An academic and expert in the Samoan culture and traditions has warned that the country will lose it’s political stability as the tradition of collective mutual respect or ‘ava fatafata’ is lost to western values.
Newsline Samoa newspaper reports Director of the Nu’u Cultural Centre and former lecturer in Samoan at the National University of Samoa, Maulolo Tavita Amosa, warns the country will descend into chaos once it does.
Maulolo accuses social media for the violent rhetoric emerging behind it’s anonymity and used freely by radical overseas Samoans, with blatant disregard for traditional values of the ‘ava fatafata.’
“This is very sad because once we abandon the heart of our culture, the stability of Samoa will collapse and the power of the gun will rule as we have seen in other troubled countries of the world,” said Maulolo.
“ Our culture of respect runs according to the customs and traditions ofeach village, district and deference to the dignity of family clans thatconnects people in all corners of Samoa.”
Maulolo underlined the respect for family lineage, language and culture as the molding ingredients every Samoan is raised in.
He said each Samoan inherit the dignity of a family clan and all the other values of respect it is accorded .
“There are no languages of disrespect in the Samoan culture because unlike other cultures we do not have a class separation of commoners and nobles.
“Everyone is related to a family clan and mutual respect is always observed, the only time it is disrespected is in the use of foul language.”
Maulolo clarified that the use of foul language brings shame to the person’s family by being despised by the other families for lack of proper manners and respect.
Another show of radical extreme was in the attack in Brisbane, Australia, last year on the Prime Minister by a Samoan who threw a pigs head at him in protest.
The attack was soundly condemned by Maulolo as a total break down in Samoa’s culture of ‘ava fatafata.’
The Manono-tai village council, however, decided not to censure or punish
the young man responsible for the Brisbane pigs head incident.
Maulolo pointed to the risks of the controversy escalating out of control if it was extended to the offended family of the Prime Minister and cultural and constituency districts.
“The whole system of ‘ava fatafata’ was in an uproar and the threat to the political stability in Samoa easily threatened by what happened.”
Maulolo rejected suggestions of freedom of expression as a right for the people to express their opinion.
“In the Samoan culture you have family, village and the church, when you express your freedom of speech you are always mindful of their presence, that is our mutual respect.
