CHIEFS

“This is a celebration of those virtues and qualities which have allowed the Samoan people, over the centuries, to build their own, distinctive civilisation....”
His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II, CBE, Head of State, Western Samoa.

Western Samoa is described as the heart of Polynesia. 3000 years ago, its people came to the islands, found a fertile land, built a culture and planted the seeds “The Samoan Way”.

Today, Samoa has changed very little. Samoans have learned to adapt the modern world to their traditional ways. In 1962, Western Samoa became the first fully independent Polynesian nation. Every year since, a five day independence celebration honours the freedom lost, then won again. Great Britain, New Zealand, Germany and the United States once vied for control of Samoa.

The Islands are now two separate units. Western Samoa is independent and the Eastern Islands and American Samoa are territories of the US.

Fishing is both an art and a necessity and the catch is shared according to traditional customs. Traditional tattooing is shown as well as other Samoan arts.