June

Australia Samoa Newspaper
Speech
06 June 2016
UA FAAPOPO ASO UA, AE LE TUUA ASO FOLAU –
TO SAIL IS AN IMPERATIVE, SO TOO IS TO
NEGOTIATE THE ELEMENTS
( Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Ta’isi Efi, Head of State of Samoa,
1 June 2016, Independence Day Speech )
Over a hundred years ago our forebears
set sail on a journey to
reclaim Samoa for Samoa.They
realised that if they did not take a hold of
Samoa’s destiny, they– and we – would lose
her forever. They realised that if they lost her
then all that makes us Samoan – our faasamoa
– would also, eventually, be lost.We
come together today, on this 1st day of June,
to remember and celebrate their success
and their struggle to hold on to what is ours.
This year we celebrate 54 years of independence
as a nation. We celebrate 54 years
of being at the helm of our destiny; of being
able to decide how to hold on to our Samoan
heritage, traditions, identity, language, lands,
seas, and chiefly system. As an independent
nation we have shown the world that we
can maintain peace and order throughout
Samoa;that we can uphold religious and political
freedoms, and find balance in our application
of the rule of law. We have shown
the world that despite being a small country
in the middle of the Pacific Ocean we have the
knowledge resources and the will to stand up
for what is right and good in our lives.
As Samoans we believe that our achievements
are blessings from God. Our national
motto is: “Samoa is founded on God”. This
was the prayer of our forebears and continues
to be our prayer today.
We are a deeply spiritual people and our
spirituality is inclusive. It is not prohibitive,
condemning, nor boastful. It is humble, loving
and always forgiving. It is full of conviction
and compassion. Not for selfish desires
or gain but for the greater good of humanity.
On this 54thIndependence Day we have
another opportunity to reassess the path,
routes and vehicles chosen for our journey.
This year marks the first year of governing
for our 16th Parliament. Their five year
journey has just begun. As any good tautai
(captain or expert navigator) knows, right
The Pacific community has lost a matriarch
The Pacific community has today
lost a dearly beloved matriarch
of the trade union and Labour
movement says Labour’s Pacific
Affairs spokesperson, Su’a William Sio.
“I was advised this morning that Fili
Fiu, or Auntie Fili, as she was affectionately
known, has sadly passed away in
her home in Onehunga.
“Fili was a strong and courageous
woman who fought all her life for justice
and fairness in the workplace as a
hospital worker.
“She was a staunch supporter of
the trade union movement and she let
everyone know about her support for
workers’ rights and Pasifika workers.
“Fili was also a passionate champion
for the rights of Pacific people
to participate at the highest level of
politics and together with other Pacific
women in the former Service & Food
Workers Union encouraged many of
us to be involved in central and local
politics.
“She had no children of her own,
so everyone involved in the trade union
and the Labour Party became her
adopted sons and daughters.
“I will never forget how she led the
singing in the parliamentary gallery after
my maiden speech, and she was so
excited for me as she was for all the
other Pacific MPs who went before
me,” says Su’a William Sio.
Her family service will be held Friday
3rd June at 3pm at the Onehunga Cooperating
Parish, Onehunga. Her final
service will be held on Saturday 4th
June at 10am.
Ua aava le gataifale
Ua puaoa le tuaaumafuamalu
Aua le valaau paia a le Atua
Aue, ua tagi le fatu ma le eleele
Ua amia le tina pele ia Fili
The seas are foaming on the shores
The fog reaches out to cover the forest.
These are the signs of God calling
E! my heart cries with the stones
and earth
Our beloved mother Fili has been
called home
Contact:
Su’a William Sio 021 243 0464
3
throughout the journey one must be constantly
assessing the elements and its potential
impact on us. The Samoan saying: ua faapopo
aso ua, ae le tuua aso folau, reminds us
that sailing is an imperative, but so too is the
need to negotiate the elements.
Our culture of navigation – traditional
navigation by the stars and the elements –
was once core to Samoan life. Sadly it is no
longer as widely practised nor understood.
The word “faatautai” is commonly used to refer
to somebody with the skill and manner of
a tautai; or someone learning to be a tautai.
The word “tautai” literally speaks to the image
of being able to read or assess (that is, to
tau) the tides (or tai) of the sea, both the high
and low tides (the tai-sua and tai-pe).
The daily regimen of a tautai was one of
great discipline. A tautai possesses the ‘anava
or gifts of his or her tautai family or guild.
This ‘anava is both divinely endowed and
passed down from one generation to another.
Those considered to have the ‘anava hold
significant responsibility. Their natural talents
are not to be wasted. A tautai when out
at sea draws not only on his training, talents,
and skills, but also on a deep conviction that
he and his crew will reach their destination.
In September 2014 the Hokule’a came
to Samoa as part of its Mālama Honua mission.
I read a story told recently by Justice Joe
Williams of how the famous Hawaiian navigator,
Nainoa, first captain of the Hokule’a,
learnt to sail. The story goes that Mau, a seasoned
navigator, pulled Nainoa aside a few
days before he was to set sail and asked him
to recite the Star Chart from Oahu to Tahiti
Nui. Nainoa knew this well and was able to
recite it without problem. Mau asked him to
do this a few times. This caused Nainoa to
doubt whether he was reciting it properly or
not. After the sixth time of reciting the star
chart Mau asked Nainoa if he could see the
island. Nainoa did not understand. Troubled
he told Mau that he did not understand the
question.
After a few times of this, Nainoa closed
his eyes and finally began to feel and see the
island with his body, heart, soul and mind.
When Mau came next to ask him: “Can you
see the island”? Nainoa replied: Yes, I can.
Mau smiled and said: “You must keep the
island in your mind, for you are the navigator.
There will be heavy seas and storms and
dark starless nights on your journey. You will
be tested. You will be safe if you keep that
island in your mind. If you lose it, you will die
and your crew will die with you”.
For Nainoa this was the most important
lesson of his life.
In achieving independence we can say
that our forebears had kept the island firmly
in their minds. In negotiating the elements
they paid heed to the messages of leadership
embedded in the navigation-oriented
sayings: saili i le tai sē agavaa (the right leader
can withstand the test of the seas) and ua
faapopo aso ua, ae le tuua aso folau(to sail is
an imperative, so too is to negotiate the elements).
Today we celebrate and remember the
journey of our forebears. We celebrate and
remember the lessons of their journey. And
we know, in our minds, bodies and souls that
the key to the success of any journey is humility
and faith.
Soifua.