Samoan Language is needed in Australia
By Lefaoali’i Dion Enari
Despite Australia being the new land of milk and honey for Samoan and Pasifika people, we face challenges of language survival and sustainability. My love for the Samoan language and anger for its exclusion from the school system was the reason I decided to do a PhD (Doctorate of Philosophy) on Samoan cultural and language practises in Australia.
Growing up in Brisbane I would see many Samoan and Pasifika people financially doing well. However, as the influx of our people grew, so did the importance of our Samoan language and culture. Since I was a child, I was angry at the fact that Japanese and German were taught at school, instead of indigenous aboriginal and Samoan languages. My frustration was driven by the fact aboriginals are tangata whenua to Australia and majority of the students at my school were Samoan.
I had always loved the Samoan language, as everything sounded more reverend, poetic and sophisticated. Not to mention, it was cool and a way we could communicate in public without anyone knowing what we were saying.
With my ‘lived experiences’ and passion for the Samoan language and culture, you would think this PhD would be a walk in the park? It was far from it, the fact I was already physically, emotionally and spiritually invested in the perpetuation of the language meant I was fixated on getting this research right. I had to make sure I respectfully acknowledged the Samoan scholars before me, whilst also showing my point of difference. I had to present the narratives of my study participants in a way that both upheld their dignity and provided a platform for their activism.
So what did my research find?
In a nutshell, every Samoan I had spoken to placed high value on the Samoan language; this included Samoan, New Zealand and Australian born.
What about the survival and sustainability of the Samoan language?
It is a complex issue that requires dialogue from all who are concerned, from immediate families to policy makers. As an advocate, researcher and Samoan, I know everyone has the power to learn and teach the Samoan language. This battle will be ongoing, where victories will be counted by the number of new language speakers. The decisions we make now as Samoans internationally, will impact the future of this measina (treasure). “A leai se gagana, ona leai lea o sa ta aganu’u, a leai la ta aganu’u/agaifanua, ona po lea o le nu’u If there is no language, then there is no culture, if there is no culture, then all the village will be in darkness” (Akeripa,2017).
Lefaoali’i Dion Enari is a PhD Candidate at the Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University, Gold Coast. His research interests include ethnography, Pacific language, cultural sustainability, indigenous studies, and trans-nationalism.
He is from the villages of Lepa, Malaela, Vaiala, Nofoali’i and Safune.
Cover image photo credit: Culture Dorr
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Samoan language classes in Australia
https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/68c4aa199651de10da799840108d4a48#overview
https://www.facebook.com/culturedorr/
https://polynesiankids.org/school/
Reference
Akeripa, J. (2017). O a’u o le Tama Toa: Does the Faasamoa and Masculinity Influence Samoan Male Educational Achievement in New Zealand? (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation). Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.