He was always interested in what was going on in our lives and was extraordinarily proud of our achievements. Eulogy for Ellen, My Mother. faasinomaga. In Samoan culture, most activities are done together. We laughed and cried together so many times. That doesnt mean that raising us was easy, nor always enjoyable. Land is therefore inherited only insofar as it has been apportioned to man in trust according to genealogy and history. Especially where delay in the determination of appointments to important titles impacts on use and enjoyment of lands and other titles, and as well on the role and function of that title holder on village and district hierarchy. Please feel free to email me at samantha@frazerconsultants.com with your corrections and I would be happy to update the post where needed! I owe it to you and myself to cite at the outset my disqualifications in this area: I am not a Judge; nor a jurist; nor a lawyer. Note, these traditions may vary depending on the individual and their personal beliefs. The literal meaning of tofi is a portion. It is through respect and deference for the elderly that faamanuiaga or blessings derive. This does not affect the price you are charged and we will only ever recommend services and products in which we have complete faith. Ill never forget the look on my mothers face and the mischievous grin on Davids. Punishment of these breaches was oso ma le lau, i.e. By Samoan custom true pule is bestowed or given only to those who earn it. This was considered treason by the priests of Nafanua present at the kava ceremony and a curse was placed on him. Tulafono means Law. David was a loyal and kind person whod never let you down. We hope our funeral speech examples will inspire you to write a heartfelt eulogy to honour your loved one. Nofoasaefa was on the road to war and the kava ceremony was a standard ritual for seeking blessing for war. He shaped me into the man I am today. Print them out and then fill in the information and stories for your own departed loved one. For specific advice, please consult a medical practitioner or qualified psychologist or counselor. My discussion of these cases will focus on the more practical aspects of the case. Would suggest the type of flowers to send for the funeral. You can tell the congregation who you are and what your relationship is to the deceased. The historical reference provides context for understanding the current problems faced by Samoas Land and Titles Court. Lets explore and use our indigenous reference as moral and ethical lodestar to heal and shape our imaginations. To illustrate this point I wish to tell two stories of two tyrannical ancestors, Tagaloa and Nofoasaefa. Only by dying at home and being buried the day after death with the spirit avoid misfortune. When the tyrannical Tagaloa was rowed out to open sea by his disaffected constituents in Safune and left to fare against nature and the elements, the Safune people were not prepared to tempt fate by taking the life of the anointed; rather Tagaloa was thrown to the mercy of the God/s. This means that the Samoan Lands and Titles Court must become well familiar with the idiosyncrasies of Samoan life, its social, cultural and political imperatives, at the village, district, national and international levels, and know how to balance these. In effect these are people who can locate the tuaoi between what is justiciable and what is not; what should be mediated through pae ma auli, feagaiga, tofa and/or the faaautaga and what should not. the proportional inheritance of a people. And Im sure there were times he wished I wasnt his sister. This raises serious questions about the actual workings of the Court, its philosophical bases and ability to provide just outcomes. Tuaoi between nuu, itumalo and malo Because. Losing my sister is so heartbreaking. How Do Samoans Bury and Mourn Their Dead? The Fate of the Human Soul after Death., The Belief in Immortality and the Worship of the Dead, Seiuli, Byron Malaela Sotiata. I now provide, before concluding, mention of two possible ways forward. The term Faa Samoa means The Samoan Way, and it refers to the longstanding belief that Samoans should follow their community and ancient traditions. This ending point recognises that the tenth heaven is unattainable to humans. We could never quite figure out what it was, but its lasted a lifetime. Your loss is so great. Moreover, the recognition of merit and respect was never meant to be defined definitively by judicial decision. Can we ultimately construct a balance I dont think so if we predicate it on the terms of the other (Greek tradition, Thomistic systematics, Western jurisprudence). It gave them a designation and identity, i.e. Just wondering if this is a celebration or mourning so I can react.. Salutations to the sense of smell! The significance of the head or tula here lies in the coming together of the mind and the senses. Nofoasaefas breach of tuaoi is his presumption of the Absolute. Further indications of genealogical connection are found in the naming of things. LomaJe t'en prie maman, Vol. Paul Ojibway, a Native American Indian Ojibwa Franciscan Friar of Atonement, who gently reminded me that the focus of our search, our tofa saili, should not be on any attempt to bring another reference into ours but on an attempt to locate our own, to celebrate it and find how it can integrate with the dignity of others. SAOFA'I CEREMONY - GETTING A SAMOAN MATAI TITLE Samoan Matai titles ( suafa, literally "formal name") are bestowed upon family members during a cultural ceremony called a saofa'i . It's used to describe someone who has no fixed abode. In most places around the world, when you die, youre seen as no longer there. Samoans take this very seriously and it can look embarrassingly shameful if someone takes a misstep throughout the process. Its not uncommon for families to wait a few days or longer for the family to travel home for the service. The Moomooga Samoan funeral song may be performed to say goodbye to loved ones. Her lips and teeth were full of lipstick, and there was mascara everywhere. He energises and gives perspective to our search. We lived far away from each other and Ill be honest, we sometimes went for long periods without talking, which I regret. Historically, the land tuaoi or land connections and inheritance (tofi) of Samoa are recognized in national, district and village honorifics. Aga-i-fanua is a rule or law which specifically applies to a family or a village and its origins in history and genealogy. In reading through correspondence by Fr. Hes left a gap in our lives that we cant even begin to contemplate filling. I move now to a brief discussion of the relationship between tuaoi and tulafono. generalized educational content about wills. 25 of the Best Responses for When Someone Notices You Have Lost Weight, 20 of the Best Things to Say in Return When Someone Calls You Mean, 27 Good Things to Say to Someone When They Get a Tattoo, 18 Good Responses When a Guy Asks What You Think About Him, 9 Email Examples for Terminating an Employee During Their Probation Period. When read with the notion of lagi as head, the meaning of the chant takes another layer. What our family lacked in money, my mother more than made up for with love. Fortunately, Tagaloa and his boat surfaced in Pata (Falelatai) and the title Tagaloa and his descendants survive to this day in Pata. the devastation of all food crops which may include razing family residences in the village. When disaster struck Samoa in 2009, a national day of mourning was declared to honor and remember those who had died in the devastating tsunami that took the lives of 143 people and destroyed villages. We seek a full-time SLP (Speech Pathologist ) to work with students in K-12. Here I wish to point out that this is an aberration because feagaiga which is core to the Samoan cultural and philosophical reference is premised on the fact that feagaiga is an issue of the body. Tell a story about the person if you feel its applicable. In Faa Samoa, the dead are never treated as though theyre gone. People continue to converse with the deceased and treat them as though theyre still there. This is how people pay respect. I belong to my village and my village belongs to me. We seek a full-time SLP (Speech Pathologist ) to work with students in K-12. This helps to make sense of the use of the term lagi as used in Samoan oratory as an honorific term for the head. This sleep (i.e. I begin with a discussion of the Samoan theological reference. Eight Carefully Crafted Emails for Your Last Day at Work. None of these rules or laws, however, was meant to be fixed or rigid. These have evolved from ancient traditions, and theyre still in practice in Samoan communities across the globe. In this tuaoi parents speak on behalf of their children (i.e. A modern Samoan speech is likely to contain Biblical references, often obscure or al-legorical passages which show virtuosity in command of the scriptures and also put the The service often lasts upwards of two hours, and it offers a chance for everyone to say their final goodbyes. This intimate relationship between God and man is sacred. True to form, David came up with a plan to make the job easier. I am happy to report that the second way forward comes from the Samoan Chief Justice and the President of the Lands and Titles Court who are committed to supporting the following: (a) regular review of Land and Titles Court decisions through internal seminars; (b) litigant access to lawyers; (c) free access to information in Land and Titles Court records; (d) publication in official Samoan law reports of decisions of the Land and Titles Court; and (e) the establishment of a Law School in Samoa to provide academic support for the judicial and administrative work necessary to progress towards a Lands and Titles Court that can do justice to the aspirations of the very peoples it seeks to serve. Traditionally the notion of fono had six dimensions. Hawaii david perkins metacognition . To touch the head of a chief is a serious breach of tapu because the head, as suggested, is the residence of divine discernment and so should not be tampered with. Available for instant download as soon as you sign up. The nine messages of the funeral chant are as applicable to life as to death. Here are some examples of a funeral speech that celebrates the deceaseds life but at the same time expresses the grief of the speaker. This specificity is privileged in the operations and imperatives of aga-i-fanua and recorded in village faalupega (or chiefly honorifics). Do you feel alone and sad with no support and no idea how to move forward? It only takes a few minutes and you don't even have to use your name. He was a caring brother whod do anything to protect me. It refers to how they should behave by respecting and honoring each other, which is reflected in their funeral traditions. There is nothing in Samoan culture that sanctions disparagement and belittlement of old age. Wedding cakes in Samoa have not only multiple teers vertically but also have seperate teers which spread out horizontally across the table. K-12 caseload. This work has been an exercise in tofa saili: in searching for wisdom about jurisprudence, especially for the Samoan Lands and Titles Court. Lesley Postle and Anna Baglione PhD look into online grief support groups to see if they are beneficial and to find out how we can make the most of them in our journey through grief. Instagram. These four concepts are tuaoi (boundary), tofa saili (wisdom or the search for wisdom), faasinomaga (a persons designation) and pae ma auli (Samoan mediation). The issues in the last two cases should not be resolved in the Lands and Titles Court as they currently stand. There are three reference points that I will traverse: the theological, historical and practical. Salutations to the seventh heaven! Of course, she drove me crazy. Before 1903 the judicial functions of the Lands and Titles Court were exercised through pule and through the process of pae ma auli (or mediation ). Family and friends are in shock as 40-year-old Matthew Hirsch was killed in an armed robbery spree in Southern California. your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable. In different social contexts, especially those found outside of the village today, this tuaoi has shifted. One of my favorite memories of David is the one-and-only time my mother asked him to water her indoor plants. Man as a genealogical issue of God and the community as a family of God are reference points from which human rights, at least according to the Samoan indigenous reference of my ancestors, derive: i.e. Samantha and I met quite by accident. Honour your loved one with their own memorial website. This I believe also. In the Samoan indigenous context this theological reference is reinforced in ancient Samoan funeral ritual taunts where man taunts God in dance performance and song chant with lines expressing the basic message: you have taken one of us, but so long as I have a penis I have the power to reproduce life. Burials are the most traditional choice, though Samoans today are free to choose both burial and cremation. The idea of a good and bad death is a common belief throughout the world. Samoans believe in following Faa Samoa, meaning The Samoan Way. I was furious at the time. Its also essential to remember that those who we love never really leave us, whether their spirits are close to home or close to our hearts. The Samoa Minister of Justice in discussions with me acknowledged the serious backlog problem and the far-reaching impacts of this. Here the Safune people not only recognised the rank of Tagaloa, but also, perhaps more importantly, they recognised they did not have the right to take life, no matter how warranted. ImTranslator offers an instant text-to-speech translation from Samoan to English language in a natural sounding voice. They are principles, rules and regulations governed by recognition of the importance of both the mind and soul to the exercise of law-making. For women, this means wearing a lavalava (wrap skirt), muumuu, or traditional dress. In this case the young orator seeks the Courts affirmation of his authority (pule) over the title and all that is associated with it. A good funeral speech starts with an introduction. I raise four different cases for support on this point. She would go through the things in my room and leave a mess. Here, those affected by brain injury, Parkinson's disease, developmental delay or other communication issue, will find one of Southern . Joe tells that when this traditional leader was told that he was ineligible to be appointed to a panel of judicial review because he is connected, he responded 'but that is Pakeha concept. For women, this means wearing a lavalava (wrap skirt), muumuu, or traditional dress. Theology is important for it provides a society with a theory of creation. Many of the others have been written for us by guest writers about their own lost loved ones. The top two religions in Samoa according to the 2011 census are the Congregational Christian Church in Samoa with 31.8% and Roman Catholic with 19.4%. My life was better that I could have ever imagined, and fuller that I ever dreamed because of Stephens presence by my side. Death doesnt happen the way that it does in other cultures. The one for a mother was written by my mother (founder of this website) about her own Mum. Share photos, videos, memories and more with your family and friends in a permanent online website. How else can you tell whether or not they are lying?'. The ritual connects man and the land and lends substance to the Samoan saying: o le tama o le eleele, meaning man of the soil and tulaga vae, meaning footprint. They are highly valued and guarded like precious jewels. As time passed, this is no longer the case for most Samoan people. in a speech given at the opening of the Crematorium, that cremation was a . In addition, the Moomooga Samoan funeral song is often performed by a local musician. The right to life in Samoan religious custom is premised on the notion that man, animals, plants, the sea, the skies are all children of God. Fono, as noted earlier, means a formal meeting of village and/or district. With the passing of a loved one comes the responsibility of making arrangements for their funeral. The practical reference helps to locate viable solutions for the Samoan Lands and Titles Court; solutions that can do justice to the imperatives of our indigenous reference and to the lessons of history. Find out what to do and discover resources to help you cope. Some people choose burial and some cremation; it depends on the individuals personal beliefs. These are sleep informed by God and ancestors. We are not attorneys and are not providing you with legal Its important to understand the basics of the Faa Samoa structure to recognize how it plays into death and funeral practices. The mediator then said to her, hey that's great you speak English, we can send the interpreters home? The principal aim of a fono is to bring about perspective on an issue, such perspective often giving rise to codes of conduct or village standards. He let me cry on his shoulder when I went through my first break-up. Though the outside world might change and adapt, Samoans harbor their beliefs close and honor these long-standing customs. Mori and Samoan funeral experiences are better understood through their worldviews of Fa'a-Samoa (the Samoan way . Case 2: Saili, means search. Its that mutual love and respect that makes me know Jennifer was the best friend I could ever have had. My last tuaoi for specific discussion is that between nuu, itumalo and Malo. In doing so I received a profound message from my dear friend Fr. Salutations to the obtainable! We went to different colleges after high school and the careers and lives we pursued after our studies were poles apart. Details: 2 Positions. In honorific speech tofa and moe is used in association with gaining perspective as with tofa mamao (long view) and moe or faautaga loloto (deep view). But I will treasure the years I had with her in my heart for the rest of my life. Learn how self-hypnosis can help you cope with grief at any time of the day or night. 714-578-8720 ext. Click here to find out more and get started immediately with 20% off the first month for GriefandSympathy readers. Rather, I am noting that they are interchangeable depending on who the speaker is. In this guide, well find out. There are many different tuaoi or boundaries of relevance to the Samoan Lands & Titles Court. When I first called him Mr. Robinson after graduation, hed turned around and said, Is my father standing behind me? When I replied in the negative, hed said, Then why are you saying his name?. In Samoan oral tradition there is no surer guide to the Samoan soul, Samoan vision, values, ethics and morals than through an analysis of muagagana or Samoan proverbs. Its open to the entire community. Been written for us by guest writers about their own lost loved ones the issues the! Friend I could have ever imagined, and fuller that I ever dreamed because of Stephens presence my! Around the world the current problems faced by Samoas land and Titles Court as they currently stand speech. Means a formal meeting of village and/or district en prie maman, Vol use. Whether or not they are highly valued and guarded like precious jewels are you saying his name? as... What your relationship is to the sense of smell they currently stand and! Mention of two possible ways forward he was a loyal and kind person whod never let you.... With grief at any time of the mind and soul to the Samoan.! Is important for it provides a society with a discussion of these or... Both burial and some cremation ; it depends on the individuals personal beliefs I first called him Robinson! Also have seperate teers which spread out horizontally across the table my mothers face the. Guest writers about their own lost loved ones though samoans today are free to email me samantha! 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