malo le soifua, my name is Mevia and I’m the newest member of the Teu Le Vā team. I am a second-generation New Zealand born Samoan raised in Ponsonby, Auckland Central. I hail from the villages of Auala and Asau in Savai’i, as well as the villages of Alamagoto, Lefaga, Sataoa and Vaiala in Upolu and Lautoka, Fiji. I'm currently doing postgraduate studies in Museums & Cultural Heritage.

As a daughter of the Moana, I’m inspired by the late Epeli Hau’ofa’s outlook on Oceania, that we should not be defined by the smallness of our islands but by the greatness of our oceans.

A particular measina that is on display in Tāmaki Herenga Waka that resonates with me deeply is the PIC choir gown of choir mistress Epi Phethean. It is a true testament to the diaspora that had to learn to embrace a new language, culture and way of life here in Aotearoa New Zealand. A journey made by many across our great oceans to establish a new life.

The first PIC church on Edinburgh Street in Newton was like a social hub that connected all from across the Moana. A haven for Pacific Island immigrant families in their new adopted home, just like my own Lealiifano aiga (family) and a plethora of other Pacific Island families. I’m in awe of how vast our Pacific communities are and how far our village spans. The lifelong connections that were formed through choir, church and various other church activities, that are now memories fondly embraced today and a rich history that I am proud of.  

_{Thank you to Sefa Enari and ‘aiga for the loan of their Great Aunt Epi Phethean’s choir gown, on display at Auckland Museum in the Tāmaki Herenga Waka Stories of Auckland galleries.}

Celebration of Samoan Language Week

Samoan language week celebrates our ways of knowing and our ways of being. It recognizes the shared culture, values, and beliefs that ground and affirm our place in the wider society. It acknowledges our shared heritage and embraces what it means to be 'Samoan.' Therefore, encapsulated in the Samoan language is an exploration of one's identity, something that is worthy of celebration.

Growing up in South Auckland, I was fortunate to be surrounded by elders, teachers, and knowledge holders who constantly spoke in Samoan. I attended Mangere College, a high school that offered the Samoan language as a subject. Here, I was privileged to get both practical and theoretical insight into the execution of the Samoan language and cultural practices. I am also part of the Onehunga Co-operating Parish (Samoan congregation), with Samoan as the prime communication language. These experiences are a constant reminder of how significant and vast the Samoan language is and how deeply ingrained fa'asamoa is in my everyday life.

During my studies at the University of Auckland, I explored Samoan terminologies in my creative practice. Concepts in Samoan are filled with multiple and complex meanings, many of which are difficult to express in English. I got the opportunity to examine concepts that influence my creative making and discuss the various implications embedded in them. These were reflected in my measina and the material that I used. Such experiences reflect the beauty of the Samoan language and how it is a major driving force in my creative process.

Like many other Pacific languages, I see the Samoan language as a life journey simply because the language in itself is intricate and profound, making the learning stages different for many peoples. Mastering the speaking abilities and understanding capabilities in this modern era comes with complexities, especially with the increase in technology with English at the focal point. For this reason, the celebration of Samoan language week is vital in providing an avenue for Samoan people to connect and reconnect, re-energize, and re-vitalize our unique ways of knowing and being.

Measina - Lave

My favourite measina is the lave. The lave is part of the structure that form the Tuiga (Samoan crown). The lave (like many measina) has undergone profound changes that reflect the opportunities or influences present in each era. The lave is the most adorned part of the Tuiga and it usually draws the audience's attention at first glance. The lave projects towards the sky, signalling a profound connection between the heavens and that of the earthly realm, making this measina special.

Measina in order of appearance:
Lave Salelesi
Lave Sapapali'i
Lave Nofoali'i

E sui faiga, ae tumau fa‘avae  
Practices may change, but the foundation remains the same 

The ‘polycultural capital’ (Mila, 2010) I bring with me into the museum workplace is grounded in my identity as a second-generation Aotearoa New Zealand-born Samoan woman with an extended ‘aiga dispersed across the globe that is still connected through the world wide web. While lacking fluency in Gagana Samoa, I have grown up in a worldview founded on values of the Fa‘asamoa, although in practice it might look a little different compared to previous generations. 

Inspired by one of my cousins – and considering that several of us have begun to have our own little families – my Samu aiga have recently begun to have Gagana Samoa classes embedded into our family get-togethers and to‘ona‘i. These are conducted under the guidance (and patience!) of our aunty, Tuiloma Lina Samu. These sessions have been wonderful opportunities to teach and learn along intergenerational lines. I am learning alongside my cousins in our early- to mid-thirties, as well as with our own young children. We are 100% committed to learning, stumbling, and improving as a family unit together long-term, which in fact is reflected in the name and content of our family Facebook group chat: ‘Selau pasene i le oti’! This online forum is a digital extension of the safe space in which we have been able to post videos of us practising our pronunciation, ask our questions without fear of ridicule, and have a fun bonding experience together. I think our grandparents Tuiloma Mōlīpopo Samu (née Iusitini-Sio) and Leatufale Lila Samu would have been proud. 

Ia manuia le Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa!  

ʻSulu’ means ʻtorch’ or ‘light’ in Samoan. Published primarily in the Samoan language by the London Missionary Society from 1839, early issues of the Sulu are rare and difficult to access today with holdings largely held in archives outside Samoa.

In this blog, our guest contributors Litara Ieremia-Allan, Wanda Ieremia-Allan and Rev Dr Featunaʻi Liuaʻana reveal myriad ways the Sulu continues to shine its light, and the intellectual inheritance this measina (treasure) continues to bestow upon present and future generations.

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The Manumea is the national bird of Samoa and is found nowhere else in the world. One of the closest living relatives of the extinct dodo, the scientific name for the species (Didunculus strigirostris) means little dodo. 

Read More Here

This specimen is called a Holotype – a specimen that is chosen as the standard for a species description. When a scientist wants to decide whether they have a new species or not, they need to look at related species first to determine the differences. They use a holotype – like this one – for this.

This tiny shell was dredged from Apolima Strait, west of Upolu Island, by crew on the H.M.N.Z.S. Lachlan, probably during survey work late in 1973. It was originally thought to be new to science, but it has since been discovered that it belongs to a species called Viriola abbotti, which was discovered as early as 1935. 

The specimen is extremely pretty, but even more so because it was coated with a very thin layer of gold so that it could be imaged at very high magnification with a Scanning Electron Microscope. This was important to show the fine details of the very tip of the shell, which records the shells earliest stages of growth. Originally, the shell would have been white in colour.

There should be a unique holotype for each and every species on Earth, and with hundreds of thousands of species in the world, there are also hundreds of thousands of holotypes lodged in museum and university collections around the globe.

Auckland Museum cares for around 4,000 specimens such as this, and this is the only marine Holotype we have for Samoa. It was described by Walter Cernohorsky, Curator of Malacology at Auckland Museum 1968-1989.