We could never quite figure out what it was, but its lasted a lifetime. This extension of the meaning of tautua to include tautua ai taumalele and osi aiga has qualitatively increased the numbers of those eligible to receive a title. We learned from him that, regardless of the task, it was not worth doing if you didnt want to do it properly. Guests give the grieving family monetary gifts or hand-woven mats in a ceremonial exchange of gifts called faalavelave. It only takes a few minutes and you don't even have to use your name. Your email address will not be published. Contact your counselor whenever you like by chat, messaging, video or phone. They are what make us Samoan. Traditionally, the elderly chief would designate a successor and retire away from public life so that he and the title do not lose mana. Salutations to the obtainable! Tofa, as suggested earlier,is the term for wisdom. There are no words I can use to express my gratitude, which I know would disappoint John. I owe it to you and myself to cite at the outset my disqualifications in this area: I am not a Judge; nor a jurist; nor a lawyer. Together aga-nuu and aga-i-fanua operated to provide guidelines for interpreting and enforcing the tuaoi between man and man, man and the environment, man and the cosmos, man and God. Our children were the center of Samanthas world. As admitted in the beginning I know very little about jurisprudence, about philosophy, and about law. She would go through the things in my room and leave a mess. of an actual attorney. This link will open in a new window. He energises and gives perspective to our search. Families would have to reorganise their day or week in order to rally family members for enough resources to meet their faalavelave obligations. Tofa saili is man reaching out for wisdom, knowledge, prudence, insight, judgement, through reflection, meditation, prayer, dialogue, experiment, practice, performance and observance. As for the loud music and drinking, I guess you could say its a form of celebration. This latter right is embodied in the Samoan concept and imperative aga-i-fanua; a concept historically distinguished from aga-nuu. Even if you put us on either side of a big room full of people, Jennifer and I would always find our way back to each other immediately. She had such an infectious zest for life that she could always find the humor or a silver lining of any situation, regardless of the gravity. Its necessary that you give the congregation an insight into the persons life as it related to your own. Samoan oratory is delivered in a cadence and clarity of voice that is clear and ringing. Salutations to the darkness and the void! means The Samoan Way, and it refers to the longstanding belief that Samoans should follow their community and ancient traditions. Faasinomaga is mans inheritance designated by the designator God. Salutations to the dust! This link will open in a new window. The logic then follows that if feagaiga is founded on vaevae manava, and suli is founded on birth, then both are founded on one and the same thing. Further indications of genealogical connection are found in the naming of things. In this sense, tulafono is arguably more about justice than law. His passion for teaching English was contagious. This link will open in a new window. The funeral service is typically at a church and involves a lot of praying and singing. Whether you knew Jane as a wife or a mother, a co-worker, or a friend, we all benefited from her wisdom and heartfelt advice. Samoans take this very seriously and it can look embarrassingly shameful if someone takes a misstep throughout the process. Aga-nuu is a rule or law of general application to Samoa/Samoans. A lot of the history books talk about us Indians in the past tense, but we dont plan on going anywhereWe have lost so much, but the thing that holds us together is that we all belong to and are protectors of the earth; thats the reason for us being here. Salutations to the sense of smell! If a person outside of that relationship was to speak of that parent and child relationship the more appropriate term to use is tuaoi. This is an important point to keep in mind when working through the practicalities of implementing jurisprudential ideals. The ancient right to title is founded on the same grounds to that of land. This includes deciding who will be saying a funeral speech at the funeral service. Samoan culture and customs). This Samoan expression literally means 'like grass by the roadside'. Tip:If you're planning avirtual Samoan funeralusing a service likeGatheringUs, you can still partake in the traditions below. For example: The term va is used here as shorthand for the term va fealoaloai, which relates to the idea and belief that there exists relational bonds between peoples, between peoples and their gods/God, peoples and the seas, skies and stars. Tuaoi between nuu, itumalo and malo Wedding cakes in Samoa have not only multiple teers vertically but also have seperate teers which spread out horizontally across the table. Moreover, the recognition of merit and respect was never meant to be defined definitively by judicial decision. The 'Do's and Don'ts' of a Funeral Speech This is a formal goodbye for family and friends, and its common for emotions to be displayed openly. Traditionally a distinction or tuaoi was made between the roles of tamaalii (high chief) and tulafale (orator). He was like a father, an uncle, and a big brother all rolled into one. She would turn her mind to an obstacle and work on it until shed overcome it. Muumuu are Hawaiian dresses, Samoans dont wear them. Check out our lovely range of memorial jewelry for any lost loved one. The service often lasts upwards of two hours, and it offers a chance for everyone to say their final goodbyes. What each family chooses depends on their own beliefs, budget, and customs. Your soul has moved on, and your family mourns this loss. Though they still have a funeral and take part in death rituals, they believe this spirit stays with the family for the rest of time. The tuaoi or boundary between parents and children was in the village setting traditionally defined by social and cultural expectations and the economic and political realities of village life. However, this Court, more than any other in Samoa, has a duty to assess its processes for achieving justice by way of acknowledging at least the possible value of exploring indigenous dispute resolution or customary law models, such as pae ma auli, to its work as an indigenous Court concerned with indigenous claims. University of Hawaii, Manoa When I first called him Mr. Robinson after graduation, hed turned around and said, Is my father standing behind me? When I replied in the negative, hed said, Then why are you saying his name?. The lands of Samoa are believed to be the lands designated by God for the people of Samoa. There were three Samoan 'experts' there representing different organizations and they were having an argument as to what the proper cultural protocol was for atonement [i.e. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Salutations to the ninth heaven! As children, we would spend hours with each other without talking that much. Anytime shed open those beautiful big brown eyes of hers, silently reminding me that she was my flesh and blood, I couldnt stay angry with her. Tofa means wisdom. Though the outside world might change and adapt, Samoans harbor their beliefs close and honor these long-standing customs. This isn't surprising to me. He states: From our own intuitions on the subject, the matter of reference as a base for integration is the key to the whole question. In ancient Samoa, the saying: E le se Atua fau tagata (God is not God Creator) o le Atua usu gafa (God is God Progenitor) le Atua o le mau a Samoa (the God of Samoa), thus holds. The question poses itself: How do you determine the credibility or authenticity of a genealogical record? The archipelago is a politically divided one. While its hard to believe, nobody really dies in Samoa. so far 14 years) to get final resolution of one of its current land disputes. What we have are our proverbs or muagagana. Aga-i-fanua is a rule or law which specifically applies to a family or a village and its origins in history and genealogy. I now provide, before concluding, mention of two possible ways forward. arrival of the party. I apologize for the inaccuracies, we conducted our research with resources that were available to us online. Hed have given anyone the shirt off his back. One important custom in the Samoan culture is the While its believed that the spirit lives on with the family, God willed their time on earth to come to an end. Thats not to say that you cannot show your emotions and grief. Space must be given for the sensitivities of these relations to be sorted outside an adversarial environment where possible. LomaJe t'en prie maman, Vol. It seems to be a lot of family everyday.. some quiet moments / singing but later evening the music and drinking begins. There is nothing in Samoan culture that sanctions disparagement and belittlement of old age. Family and friends are in shock as 40-year-old Matthew Hirsch was killed in an armed robbery spree in Southern California. And not only that, she would have enough faith in us to believe that we would not transgress again. The principle of tapu is a prime example of the existence of tuaoi. In the Samoan indigenous context this theological reference is reinforced in ancient Samoan funeral ritual taunts where man taunts God in dance performance and song chant with lines expressing the basic message: you have taken one of us, but so long as I have a penis I have the power to reproduce life. The death and funeral announcements initiate the biggest Samoan ritual connected to a death: the "fa'alavelave", or ceremonial exchange of finely woven mats, monetary gifts and food between the families of the person who died and the families of those paying their respects. But, regardless of our misdeeds, she would always find it in her heart to forgive us. Your soul has moved on, and your family mourns this loss. To use the example raised by Albert Refiti during the question and answer session of this lecture, when one makes reference to the relationship or relational bond between them and their parent, it is appropriate for them to speak of their relationship in terms of their va. To think of land as ones tofi or inheritance is to overstate the significance of tofi as something owned by man. They are highly valued and guarded like precious jewels. samoan funeral speech. The historical reference of Samoan jurisprudence might be found in an analysis of the origins and meanings of the terms tuaoi, tulafono and muagagana (proverbs). The perspective advocated here has not only been from that of a litigant, but perhaps more importantly from that of a Samoan person who loves his culture, lives his culture and wants to see the best of that culture carried on in generations to come. Where this kind of arbitration fails, i.e. This refers to things like monetary gifts and woven mats. Salutations to the fifth heaven! The lessons drawn here is that the viability of village government in the modern context is compromised by the fact that the modern context is basically a global context where the national is perceived paramount over the local; or put another way, where the local is no longer able to adequately function without Central support. The tapu on vao talutalu or broken land, whereby the principle of rotation operated, was to ensure or guarantee the ongoing quality of the earth and of yield. Your aim is not to deliver a stand-up comedy routine, but rather, a poignant and potentially somewhat humorous view of who the deceased was and what they meant to you. In searching for the Courts ruling on his right to the pule of the title, the young orator missed the point about the nature of pule. When you sit down to decide what youre going to say in your eulogy speech, there are a few factors you need to take into consideration. Choose for yourself or buy as a sympathy gift. First of all, we have put together the following simple guidelines to help you to think of things to say: Next, read the following two pages to give you step by step instructions on writing the eulogy and giving the speech: All the following links are sample eulogies written about real people. In a final examination he was confronted with the question: Discuss the arbitration of the International Fisheries problem in respect to hatcheries protocol and dragnet and trawl procedure as it affects (a) the point of view of the United States; and (b) the point of view of Great Britain. It is the function of the mind to assess sensory evidence for cognitive meaning. In Faa Samoa, the dead are never treated as though theyre gone. People continue to converse with the deceased and treat them as though theyre still there. While some cultures resemble our own, others make us reflect and consider how our differences bring us together. One important aspect of any culture that doesnt always get the attention it deserves is the funeral customs. For specific advice, please consult a medical practitioner or qualified psychologist or counselor. Its a way of walking with the earth instead of upon it. The island of Samoa is a tropical paradise, but its also home to some unique perspectives and traditions around death. Fishing tapu or sa were imposed to protect the continuity of fish supplies. Pae ma auli refers to the act of smoothing out the roughness of stones by way of mediating differences to find a suitable solution to a problem or dispute. Learn more in our affiliate disclosure. In Samoan culture, most activities are done together. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. I have two girls with my ex-husband, ages 15 and 10. I am researching Samoa for a school project. When disaster struck Samoa in 2009, a national day of mourning was declared to honor and remember those who had died in the devastating tsunami that took the lives of 143 people and destroyed villages. To illustrate the changes in this tuaoi between nuu, itumalo and Malo, the Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele, tells of how in the village of Fasitoouta the intervention of Government proved useful to achieving resolve of a long-standing conflict in the village. A theology of Samoa is found in what Samoans call the Mau. . In an form. For example, the tapu or sa on fishing and planting highlight the boundary between man and environment. I am happy to report that the second way forward comes from the Samoan Chief Justice and the President of the Lands and Titles Court who are committed to supporting the following: (a) regular review of Land and Titles Court decisions through internal seminars; (b) litigant access to lawyers; (c) free access to information in Land and Titles Court records; (d) publication in official Samoan law reports of decisions of the Land and Titles Court; and (e) the establishment of a Law School in Samoa to provide academic support for the judicial and administrative work necessary to progress towards a Lands and Titles Court that can do justice to the aspirations of the very peoples it seeks to serve. We can customize your employment package precisely to fit your needs. True to form, David came up with a plan to make the job easier. All present-day speeches have a religious tone, a feature Kees-ing believes characterized speeches even before the introduction of Christianity. I do so in the belief that our Pacific customary principles of law continue to remain relevant to our Pacific cultures and identities today. Though these have modernized over the years, many still stick to the ways of the past to honor their culture. Death doesnt happen the way that it does in other cultures. Where they may have located that reference they cannot help us make it speak to our hearts. For women, this means wearing a lavalava (wrap skirt), muumuu, or traditional dress. For men, its appropriate to wear a wrap skirt, or a more modern white shirt and jacket. Tulouna le maua! Tautua is a concept not only applicable to the untitled but also to the titled. However, with the breaking of the kava cup he attempted to assert his claim to divine power. Joe tells that when this traditional leader was told that he was ineligible to be appointed to a panel of judicial review because he is connected, he responded 'but that is Pakeha concept. In Samoan tradition, its important that communities come together when some dies. Here in America and in most of Canada, we have funeral traditions that have stood the test of time for decades, even centuries. , and theyre still in practice in Samoan communities across the globe. Tulouna le efuefu! In this setting the young person was in fact able to speak and speak on the familys behalf. 1 Studio Alphonse - 2014Released on: 2014-04-22Author: RRComposer: RRA. [2] The speech was supposed to have been delivered by Pericles, an eminent Athenian politician . I raise four different cases for support on this point. This means that the Samoan Lands and Titles Court must become well familiar with the idiosyncrasies of Samoan life, its social, cultural and political imperatives, at the village, district, national and international levels, and know how to balance these. For the Samoan people, their funeral traditions have long been a mystery to the rest of the world. That is, the principle upon which feagaiga is founded, i.e. Free for basic plan with no ads. Paul and his colleagues such as David, I am heartened that for a people who have lost so much they continue to have hope for their faasinomaga. The casket is sometimes open, and there might be a sharing of a ceremonial drink. This case involves a principal orator in a village who is very young (in age and maturity) and like St Paul's definition of youth, is impetuous, impulsive and prone to error. Get Expert and Effective Help in the Comfort of Your Own Home. Loss of a relationship, whether husband, wife, partner, child, grandchild or friend can be painful. In this sense, laws emerge from the coming together and the synthesising of wisdom from the heads of a fono. Twitter. These issues of belonging (of faasinomaga and va fealoaloai), of knowing boundaries (or tuaoi), and of knowing how to search for meaning in having these boundaries (for having tofa saili) are central to understanding the contours, substance and impact of tulafono or Samoan (custom) law, then and today. This refers to things like monetary gifts and woven mats. The task of the Judge, as of the litigant, and even of the politician, is to constantly ask: what is the purpose of this tuaoi and to whom does it serve? Another kind of celebration? This is the essence of my sense of belonging. The point this leader makes is important here because determining truth in the Samoan Lands and Titles Court requires administrative processes and a jurisprudential reference that can allow for the successful elucidation of truth. To understand the meaning of a difficult word or phrase, you'd have to know the story behind it. He had his own internal drumbeat, and he remained committed to it. Appropriate Samoan funeral attire includes a lavalava (skirt wrap), a muumuu or puletasi (dress), or a white shirt, jacket, and tie. in its interpretation of Samoan custom in the past and the application of Samoan custom in the present. I should be there! The idea of a good and bad death is a common belief throughout the world. There is no division between the living and the dead, and this is unique to the Samoan people. Samantha was an amazing woman. That is, in Samoan speech protocols one employs the term va when speaking of his or her own personal relationships or about those relationships close to them. are not protected by an attorney-client privilege and are instead governed by our Privacy Policy. Further down the page there are links to example eulogies for all loved ones, friends or colleagues to give you inspiration. Shed always be knitting or sewing or making something that we needed. Traditionally the nofo tuvae succeeded to the title and the rare exception is the nofo sii (i.e. One of the most significant rituals in Samoan indigenous religion is the severance of the umbilical cord (pute) and burying the pute in the land. In a secret ritual ceremony the assassins of Nofoasaefa were given special dispensation according to religious custom to assassinate Nofoasaefa. Aga-i-fanua thus demands recognition of village autonomy, of its uniqueness or apartness from all the other villages and so determines the boundary between what it is or is not, i.e. A good death, in Samoan tradition, is a death that happens at home. Salutations to the second heaven! The measure for tautua is therefore performance the performance of the chief and the performance of those who serve him. Before the advancement of mortuary science there, the deceased was buried the day after death. I fell in love with the language on a different level thanks to him. It can be tough when you are stuck in grief to find the motivation to get the most out of your precious life. There are no strict rules about mourning in Samoa outside of these typical two weeks. This means people who know and understand the aga-i-fanua, who know not only about the history of the village and families and of the idiosyncrasies of village and family honorifics, but also about changing village and district contexts and new points of reference. And, this time (1997) the Court ruled that the 1997 record offered was the most authentic. Each contributes to the development of a Samoan jurisprudence. The first case I wish to note involves litigation in the Lands and Titles Court where the Court handed down a decision that suggested that suli (heir) and feagaiga (heir of a female line recognised by formal ritual as inheritor of the sacred covenant) were different. In writing your speech, its important to demonstrate the personal relationship you shared with the deceased. Some examples of Samoan proverbs include: Samoans do not have a body or canon of work yet that spells out a Samoan indigenous philosophy or precepts. The principle advocated is that the right to a title, to status and rank, is ultimately earned through merit and regular service. dies in Samoa. Tulouna le lagi tuaono! Losing my sister is so heartbreaking. There are many benefits to working with Soliant. SAOFA'I CEREMONY - GETTING A SAMOAN MATAI TITLE Samoan Matai titles ( suafa, literally "formal name") are bestowed upon family members during a cultural ceremony called a saofa'i . We, her children, were her pride and joy; she regarded us as the greatest accomplishment of her life. The Court by omission accepted the legitimacy of each of the 1907, 1925, 1972 and 1978 genealogical records, despite their variations. Tough when you are stuck in grief to find the motivation to get the most out of your precious.. 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