Fa'aSamoa through the lens of NMSAS Superintendent Atuatasi Lelei Peau

NMSAS Superintendent Atuatasi Lelei Peau talks about the deeper meaning of Fa'aSamoa in a cultural context. He also shares the duality of his roles as a high-talking chief for the village of Fagasa, for which he is committed to preserving the Traditional Land Tenure system and cultural heritage for future generations, and how this influences his work as a sanctuary superintendent to always connect Samoan culture to ocean stewardship.

Transcript

Fa'aSamoa is the Samoan way of life that is practiced everyday and an identity that makes us unique among all Pacific cultures.

Fa'aSamoa places great importance on the dignity and achievement of the group rather than on individual gain as a cultural grounding that perseveres through generational time to the present.

In my role as a high-talking chief of the village of Fagasa, I am the caretaker of my family's legacy and protector of our land tenure system.

I have an obligation to ensure that our family land is protected and preserved for future generations.

Without our land tenure system, there is no Samoa.

The land, including marine environment, is an inheritance of Samoans.

It is the connection Samoans have with the past, present, and future generations.

Land is a fa'asinomaga or identity; it is what gives matai titles meaning.

Without a connection to the fanua or land, non-Samoans are outsiders to this special place.

The matai serves as the family spokesman in the village council of chiefs, or saofa'iga a le nu'u, thereby providing the family with a voice in village matters and public affairs.

One of the most important responsibilities of any matai is serving as a trustee of family communal land.

In Samoan society, land tenure is an integral part of the social organization and is tied to the kinship system and village organization.

In my role as a superintendent for the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa, I serve as an interpreter and communicator at both local and federal levels.

In addition, I interface and engage with local communities to ensure that their voices and priority needs are incorporated into the decision-making process.

Since the establishment of the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa in 2012, the sanctuary has embodied the importance of heritage and fa'aSamoa in several programs and events.

Common to all these activities, the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa provides bilingual exhibits and translated materials to recognize the significance of the Samoan language.

These events and programs provide examples of how the sanctuary has worked to enhance the cultural services of heritage and sense of place.

For the future of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries in Pacific islands, it is important that we are more proactive and strategically bridge our unique society and way of life where culture is the centerpiece.

We have always had connection to land and sea, there are great lessons, practices, and values that Pacific cultures can bridge across other programs to guide and enrich stewardship goals for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA.

Fa'afetai and soifua. (Thank you)