The initial Christian missionaries found its way to Samoa in 1830, nearly an excellent century prior to Margaret Mead attempt to research the culture of your own islands. By the time she arrived, the fresh church got a main element of Samoan life to possess years.
Contained in this event, co-servers Doris Tulifau examines exactly how Christianity and you may colonization complicate Mead’s-along with her critic anthropologist Derek Freeman’s-findings and you can always profile Samoan identity today.
That it occurrence is roofed within the Season six of one’s SAPIENS podcast, that was authorized of the a give on Federal Endowment for the Humanities.
Sia Figiel: It had been a college out-of prestige one only the daughters away from high chiefs went to. It wasn’t an excellent democracy, you to anybody can find out about it. Zero.
Doris Tulifau: We have been position additional Atauloma Girls School that have Sia Figiel, an excellent Samoan novelist, poet, and you will playwright … and you may my buddy. Atauloma is the college or university anthropologist erican Samoa while the an excellent Ph.D. student. The new London Missionary Community created the college inside the 1900, and it also remained unlock until 1970. It absolutely was just after a good stately, well-beautiful, two-facts strengthening. Today it is failing aside. The fresh new forest try reclaiming it, vines and flowers flexing certainly its skeleton.
To Sia, the institution stands for a move into the Samoan title. When she thinks returning to the young Samoan women that existed on these islands prior to Atauloma, before the missionaries showed up-
Sia: I do believe they had eg a freedom which had been tampered which have from the Christians. It provided they something unsightly.
Doris: Samoans features a complex relationship with new Christian faith. Some people feel like Sia does, one to Christianity forever altered several of the most stunning aspects of the brand new Samoan customs and you will life style. Other people state it put Samoans to your a route of faith and you may white. Almost everyone perform agree that Christianity is such a vital region out of Samoan culture now one any outsider needs to account for they.
They produced sex ugly, therefore damaged years of women; I am aware guys as well
Recently, i talk about Christianity’s effect on Samoan area. I start with the first missionaries. We upcoming check the way the visibility of Christianity shaped the fresh new fieldwork out-of Margaret Mead and you may Derek Freeman. Lastly, we query: How ‘s the chapel nonetheless connected to, and resonant having, Samoan teenagers now?
This chapel is the identical denomination since you to definitely my father assisted put up into the San francisco bay area. Therefore coming here sensed common and you will alongside household. Size try element of the way i grew up, also, and it’s hard for us to imagine Samoa versus the places of worship. They’re part of our very own tale for almost 200 ages. Very membership say Christianity showed up in Samoa into the 1830 having the brand new arrival out of John Williams of London Missionary Area. He or she restauranger stockholm vit guide is basically defined as the initial missionary here.
Albert Pati Siliga: Well, my grandma’s in addition to out of Savaai-the spot where the Good Guide landed, where the John Williams lead the good news to turn the fresh new Samoans with the Christianity. Therefore are my children, brand new Salima family relations, that really were the ones that acknowledged the whole thing.
Doris: That is Albert Pati Siliga. He or she is a cousin away from Sia Figiel’s. And his awesome family relations wasn’t alone during the looking at Christianity. John Williams been able to transfer anyone by using most other Samoans. In which he had the assistance of just one of the most important someone on archipelago: Malietoa Vainu’upo.
They tampered it, as well as provided sexuality a meaning that i did not have in advance of
The Malietoa label try a beneficial Tama-o-aiga title, known to be one of many highest in the house. Malietoa invited new missionaries, particularly Williams. Partly so it oan background, Malietoa got only has just been able to overcome their head opponent for control of Samoa. Handling the missionaries offered him an advantage. He could exert certain dictate more the visibility in the isles. In which he could get usage of European services and products, and hands.