Watching the Toa in Sydney, are there no Samoans in Sydney, the stadium is empty?

Talofa Lava!

We’re about to head to Savai’i and are wanting to watch Toa Samoa v. France tonight - are there any places you guys know would have the game playing?

Fa’afetai!

Hi! My names Bebe and I was wondering if there’s any other islanders who are taking up any musical or production route. I wanna tap in with other island artists , I made a discord sever full of artists and producers all over the world. Would love if more islanders could join up! Would love to connect with more

I recently went on a surf trip to Samoa and naturally, I want to post the photos to Instagram but I want the caption to be in Samoan.

I quite like “Samoa, thank you for the beautiful waves”. I did look the translation up on google - “Samoa, faafetai mo galu matagofie” though I’m not 100% sure that is correct.

Hello! I need to do a deep dive in specifically American Samoan culture for work. Does anyone have any recommendations on leading books or places to learn more?

Specifically interested in learning about childrearing and family structure/dynamics. Thank you!!

does anyone know if they have a pure fiji store in Samoa? or if theres a store that sells them?

Whenever I see someone who may be Samoan in public, I usually will walk up to them and say "Samoa?" if they respond with yes, I'll say "Talofa lava Lau susuga" and shake their hand and then proceed to say the various phrases I know "Ua Mai oe"? Or "Manuia lava le aso". Is the term "Susuga" a genderless term? Or would I say "Tina" if speaking to a woman. I know there's "Afioga" but I have read that is more for Matai or government officials. If I'm speaking to an elder, would I use afioga? Obviously I'm not going to say "Ua Uce?" to an elder.

Fa'afetai in advance 😊

All the Best to the Toa Samoa, love the parades ❤️😍❤️

Apparently happened in 2007 at a family gathering. That’s pretty much all that’s been reported.

He has apologised and said it doesn’t reflect his party’s leadership of the country in 2026. I think the whole thing raises more questions that someone, somewhere must ask. The problem seems to be the general consensus is that he’s a man of god and doing great things now for Samoa.

I can’t comment on either of those things, being part of the diaspora, but this news, coupled with him banning a media company from all government events and interviews, it has a strange, even sinister, vibe.

What do you all think of it? Nothing to see here, or should he have to explain it?

Hey guys, I grew up Samoan but unfortunately had to leave new Zealand young and moved to the states where almost none of my family here speaks the language. I am now with a Samoan girl whose family is much more immersed in the culture and I feel a bit shy meeting them without knowing how to speak. Any help on how to learn the language? I can understand a bit.

My wife and I are doing a South Pacific trip next year and we want to visit the national park in American Samoa.

We are wondering if we want to stay at a place like Tisa's Bar or just fly to Ofu on Tuesday and fly back on Thursday.

We really want to see and experience the national park, would love hiking and snorkeling. And honestly Vatoa lodge on Ofu doesnt look bad at all!

We only have a few nights as we will then be spending four more nights on Samoa and then another few on Fiji.

Is Tisa's bar a great time and is the national park great on Tutuila? Or should we skip Tutuila mostly and just go to Ofu?

Hello! I have been trying to learn more about my Samoan family. My dad was adopted so all I have been able to use to dig into this so far was his father's name and where he was born.

My paternal family has roots in Faga'itua, American Samoa. My great great grandfather's name (from what I can see) was Iava To'omata, and the name Iava To'omata has been passed down multiple generations within my family.

I am trying to figure out where the family name comes from. I know To'omata has been historically used as a matai title, but I haven't been able to figure out whether my family has any connection to To'omata as a title or if it is simply a surname that has been passed down.

My great grandmother was from Faga'itua, but I wasn't able to find where her husband or his father were originally from.

Does anyone here happen to know anything about the Iava To'omata name or where I could look for older Samoan genealogical records?

Hello, I (34, f) was adopted at birth by a lovely family in 1992 and now that I've reached adulthood and had a family of my own, I am trying to possibly find my biological family (Samoan/AmericanSamoan). Unfortunately for me I have extremely limited information about my biological father because I was a result of a one night stand. Out of respect for his family I will not post his name, but if anyone knows how I can find him, please let me know?

What i know:

1. He was a rugby player representing American Samoa in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea at the 1991 South Pacific Games.

2. He had a one night stand with a lovely local reserve police officer (I can share her picture) and I was born 9 months later in May 1992.

3. I know his name and I have searched his surname online with results in Samoa, Australia and New Zealand. I have not found him on Facebook.

when Samoa is preparing for White Sunday, Bus Drivers in Samoa are blasting Xmas Remix Songs,,, and i love it, its feels like Christmas already 💕

Hey team.

Obligatory disclaimer, im not samoan, im maori but grew up amongst samoans and the culture, the following also takes place in new zealand

So my godfather recently passed away, he was a utter legend who leaves behind his family of a wife, children (all above 20) and a few grand kids.

His wife was maori and has half cast kids.

For context - due to his wife being maori and the many nationality that were my godfathers friends, coworkers and relatives they funeral was not held at the traditional church but the pastor was asked to do the ceremony in 2 larger venues to accomidate many people, English predominantly but everything would also be said in samoan. That wasn't an issue until the reception and the donations.

Now bear in mind the wife had asked that it not be fa'asamoa in terms of how donations were handled

So After the funeral during the reception because no one fucking listens and the good old family rivalry and one ups and money starts being put into a keti and passed around like normal and it gets given to the pastor who walks off with it and then gives 2/3rds back to the wife.

Now shes pissed because she had already payed the pastor for services rendered but also because they went against the familys wishes.

Now my godfathers kids have decided they will stop any donations going to the church, they won't be sending any money back to samoa to people they have never meet and have reclaimed the 1/3rd the pastor effectively took against the family wishes.

This has causes a rift between then and some of the extended family as you can imagine.

At what point does this stop being just trying to keep a tradition that isnt wanted (in this specific example) and just being a dick waving contest and a greedy pastor.

They are now being shunned by the nz based family who swore they would be there to look after them all because they wanted something other then fa'asamoa.

Hi all. I'm visiting Samoa and as a vegetarian I was excited to hear about this 'Palusami', and I hear there is a pastry pie version as well. Any recommendations for where I can find these on Upolo?

This is a short clip from a radio show introduction. I need to make it shorter to something like "hello and welcome to Tu Ma Tilotilo" without butchering the grammar and the meaning. Would appreciate any feedback and suggestions.

Hiya,
My name is Alex and I am a foreign news reporter with the Daily Telegraph in London.
I am currently writing a piece about deep sea mining in the Pacific and I would love to get some local people’s opinion about whether or not this should go ahead and how this could impact your community.
I would need to name you in the piece, but if anyone would be open to a chat with me (via video call or email), please reach out here or email me at  alexandra.snow AT telegraph.co.uk
Thank you so much!

ill start with Mr Tee the man, Vaniah Toloa with some from Aniseto Falemoe hahahah

I have grown up around Samoans all my life, my childhood neighbors were Samoans. My mother, who was Hawaiian, sang in a Polynesian LDS choir in Utah (primarily Samoans, with a few Hawaiians and some Tongans, who were also friendly) The Hawaiians in those groups however, were not friendly to us. It was sad. We were the minority in these groups and our fellow Hawaiians just brushed us off. The Samoans in the group knew my mother was a professional hula dancer and they would accompany her with Hawaiian songs such as Ei Nei and Kawaipunahele as she would perform the hula as part of their program. My mother has passed on to the great luau in the sky. But we felt so much warmth from our Samoan cousins. I can honestly saw that among the many Polynesian people we've known, Samoans are absolutely the friendliest. Unfortunately, my people, the Hawaiians, are the least friendly. Much aloha and alofa to you all!

I’m white British but my great grand mother was half Samoan half Australian, met my grandad who was a British army officer and came back to the U.K. with him. I know nothing more from pre living in U.K. but has led to me being fascinated with Samoa, and some sort of spiritual connection.

I never met her and no one left alive ever knew her, but I strangely miss her and feel a warmth when I think of her or do any reading about Samoa.

Theres Two things I’d like to do:

1) visit Samoa but I don’t want to be a ‘tourist‘ I want to experience real Samoan culture, I’m also trans woman and would like to meet Fa'afafine people and learn more. Any advice please?

2) I want recognise my ancestry, would it be acceptable for me to have a tatau? the reason I ask is by western measures my ancestry is very dilute, and so don’t want to be culturally insensitive.