The origins of Samoa and their plantations is the subject of a decade long research by the National University of Samoa and University of Auckland. 

This was revealed by the Director of the Center of Samoan Studies at NUS, Ta'iao Dr. Matiu Tautunu, who sat down with the Samoa Observer for an exclusive interview during his field trip with senior students who are learning about the Lauga and Ava concepts. 

"There are many theories supported by archaeological studies that Samoans came from South East Asia. Evidence is known through Lapita pottery, DNA, migration theories and so forth," he said.

However, Ta'iao told the Samoa Observer Samoans have their own theory of origin. Samoans always believed that they did not come from anywhere else but Samoa. 

"Samoan link creating to God so there are rituals done to emanate this. If a tree is cut for the making of a boat, Samoans would have a ritual for it. Without that ritual the boat will not fare well," he said.

"So following that belief we are looking at how Samoans settled in the past, and the kinds of plantations they had. We found out that Samoa has plenty star mounds like the one in Sa'anapu. We also discovered a lot of grindstones, like the ones in Moamoa and other villages."

"We also identified walk ways and rock paths in the past. We also found pieces of lands that the ancestors used for rituals. So we want to know what types of plantations Samoans used to have in the past. Samoans planted what they ate unlike the Germans who commercialised plantations."

Taiao said he and Professor Ethan Cochrane, who is a University of Auckland lecturer, are looking at how old the artefacts are on the lands, to say what time the Samoans planted what.

"In 2018 we did research at Lake Lanotoo and at Tiavea to look at what types of animals were in the area," he said. 

"The research required us to look at the deeper layers of land, to identify what waste there was to note the animals that had lived on that land. So we could see also what kind of plants were brought by the people of the South East Asia."

Taiao's class is spending seven weeks to learn lauga and ava concepts. A lot of the students are workers. 

"They learn to find confidence in how to present a lauga. They also learn aspects of our culture. I tell them that it is important that we visit our people's lands so we understand the changes."