Lahana Amosa Year 7 St Mary’s Primary School 

With the tide of technology and the palagi way coming in fast a lot of changes has been seen in my beautiful Samoa nowadays. We have what we call the “fa’asamoa way” as anyone who lives in Samoa knows very well. The never ending tidal waves of changes being presented and adapted by the Samoan people, I believe that the Samoa I see now and the Samoa that will be in the next 100 years from now will not be the same. 

Firstly, these changes can be technology. In the olden days stories were told from the elderly people to the young ones passing on the legends and “gafa o aiga” as we call it. This created a bond and strengthens the ties within Samoan families, gathering  around the fire and talking amongst each other, laughing together, crying together, making up with each other, hugging loved ones and understanding each other. In this twentieth century, we do not live together with our grandparents. Some of my friends elderly folks live at Mapuifagalele (home for elderly people). We rarely spend time with our grandparents to be able to feel the warmth and the longings whenever they tell the stories of the olden days. Now, most times my mama, parents, aunties and uncles spent more time on their phones than talking and sharing with us. The people who are older than me are too busy with work, machines, cars and businesses than the simplicity of life that was told to us by our elders. Judging from this day and age and the constant change of new machine phones updated and so forth in the 100 years from now my generation will likely be born and left in a Mapuitaga (house for kids) until we are able to fend for ourselves as the adults will not have any time for raising kids.

Secondly, the tide of green also known as the tide of money. I have seen my family struggle with money because of Samoan fa’alavelave. This saying that we cannot hide from it as if you are a Samoan you have to do it as it is part of the “osi aiga” cherishing family. This was nice when we heard stories back then how it was from their own lands and hands that they contribute to these things like pigs, chicken, taro, bananas, fine mats (ie toga), siapo and more. Nowadays, adults have to contribute in terms of money, seeing them struggle with loans as well as just for one funeral for example and yet there is another rone just around the corner. With money being the big goods now and working around the clock to get it, our people have neglected their lands, things made out of their hands. Handicrafts passed down from one generation are now just a Do it your own kind of way missing the importance of what was once the story of these beautiful crafts. Fa’alavelave was made simplenow it’s even harder for the adults. So by the nest 100 years from now Samoans fa’alavelave there will be nothing traditional about it, it’s just an exchange of cash. Funerals and others will be a cup of tea as the palagi way. Money will wipe out Samoa’s culture. 

Lastly, the tide of heartlessness. This simply means the more changes that come in, the more people’s hearts get cold. In the olden days people relied on each other and helped each other out. Like when you don’t have a tauaga, salt, sugar or simply food you can always ask your neighbour and he or she will give it to you freely. Nowadays, when you’re broke and you ask a neighbour what you had borrowed you are expected to replace the item or buy them a new one or just simply get a “leai se mea” (nothing). No more “No it’s okay!” or “Aua le popole!”  We have seen the increase of criminals in our justice system. Some of them could be from anger from just simply borrowing of something and never returning it. Samoan people are caring and loving, not all fmailies are like this but with the saying “a uo le gaoi ma le gaoi e iu lava i le gaoi” This aying is similar to so many other Samoan sayings which are very true. That said, in the next 100 years who knows Samoa will likely be a paradise of zombies where people are cold and just plain mean. 

“O Samoa o se atunuu ua uma ona tofi” meaning the boundaries and the demarcation of our villages, families, lands and everything about Samoa have already been decided. However, in the next hundred years this will not be the case as so many changes have been seen and we have observed and I believe that nothing is set in stone. The tidal waves of technology, money and people can change everything that we see right now.