"Measina a Samoa" - Aganuu Samoa...

Our knowledge holders teaching my daughter to make luau (from taro leaves and coconut cream for the umu)

Last weekend, I had the privilege of participating with our youngest in a Aganuu Samoa event at our local church that included an overnight stay, weeks of rehearsal with siva (cultural dances) and learning about Samoan rituals and protocols (aganuu Samoa).

So for the past 3 months, we have been busy since joining our local church's Samoan Autalavou (youth group), of which our youngest and I joined to give her a taste of what I used to be involved with growing up.

The event was called Aganuu Samoa or rituals and protocols involved in our faaSamoa (Samoan way of doing things). There were weekly dance practices that involved learning three different dances: a dance using coconut shells, a mauluulu (light rain) or refreshing elegant dance as well as a dance that depicted Samoan chores.

So the night before the Saturday event, all the children had the last practice and then we brought in our things into the church hall for the sleepover i.e. airbeds, pillows, etc. I helped to teach some of the young ones on how to win in dominoes and then the adults started prepping the veges for the following day's cooking feast.

Needless to say that with all the excitement, we didn't get to sleep until after midnight and then I was up early at 4am when some adults came in early to begin firing up the rocks for the umu (earth oven). So that we were up and putting away our sleeping quarters by 6 - 7am.

The children were encouraged to go and listen and watch demonstrations of plaiting food baskets using palms leaves and then to learn how to peel taro, plait up fish using palm leaves, peel green bananas and make different types of luau using taro leaves and coconut cream.

It was a neat learning experience especially for our second-generation NZ born Samoan children with so much to experience and learn from. So that after preparations with the hot umu rocks ready for placing the food to be cooked on and then covered around 8am, when then got ready for the festivities that were to begin shortly.

The proceedings started with a 9 am breakfast for all and then a large photo of all the Autalavou and important guests was taken so that by 10.30am the opening service began. By 10.45am we were ready for the ava (welcoming ceremony) whereupon a few of us with matai (chiefly titles) were able to drink from the kava that had been ceremonially prepared by our taupou (village maiden).

When finished the cultural dancing started, followed by a scenario with fine mats being gifted for a wedding between parties with ie togo (fine mats) exchanged with money and food boxes. This was so that the youth could learn speeches but also witness what our parents do when such faalavelave (events that disrupt i.e. funerals, weddings, birthdays etc.) whereby the faaSamoa (Samoan way of doing things) rituals were displayed.

After this, gifting began with attendees bringing gifts of money in appreciation of the day and in placing it in a bowl placed in front of the stage, they would then dance to accompanying Samoan music and others would come with money gifts to join the dance in support.

We ended with more dancing and a toonai (feast) whereby the umu had been uncovered and the Autalavou was able to serve the guests who had arrived. By the end of the day, there were more speeches of thanks and the Autalavou shared the total amounts of $ that had been gifted with gifts of food and money going to the appropriate important guests who had attended.

The festivities ended at around about 1.30pm and then the tidying up began with guests departing with plates of food and many happy memories. All in all, it was a wonderful day of learning and some new experiences for our young children.

A big thanks to the committee and all the members who contributed to make it a wonderful day. Later on photos were shared on our Autalavou Facebook page and comments of praise and support flowed in with much appreciation to the committee for organising it with smooth execution.

The interesting thing for me at the end was the speech of our minister who identified these rituals as "measina a Samoa" meaning important treasures of Samoa that were demonstrated for our children but also for the guests to witness.

This happens also to be the topic of my thesis and I guess a way of confirming for me the importance of such rituals and ceremonies to be meaningfully passed onto our next generation of children to learn about but then also to understand the importance of participating in and then continuing on for the next generations...