Since more than 1,500 years ago, Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) have welcomed immigrants from every corner of the globe, cultivating and perpetuating a tapestry of diverse cultures. In the sixth article in this ongoing series on the many cultures that comprise Hawai‘i, we will focus on the Samoan, how the people arrived in the Hawaiian Islands, the culture and celebrations such as the We Are Samoa Festival.
Samoan Arrival in Hawai‘i
An ocean of islands, it is common speculation that the Pacific was settled from west to east, with people from Southwest Asia settling in Samoa and Tonga from 1600 to 1200 BC. Samoan and Tongan navigators discovered and settled Tahiti-nui, Hiva (Marquesas Islands) and Tuamotus, among others, in 300 BC. A few hundred years later, these voyagers discovered and settled in Hawai‘i. By the time Europeans sought to explore the Pacific in the 1500s, almost all of the islands had been inhabited for several centuries.
Samoans have migrated to Hawai‘i for almost 2,000 years. Many immigrated from American Samoa after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. Today, about 44,000 people in Hawai‘i are of Samoan descent, making them the second-largest group of Pacific Islanders after Kānaka Maoli.
Culture and Tradition
Because of their geographical and ancestral proximity, Samoan culture shares many similarities with other Polynesian islands—Aotearoa (New Zealand), Hiva, Tonga and Hawai’i, to name a few. Historically, artifacts such as fishhooks, lures and records of vegetation/wildlife gesture to similarities, as these island populations shared strengths in fishing and farming.
Fa‘a Samoa (the Samoan way) prioritizes ‘aiga (family/community), lotu (church) and alofa ( love). Some traditions include the rite of ‘ava, where the ceremonial beverage is shared to mark significant events and tatau (Samoan tattoos), a 2,000-year-old art form that affirms Samoan identity and adulthood. Lot u Tama i t i (White Sunday) is a Samoan holiday (also celebrated in Tonga and Tokelau) held on the second Sunday of October, when communities celebrate children.
Celebrations
The We Are Samoa Festival is Hawai‘i’s largest Samoan cultural fête, centering the ailao (traditional warrior’s knife dance) via the World Fireknife Championship. The festival is typically held in early May. Another celebration, the Samoan Heritage Festival, a widely practiced celebration that takes place during the summer all over the US , came to Hawai‘i in 2023.
For more information, visit the We Are Samoa Festival website (worldfireknife.com/we-are-samoa-festival) as well as Generations Magazine’s FaceBook page (facebook.com/genmag808) and website calendar (generations808.com/calendar) for community events and opportunities.
The next article in this series will feature the influences of Korean culture in Hawai‘i.
Leave a Reply