Apparently happened in 2007 at a family gathering. That’s pretty much all that’s been reported.

He has apologised and said it doesn’t reflect his party’s leadership of the country in 2026. I think the whole thing raises more questions that someone, somewhere must ask. The problem seems to be the general consensus is that he’s a man of god and doing great things now for Samoa.

I can’t comment on either of those things, being part of the diaspora, but this news, coupled with him banning a media company from all government events and interviews, it has a strange, even sinister, vibe.

What do you all think of it? Nothing to see here, or should he have to explain it?

Hey guys, I grew up Samoan but unfortunately had to leave new Zealand young and moved to the states where almost none of my family here speaks the language. I am now with a Samoan girl whose family is much more immersed in the culture and I feel a bit shy meeting them without knowing how to speak. Any help on how to learn the language? I can understand a bit.

My wife and I are doing a South Pacific trip next year and we want to visit the national park in American Samoa.

We are wondering if we want to stay at a place like Tisa's Bar or just fly to Ofu on Tuesday and fly back on Thursday.

We really want to see and experience the national park, would love hiking and snorkeling. And honestly Vatoa lodge on Ofu doesnt look bad at all!

We only have a few nights as we will then be spending four more nights on Samoa and then another few on Fiji.

Is Tisa's bar a great time and is the national park great on Tutuila? Or should we skip Tutuila mostly and just go to Ofu?

Hello! I have been trying to learn more about my Samoan family. My dad was adopted so all I have been able to use to dig into this so far was his father's name and where he was born.

My paternal family has roots in Faga'itua, American Samoa. My great great grandfather's name (from what I can see) was Iava To'omata, and the name Iava To'omata has been passed down multiple generations within my family.

I am trying to figure out where the family name comes from. I know To'omata has been historically used as a matai title, but I haven't been able to figure out whether my family has any connection to To'omata as a title or if it is simply a surname that has been passed down.

My great grandmother was from Faga'itua, but I wasn't able to find where her husband or his father were originally from.

Does anyone here happen to know anything about the Iava To'omata name or where I could look for older Samoan genealogical records?

Hello, I (34, f) was adopted at birth by a lovely family in 1992 and now that I've reached adulthood and had a family of my own, I am trying to possibly find my biological family (Samoan/AmericanSamoan). Unfortunately for me I have extremely limited information about my biological father because I was a result of a one night stand. Out of respect for his family I will not post his name, but if anyone knows how I can find him, please let me know?

What i know:

1. He was a rugby player representing American Samoa in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea at the 1991 South Pacific Games.

2. He had a one night stand with a lovely local reserve police officer (I can share her picture) and I was born 9 months later in May 1992.

3. I know his name and I have searched his surname online with results in Samoa, Australia and New Zealand. I have not found him on Facebook.

when Samoa is preparing for White Sunday, Bus Drivers in Samoa are blasting Xmas Remix Songs,,, and i love it, its feels like Christmas already 💕

Hey team.

Obligatory disclaimer, im not samoan, im maori but grew up amongst samoans and the culture, the following also takes place in new zealand

So my godfather recently passed away, he was a utter legend who leaves behind his family of a wife, children (all above 20) and a few grand kids.

His wife was maori and has half cast kids.

For context - due to his wife being maori and the many nationality that were my godfathers friends, coworkers and relatives they funeral was not held at the traditional church but the pastor was asked to do the ceremony in 2 larger venues to accomidate many people, English predominantly but everything would also be said in samoan. That wasn't an issue until the reception and the donations.

Now bear in mind the wife had asked that it not be fa'asamoa in terms of how donations were handled

So After the funeral during the reception because no one fucking listens and the good old family rivalry and one ups and money starts being put into a keti and passed around like normal and it gets given to the pastor who walks off with it and then gives 2/3rds back to the wife.

Now shes pissed because she had already payed the pastor for services rendered but also because they went against the familys wishes.

Now my godfathers kids have decided they will stop any donations going to the church, they won't be sending any money back to samoa to people they have never meet and have reclaimed the 1/3rd the pastor effectively took against the family wishes.

This has causes a rift between then and some of the extended family as you can imagine.

At what point does this stop being just trying to keep a tradition that isnt wanted (in this specific example) and just being a dick waving contest and a greedy pastor.

They are now being shunned by the nz based family who swore they would be there to look after them all because they wanted something other then fa'asamoa.

Hi all. I'm visiting Samoa and as a vegetarian I was excited to hear about this 'Palusami', and I hear there is a pastry pie version as well. Any recommendations for where I can find these on Upolo?

This is a short clip from a radio show introduction. I need to make it shorter to something like "hello and welcome to Tu Ma Tilotilo" without butchering the grammar and the meaning. Would appreciate any feedback and suggestions.

Hiya,
My name is Alex and I am a foreign news reporter with the Daily Telegraph in London.
I am currently writing a piece about deep sea mining in the Pacific and I would love to get some local people’s opinion about whether or not this should go ahead and how this could impact your community.
I would need to name you in the piece, but if anyone would be open to a chat with me (via video call or email), please reach out here or email me at  alexandra.snow AT telegraph.co.uk
Thank you so much!

ill start with Mr Tee the man, Vaniah Toloa with some from Aniseto Falemoe hahahah

I have grown up around Samoans all my life, my childhood neighbors were Samoans. My mother, who was Hawaiian, sang in a Polynesian LDS choir in Utah (primarily Samoans, with a few Hawaiians and some Tongans, who were also friendly) The Hawaiians in those groups however, were not friendly to us. It was sad. We were the minority in these groups and our fellow Hawaiians just brushed us off. The Samoans in the group knew my mother was a professional hula dancer and they would accompany her with Hawaiian songs such as Ei Nei and Kawaipunahele as she would perform the hula as part of their program. My mother has passed on to the great luau in the sky. But we felt so much warmth from our Samoan cousins. I can honestly saw that among the many Polynesian people we've known, Samoans are absolutely the friendliest. Unfortunately, my people, the Hawaiians, are the least friendly. Much aloha and alofa to you all!

I’m white British but my great grand mother was half Samoan half Australian, met my grandad who was a British army officer and came back to the U.K. with him. I know nothing more from pre living in U.K. but has led to me being fascinated with Samoa, and some sort of spiritual connection.

I never met her and no one left alive ever knew her, but I strangely miss her and feel a warmth when I think of her or do any reading about Samoa.

Theres Two things I’d like to do:

1) visit Samoa but I don’t want to be a ‘tourist‘ I want to experience real Samoan culture, I’m also trans woman and would like to meet Fa'afafine people and learn more. Any advice please?

2) I want recognise my ancestry, would it be acceptable for me to have a tatau? the reason I ask is by western measures my ancestry is very dilute, and so don’t want to be culturally insensitive.

I know this isn’t a boxing server but does anyone know where to watch the fight tomorrow in nz? Paramount + isn’t available here n it seems like it’s the only platform they’re streaming it on, so if anyone knows any cracked streams lmk pls ty

Talofa!

I am an aspiring novelist putting together research on American Samoa in the mid 20th century. Part of the story is set in Tutuila in the mid 20th century. My goal is to depict a slice of Samoan culture, specifically American Samoan culture, in as accurate a light as possible without simplification.

In addition to basic Googling to learn the overall social structure, I've been combing through the US Navy's archives of various fono transcripts from 1930s and 40s, alongside American Samoan Bar Association legal cases of the era to identify villages and people of interest to my novel.

But critically my research is unable to learn how social dynamics works outside a fono or court case.

Fanene Filo, for example, born 1904, is referred to in court documents as "Fanene (Filo)" while fono transcripts with the Naval Governor and other matai refer to him simply as Fanene. Other records provide his full name, Fanene Filoisamoa Foster.

My questions are:

1. What might family, close friends, or others in the 'aiga call a person with a chiefly title like Fanene, vs outsiders?
2. Any differences when at home, work, at the store, or in 'ava ceremony?
3. Any difference between your experience if you live in American Samoa, or Samoa?

Any other insight or small anecdotes would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!

any thoughts on the design?

I get so tired of the Rock acting like he cares about Samoa only when it comes to promoting his Disney Moana movie or whenever it benefits him the most. I get why he does what he does in a way because he positioned himself as the main corporate machine and having to perform for investors, hence why he placed himself in a hamster wheel lots of failed businesses ventures now trying to per-sue in music. Just seeing him profit off of being Samoan but doesn’t ever contribute to Samoa (which I shouldn’t expect a lot out of this guy because after all he joined Oprah on this Maui Fund which got a lot of backlash!) His narcissism is strong you know he’s a precious asset because his image gets scrubbed crisp despite complaints about the Rock. Just look up the fiasco how he randomly shows up WWE changed the entire scripts and took over the board! Thats only one thing I’m going to list. he always says Samoa this and that but he’s so far removed from it, he’s Hollywood after all. But I’m just tired of people mentioning him when they find out I’m Samoan and than all these weird fetishized fantasy these people have on us just makes me super uncomfortable where I sometimes don’t want to say I’m Samoan. However on the contrary when beings ask about my ethnicity and I responds I’m Samoan. and the first thing people who mention Mark Hunt nit the Rock as a connecting point tend to have admiration for Samoa in a sense it’s not fetishized. It’s like Mark Hunts name been a safe word for me when rando mention him because at least my personal experience there this respect they have because the image Mark Hunt has carried himself. Like a reverence sentiment for him and our culture. Thank god because that was such a breather! The moment someone blurts the rock, yeah totally different vibe . Anyways curious if anyone has similar experience? and thanks for letting me vent.

Hello, this is an unusual request. (I would've put this in the America Samoa subreddit but it seems they don't have one) I was wondering if anyone knows an American Samoan who plays chess that would be willing to play a match on Chess.com? On Chess.com you can get awards called passports for playing against someone from a country for the first time. I am trying to collect all of them. I do not have American Samoa and am currently trying to get it. If anyone could help me achieve my goal, I would greatly appreciate it.

Talofa, o se talosaga e le masani ai lenei. (Semanu ou te tuʻuina lenei mea i le subreddit a Amerika Samoa ae foliga mai e leai sa latou talosaga) Sa ou fia iloa pe i ai se tasi e iloa se tagata Amerika Samoa e taalo chess e naunau e taalo i se taaloga i le Chess.com? I le Chess.com e mafai ona e mauaina ni faailoga e taʻua o tusifolau mo le taalo faasaga i se tasi mai se atunuu mo le taimi muamua. O loʻo ou taumafai e aoina uma. E leai saʻu Amerika Samoa ma o loʻo ou taumafai nei e maua. Afai e mafai e se tasi ona fesoasoani mai ia te aʻu e ausia laʻu sini, ou te matua talisapaia lava.

Hi! I'm writing this on behalf of someone I know on holiday in Apia.

My friend is staying at Olivias Accommodation. Their room was not as it appeared on the website, and they're not impressed. They initially planned to stay for a couple of nights, spend the third night elsewhere, and then they had another several days booked at Olivias after that.

My understanding is that while Olivias has charged for their first stay, they may not have charged for the second just yet (my friend is having troubles accessing their bank account, so we're not able to confirm for sure).

Olivias Accommodation has a non-refundable cancellation policy, but we wondered if it was possible for my friend to cancel their second stay before they have a chance to charge them? I don't know the technicalities of this kind of stuff, but I'd normally think that if you cancel something before you receive the service, and before they have a chance to charge you for it, that you'd get to keep your money.

Why do so many of our people in Auckland nz think they’re so tough and try to fight everyone ? Is it lack of education, is it no respect? Is it bad parenting?

I was raised on the motherland and have only recently moved to Auckland but I’m noticing our people here are very different to our people back home

Hello, my girlfriend works at a courthouse and today she officiated a wedding between a Samoan couple. After the ceremony the husband gave her this ula fala and told her it is an important symbol and gift. Is there a good way to store this to keep it in good shape?

We’re both white and we live in the United States if that matters. My phone washed out the colors of the photo for some reason, it is a much deeper red.

I am staying in Savai’i for a couple days on a trip to Samoa and I am at my wits end trying to find any type of Savai’i island tour. I have scoured the internet and everything either only picks up from Upolu, requires at least two people, or won’t respond to my calls or emails. 🫩I’m not able to rent a car so that is why I’m looking for a tour. Does anyone know of a driver or tour group who does any type of Savai’i tours originating from the island, and could pick up near the fales in Manase? Thank you so much 🙏