Despite its reputation as an exotic far-away land Samoa was in fact as busy as a shopping mall from the mid-1770s when trading ships, sailing along the spice route and looking for the Great Southern Land, popped in and out with monotonous regularity. Much of the early contact and bloody encounters between Samoans and Europeans took place in the islands that are now part of American Samoa but the islands of independent Samoa suffered the same diseases and acts of violence that came with the European ships.

By the time the British arrived, looking for the troublesome Christian Fletcher and his band of merry mutineers, the Samoans were hardly in a welcoming mood. In the resulting head-to-head between the British and the Samoans, lives were lost on both sides and gave rise to the unwarranted reputation that Samoans were hostile and aggressive.

Given this violent history it's a miracle that the missionaries arriving in the early 19th century, brandishing their Bibles and threats of everlasting damnation, weren't killed immediately. Instead there were wholesale conversions, a phenomenon that might be explained by the fact that Christianity and old Samoan beliefs were not dissimilar and that the Samoan god Nafanua had predicted the coming of a new religion which would be more powerful and stronger than the old gods. The fire power and wealth of the palagi (Europeans), or 'sky bursters', was obvious and the enthusiastic embracing of Christianity may have had more to do with religious pragmatism than blind faith. These early soul-scouting expeditions were brief affairs, long on brio but short on planning. This changed in 1836 when John Williams and Charles Barff became the first two men to take up missionary positions in Samoa. Williams converted a large number of Samoans before ending up as main course at a traditional Melanesian feast. The untimely demise of Reverend Williams did not stop the onward Christian soldiers and the influence of these early missionaries was so profound that even today Samoa is known as the bible belt of the Pacific.

By the late 19th century Britain, America, and Germany all had their hackles raised and were tugging on Samoa in a three-way tug-of-war, which had a lot to do with commerce and the flexing of military muscles and not much to do with 'protecting' Samoa. Tensions escalated and more ships were called in until there were no fewer than seven warships bristling and snarling inside the small confines of the Apia harbour. The whole shebang started to look like a bad joke ('The British, the Americans and the Germans were in a Mexican standoff in Samoa...'), when the punch line was delivered. So busy were they watching each other that they failed to notice the falling barometer and before they knew it a cyclone of epic proportions had hit. After the dust had settled six of the ships had either sunk or been scuttled. The only surviving ship was the British ship Calliope. The cyclone knocked a bit of sense into the Europeans and they went to the table to negotiate but the result for the Samoan islands wasn't much better. Samoa was carved up piecemeal with Western Samoa being handed to the Germans, Eastern Samoa going to the Americans, and the British going home empty-handed.

Germany made the classic colonialist's error of disregarding local customs and kings and before long the indigenous inhabitants were chafing under autocratic foreign rule. The Western Samoans formed a resistance force, the Mau Movement, dedicated to the preservation of their culture and the establishment of independence. The outbreak of war in 1914 changed the Euro-Pacific arena and Germany had a few other problems on its hands apart from a rebellious Samoan resistance movement. As part of the war effort Britain asked New Zealand if they wouldn't mind, old chap, taking over the radio station in Western Samoa which they duly did in an operation that was more Dad's Army than the Dardenelles. Hoisting a white serviette (no-one could find a white flag or hanky), they were received by one or two minor officials from the German government who apologised for not being able to authorise the surrender of Western Samoa and then promptly went AWOL. New Zealand heroically 'captured' the radio station by fossicking around in the bushes for the parts of the radio station thrown away by the defeated army and then 'liberated' Westeren Samoa.

A change in rulers meant little to the Mau Movement or the majority of Western Samoans who continued to agitate for independence. New Zealand continued to govern the islands, introducing rugby and possibly even jandals into the cultural mix. Finally in 1961 a proposal was put before the United Nations and independence was granted in January 1962. Unfortunately it was not all smooth sailing. Labour disputes and increasing dependence on foreign aid meant reality fell short of the dream, but things really got black when the country was ripped apart by back-to-back cyclones and their main export crop, taro, was decimated by a fungal blight. The country, which changed its name in 1995 to the Independent State of Samoa, fell into an economic hole from which it has never fully recovered, although tourism is now easing the pressure.

The Samoan people have up to twenty dwellers in their homes at the same time; all family, these people do not concern themselves with privacy. Everything is done together and as many ancient cultures do, the elders are the most respected and highly regarded members of the family. These of the elder generation are responsible for making family decisions and teaching the children about their culture, their values and traditions. Children learn about their culture on their own initiative without explanations from the elders. They in essence "watch and learn" from others in the family. At first, children perform tasks with supervision, perhaps working alongside an older brother or sister. Children are highly motivated in this race to observe the behavior being modeled and they spontaneously imitate the action, receiving corrective feedback if they do something wrong. They are never given an explanation of the nature of the wrong they did, but are expected to figure it out on their own. This may explain why there is little need for a legal system in this culture. The American Samoans must acquire knowledge of their culture by observation, imitation and incremental participation. The rules or perceptual concepts shape their skills and experiences.

In keeping with the relationship between elders and children, these cultures are organized in the minds of the people as simplified models of what the world is like, how one ought to act and feel and think. This knowledge, developed from prior experience and observation for example, would lend itself to the obvious initiation of helping an elder who is passing by with a heavy basket on a hot day. The Samoan children are raised to know that if this takes place, they should offer to carry the heavy basket, bring the elder into the shade and serve them a cool drink.

While the parents work making their wares and farming the ground throughout the week, Sundays are still today considered a day of rest. With a largely Christian population, the churches are many on the islands of Samoa and are usually very well attended. Afterwards, the American Samoans will sit and eat as a family with the elders being the first to partake of the meal. After the oldest members of the family eat, the children are then allowed to eat. The food served during the meal is consistent with island fare, coconut being used in many dishes, fruits and crayfish along with seaweed and breadfruit leaves are the most common foods eaten in this culture.

The American Samoa parents who work all week are busy making siapo, which is beaten mulberry bark with pictures painted on them. Using a natural brown dye, pictures of fish and flowers are painted on with skill and precision learned by watching the elders. Others use siapo to make clothing as well as decorations for homes. Mats, ornaments and jewelry are made in addition to hair accessories made of natural island materials like seashells and coconuts. Many parents work in modern type occupations in addition to the traditional ones. Tuna production in the American Samoa culture is very large. With about 5,000 workers, the American company StarKist exports several hundred million dollars of StarKist canned tuna to the United States.

http://amsamoa.net/politics/organization-of-the-fono.html#more-16

This article talks about most branches of the Simoan Government and also talks about how long each term of office is and talks about how bills are passed.

ABOUT SAMOA - POLITICS

Samoa is a democracy with its own flavor. The unicameral parliament, the Fono or Legislative Assembly, operates as a party political system, and is led by a prime minister, who must be a member of the Fono and be supported by a majority of its members.

The Prime Minister is appointed by the Head of State, who is similar to a constitutional monarch. Although the Constitution allows for the Head of State to be elected by the Fono for five-year terms, Chief Malietoa Tanumafili II has held the office since independence and will remain for life.

In Samoan style, only matai may stand for election for the Fono's 49 seats. Until 1991 only matai were eligible to vote, but universal adult suffrage now exists.

Local government is still administered in the traditional manner by the matai, who are trustees for customary land held on behalf of the people.