ENGLISH:

It is with our sincere respect for the independence, freedom and sovereignty of our people of Samoa; our deep respect for our land, environment and our rich cultural heritage passed on to us by our forebears, and our acute recognition that these core elements of our Samoan way of life ( our Fa’a-Samoa) are now at a greater risk of disappearing, that we call upon ALL Samoans and friends of Samoa to please hear our plea:-

1) Our customary lands are being alienated from our aiga potopoto (extended families) as we speak. They are no longer protected as our ancestors had protected them under Samoa’s Constitution for the independent State of Samoa in 1962. This means that the roots of our Tofi (who we are and our place in Samoan society and the world) and our Fa’asinomaga (our Identity as our foundational guidelines in life) have been loosened and are in danger of being forced completely from under the feet of our people.

Under the direction of the HRPP government and the leadership of Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesolia Sailele Malielegaoi, a new law -The Land and Titles Registration Act 2008 - was introduced to Samoa that allows for the registration of customary lands under the name of one person ( sa’o, matai, individual). The registration of customary lands allows the transfer of the lands from the aiga potopoto to the one person who’s name is entered on the register of lands and titles. It means that eight years have passed since this new law has been implemented in Samoa and the HRPP government continues to implement this new law, yet, families in Samoa and overseas are only just finding out about the negative effects.

The new law (LTRA 2008) also means that the right of the aiga potopoto to the collective ownership of their customary lands has been removed and given to the new owner or the person whose name is entered in the register of lands and titles. This right of the aiga potopoto to their customary lands was guarded and protected safely until now, by our ancestors who are now resting in their tombs.

Woe to our dear ancestors and their struggles for our freedom, our independence and their protection of the lands of the aiga potopoto for us and the unborn! Woe to our Aiga Potopoto! Woe to the unborn generations of Samoa! Woe Samoa!

“Woe to our Tofi and Fa’asinomaga and the risk of them disappearing”!

2) Why has the alienation of customary lands of Samoa’s aiga potopoto occurred while Samoa is under the guardianship of: The HRPP government led by Honourable Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesolia Sailele Malielegaoi (since 1998), a parliament elected by the people, a system of fa’amatai in all the villages and districts around Samoa, and the close spiritual direction and guidance of Samoan Church leaders in Samoa and overseas? WHY?

Answer: The transfer of ownership of customary lands from aiga potopoto to an individual owner by the deliberate use of the Land and Registration Act 2008, and the resulting death of the rights of the aiga to ownership of their customary lands, mean to us, that the Prime Minister and the HRPP government, the matai system and the church, have failed to uphold their duty as guardians of the people and the lands of their aiga potopoto as our ancestors had done, and has advised for us to continue to protect in the Constitution of the Independent state of Samoa in 1962.

We predict greater difficulties for the majority of our people in the near future if we allow the failure of the HRPP government, the fa’amatai system and the church system to continue.

Do we sit and watch as our people and families suffer? Do we allow our aiga potopoto to disintegrate? Do we let our customary lands, our Fa’a-Samoa, our tofi and fa’asinomaga die?

Of course not! We must act to save our values, our precious families, our lands and our beloved Samoa from disappearing!


SAMOAN:

Matou te vala’au atu i le ava ma le fa’aaloalo tele ma le agaga fa’anaunau ia Samoa atoa.

O ou Pa’ia ma ou Sa ua maualuga tele e leai so matou poto e agatonuina.

Peita’i i le agaga o le Talalelei i Mataniu Feagai ma le Ata, i le agaga alofa ina ia mautu lo tatou sa’olotoga, ma lo tatou tuto’atasi na tatou maua ona o le tautiga a o tatou tua’a ma augatama ua mavae atu,i le agaga alofa i la tatou aganu’u, le ta tofi ma le ta fa’asinomaga mai o tatou tua’a; ua matou fa’alatalata atu ai e fa’apenei:-

1) Ua le o toe malu puipuia o tatou ‘ele’ele ma fanua fa’aleaganu’u e pei ona sa fa’atulafonoina ai e o tatou augatama. O lona uiga ua maluelue le a’a o lo tatou tofi ma lo tatou fa’asinomaga ina ua aiaia le Tulafono Fa’avae o le Malo Tuto’atasi o Samoa, i lalo o le ta’ita’iga a le Susuga i le ali’i Palemia o Tuilaepa Lupesolia Sailele Malielegaoi ma le Malo HRPP ma ua tula’i mai ai i le tausaga 2008 se tulafono fou, o le tulafono e resitalaina ai fanua ma eleele fa’aleaganu’u, po o le tulafono fa’aToreni, ua mafai ai e se Sa’o o se aiga, po o se matai, po o se tagata e to’atasi ona resitala fanua o lona aiga potopoto i lalo o lona suafa. O lona uiga ua ‘ave’eseina ai le aia tatau a le Aiga Potopoto e pei ona sa malu puipuiina e o tatou tua’a ua lagomau i ti’asa.

Talofa e i o tatou tua’a ma lo latou tautiga ina ia malu measina mo tatou! Talofa e i lo latou ALOFA mo tatou! Talofa e i o tatou Aiga Potopoto! Talofa e i tupulaga o Samoa e le i fananau mai! Talofa e Samoa! Le ta tofi ma le ta fa’asinomaga...... o le a mou atu!

2) Aisea ua tutupu mai ai nei fa’aletonu ae o lo o iai le Malo ma le Palemene na tofia i palota lautele a le atunu’u, o lo o iai fo’i pulega fa’amatai i nu’u ma alalafaga, ae maise fo’i o le fa’amalumaluga a fatafaitaulaga e fia i so’o se itu o Samoa ma fafo atu o Samoa?

TALI: Afai ua tutupu mai nei tulaga matuia ua lamatia ai le lumana’i o aiga potopoto ma o latou eleele ma fanua fa’aleaganu’u, ua ta’u mai ai ia i tatou ua le o o gatasi le tausiga o le atunu’u ma ona tagata e pulega atofaina o Samoa. O lona uiga ua ta’u mai ai, ua lamatia pulega tuto’atasi o Samoa e le fili ma ana ‘au, ma ua a’afia ai pulega fa’atemokarasi, fa’akerisiano, ma pulega fa’aleaganu’u.

Pe tatou te nonofo ai pea ae ua lamatia e le fili ma ana ‘au, tulaga o le nofo lelei ma le nofo to’afilemu o tagata Samoa ma o latou aiga? Pe tatou te nofoa’i pea ae ua amata ona mou atu ‘ele’ele ma fanua fa’aleaganu’u sa puipui iai o tatou tua’a?

TALI: E LEAI. Ua tatau ona taofi atu i tulafono a le Malo ua lamatia ai lo tatou tofi ma lo tatou fa’asinomaga.

O le ala lea ua matou vala’au atu ai ma le fa’aaloalo lava i le agaga naunauta’i,

INA IA TATOU TUTULA’I LOA, MA TATOU SAVAVALI MA FAAILOA ATU LO TATOU FA’ANOANOA I TULAGA FA’ALETONU UA TULA’I MAI!