Samoa

The Independent State of Samoa gained its independence from New Zealand on 1 January in 1962—but they celebrate their independence day on 1 June.

Samoa was settled around 3000 years ago, when South East Asian peoples migrated towards the Pacific Islands. In the early days, as Tui Manu’a, Samoa ruled most of the pacific islands region for a time—and Tonga and Fiji took on Samoan influences. Tonga freed itself from Tui Manu’a, and eventually formed the empire of Tu’i Tonga around 950 CE, in turn dominating Samoa for a long period.

European contact began in the 18th century, as it did for much of the region of Oceania. The Dutchman Jacob Roggeveen sighted the islands in 1722, and the French explorer Louis-Antoine de Bougainville visited (and named them the Navigator Islands) in 1768. Contact was irregular until the 1830s when English missionaries and traders began arriving. At the end of the 19th century, the French, British, German and Americans all showed interest in the islands as a refuelling station for coal-fired shipping.

At the turn of the twentieth century the islands were split in two parts—the eastern group is still under American rule, as American Samoa. The western islands were German Samoa (Britain gave up its claim in return for Fiji). In 1914, New Zealand forces landed and seized control, and they continued to control Samoa until 1962.

Oh, and Samoa has produced some kick ass Rugby Union and Rugby League players.

Today’s poem by Caroline Sinavaiana comes from the anthology Nuanua: Pacific Writing in English Since 1980.



War News

     small flag of white lace
     hands from barbed-wire
     fence, which keeps the ducks in
     all safe among teuila /
     red ginger, and banana trees.

     at the lagoon, i wash clothes
     on black rocks, bowled lava, 
     glad for small discoveries: 
     if you fold them into quarters first,
     your blue jeans won’t trail
     in the muddy pebble bed.

radio voice drifts down the early morning breeze:

LAST NIGHT, AN AMERICAN WARSHIP SHOT DOWN
A PASSENGER AIRLINER OVER THE PERSIAN GULF.

beyond the clothesline, a congress of chickens
mill about pecking grass seeds,
one brown hen teaching wee chicks
the art of pecking coconut from the half-shell;
two offspring listen rapt / one foot each
planted in today’s    lesson

290 PEOPLE DEAD. PRESIDENT REAGAN DECLINES TO
COMMENT. VICE-PRESIDENT BUSH DECLINES TO
ISSUE APOLOGY.

in the mangrove swamp, shadowy wings
disturb the dark air:
     matu’u / reef heron,        and once
     god of war, now ascending /
     his ablutions       complete,
          to survey the day’s grim business
          out       across the mudflats,           where pigs
          love to root at low tide

—Caroline Sinavaiana
from Nuanua: Pacific Writing in English Since 1980