Fa'a-Samoa: The Samoan Way

[Music] [Music] i lava my name is chief Sheila Revere and I come from the islands of Samoa I was born and raised in the village of Nalepa and the islands of Hawaii Samoa is beautiful lush and green rainforest volcanic islands surrounded with Codan white sandy beaches but most importantly is the beauty of the people the people of Samoa are known as the happy people of Polynesia I left some Oh to come to Hawaii to attend the Brigham Young University of Hawaii campus and Here I am working at the Polynesian Cultural Center where this beautiful setting is located this is the island of Samoa where we share with people from all over the world the culture and customs of our people so come come and meet the happy people of my Island [Music] the islands of Samoa divided into two countries American Samoa which is still known as the trans territory of the United State of America and Western Samoa was under the British colony and it became independent 1962 these are the two flags that represents the two nations but even though were divided but we still have the same culture and we speak the same language [Music] talofa and welcome to our to north this is where we prepare the food for the family so come with me as we share with you how we prepare the food and this is how we prepare taro and bread in the map by using the coconut shells we call this I see this is the bell tower [Music] mainly work in the islands bearing the truth family chief to make sure we have enough bread fruits and taro sometimes big poofy yams and tapioca green bananas sometimes we compete which hand is gonna eat first so it all depends on how fast you move on the preparations of all these things [Music] you move slow when they eat last and this is how they look already cleaned and ready to be cooked and now we're going to show you how we prepare them build a fire and hit the rocks get rid of the cook first I've only have to use the small sticks first they're ready and dry so when you put them in that will start burning and then you add on them the bigger boots that this will really help to burn to heat up the rocks Rima rocks are the best ones to use when you cook it will take about 45 minutes to an hour to heat these rocks before they're ready and now the rocks are heated sometimes when you used brand-new rocks they can explode so you have to watch out don't sit next to the hole when you hit new rocks and for all the things that we cook today my favorite is smishing chicken you can boil them you can bake them but today we're gonna show you how we're cooking in the home we wrapped them with banana leaves and coconut leaves as we get ready to wrap the phone bear some of these sleeves okay [Music] yeah you put the coconut leaf down cover with them banana leaf and then you place the fish right in here and then braid it as you can see that most of the people they use foil tinfoil and knots some more we don't need all those things we can just use the leaves as you played it like this we use the coconut leaf it will help to protect the fish so you won't fall apart when it's cooked almost just about ready but we have to prepare the paalsamy this is our main dish we have some banana leaves fresh taro leaves [Music] breadfruit leaves and coconut milk of course we need some onions to make it taste better get great mix here [Music] rapping is very important so milk won't come out when you prepare these taro leaves make sure you place them in a way that it will help to protect the milk inside [Music] so it all depends when you have to use a lot of taro leaves you put more milk use less leaves then you put less milk inside you will always have to balance so when it's cooked [Music] and lastly you cover it with the bread for leaves you know when your rap is with banana leaves bread for leaves when it's cooked it tastes much better and if you use anything else and here we have it how Sami as you say the men prepare the food for the family now you see the reason why because there's a lot of hard work as you level the rocks in the ground you'll always have to remove the small ones in the center and the big ones outside just later on after you put the food in the ground and those hot rocks then we put the bigger ones on top flip the food we dusted with banana leaves and sometimes when you cook a pig or turkey you will have to use some of these hot rocks but inside so it will be cooked well and now we start putting the powder and the bigger rocks on top of the food and that way the food will be cooked well now it all depends on how hot rocks are sometimes maybe 30 minutes like today the rocks are very very hot so it's gonna take less time but if the rocks are not very very hot that it will take along the time and now we're gonna bring the banana leaves for their leaves that we always use to cover the whole oven the whole room so we must use a lot of leaves to keep the heat inside and there you have it all you have to do now is sit back relax and wait until the food is ready and enjoy the meal and now that we have enjoyed our salvo on food I would like to invite you to our village demonstrations to learn how to start fire and make coconut milk [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] ladies until welcome to the islands of Samoa we created by saying talofa please throw it one more time Dava okay somebody said Toyota it's not right it's talofa we welcome you to the islands welcome to the Polynesian culture center ladies and gentlemen plataforma Roberto tell it to be able to magnify Muhammad Allah Almighty at opp Vitesse's might even feel much cooler I'm all okay that means welcome we have our language we speak some more we have 71 Alison in Polynesian culture center we also have 7 different cultures in 7 different languages so we don't understand each other that's why we have to speak English if you have any questions talk to me because all of us work here we are from samo and I see some friends from Japan here today japanese where are you yeah that they aren't gonna do up yeah Korea I never tell anybody not from Korea or Japan thank you for coming there's a lot to do and there's a lot to see some are still controlled by Chiefs cheese make the rules and they tell you what to do so whatever they say we do it so it's good to be chief the people of Samoa are known as the happy people of Polynesia so ladies and gentlemen we are the happy people so please be happy are you happy meet you Japanese are you happy how many we have them in this summer anybody have been to our country you've been there sir okay you see these open houses and sidewalk we can build as many as we want because we don't need permits we also grow our own food we don't pay tax where are the happy people if you have no place to stay this is yours you want to meet the chief look with a big one you want to see the family there's a family heart to my left when your hunger we have that Pizza Hut that's the cooking place it belongs to the men and some more we men through the cooking ladies don't cooking some more it's still part of the culture you like that ladies and please move just I'm all because we men are moving out every day we cook we use the Crime Dog clap please get coconuts make fire by rubbing sticks every day that's why I ran away come here to get more education someday I'll go back and change it take a microwave of it I want to share with you one of the most important part of cooking today we're going to learn how to start the fire method that our people using many many is to start the fire we just rub sticks rough sticks so while you flick your big we roast a very simple it takes about five and a half hours let's get going this is how we do it we're up sticks all day long on rainy days we don't eat then we go to McDonald's are you making movies and make sure you see the movies it's called making did you see the smoke did you see the smoke that's fire do you want to see a big fire let me go get some gasoline look with some dry and flammable meticulous papers and leaves I'm using the dried coconut husk we call it pull everybody please say Porou okay transfer the burning particles to the puller Oh Holy Smoke do you want to see flames $5 everybody please like fire Japanese hey [Applause] that bullish [ __ ] you wanna see how we put it out okay I'll send it to the cooking place move okay sit down so anybody can do this you can start a fire any time because then it would works make sure the wood is dry and your two pieces come from the same tree all right do you know the name of this wood no firewood that's a good word it's a wild type business would you guys go home you can use any wood this pine wood there's so many different words you can use all of them okay the Redwood awkward Japanese using plywood anybody here from California go home we use a Hollywood thank you Charlie better speak see what we can do anybody misses the coconut cracking demonstration have you seen that you want to see it do you want to see it about the tree climbing you want to see that too where are the happy people and we'll do it all you need is a coconut look for the right ones this coconut is ripe you can tell by its color it will turn brown like me when it's right it tells me that some of you were not right that's gently ask your coconut using this OP that we call it Mele say it money but mainly in English sharp stick Japanese boom boom cut out knock dengue dengue put it down here first thing to do is kill the second put it down be careful and push it down just follow two steps like this keep moving until this coconut is completely I was doing that in slow motion for your convenience and some or this is one of the competitive sports record for the man three seconds ladies two days that's why we're cool but I'll show you how to practice in two pieces instead of thousand a million fees we look for the two eyes amount for the nose right here we locate the line runs between your eyes cos that's the Safa spot all you do is get hot opt it and hit right across that line you can use hammers and screwdrivers dynamite and some over use our foreheads you don't believe me do you close your eyes he's going anybody try to crack coconuts before what what did he use the shaylen's hammers what did he use lady a rock did it work how many pieces do to get lots of pieces as long as it work it's alright why are you from California that's what I thought lady from Canada told me that you put a coconut in ground and ran it over the lawn more young man from Texas put eyes 45 and shut things between the eyes well his mother-in-law was holding them I'll show you something go home and try this get it several rock everybody please say small rock Japanese you see you see oh that don't make it for the line but oh come on two pieces don't blame me I'm Assam on this is Hawaiian coconut made in Japan that is a joke okay Japanese huh are you ready are you ready did you remember what I told you you'll be all right all you do is hit across that line and you know what you get two pieces of [Music] chocolate drink the cheers it's good we call it seven up because there's no caffeine never had it never this is my show okay since you helped me out give me some just come here sweetie come here come here all right you can come on the front here just try see if you like it it's fresh juice okay drink it drink the whole thing [Music] [Applause] Japanese go have some do Stephanie three high up was I bizarre yeah you speak English very good have some more keep drinking tomorrow morning you're gonna turn brown like me so you'll be haha you'll get used to it you'll get used to it okay now pick it up thank you yeah give a help all of you ladies from Japan all the way from Japan ladies and gentlemen now we gotta stop them to meat milk is still here we have to get some shredded coconuts we could use coconut shells with the seashells the sharp rocks or whatever oh my do is just get some welcome okay so what's stopping the meat well I'm somebody rainerio just rain drops that won't stop from the meat like this Singh okay you guys been here before huh that's the right song everyone please sing together Jim go the hell sing sing to go bells in your language ready sing that's not your manga yeah so Charlie who you are learn your language ready so we do we play them up and say this coconut shells and then we're are these fibers the inner fibers from the coconut husk we can use it to gather the meat like this we can roll them up and squeeze it to get milk everybody please say milk Japanese middle ooh go down whoo ladies and gentlemen this is how we milk the coke with please don't go home I milk your cows the same way it'll make them cry all day long but I think it's good I made it so it's gonna be good you never know unless you try lady get up and have some milk just taste it see if it's okay it's fresh I hope you like it because I I never tried before okay and I would like to give you some we have some souvenirs for you give you a nice headband for being good sports how about that huh it's yours you take it home nope this flower is yours remember these any time you pick a flower but in your right ear I wanted to know that it means you're single available or free you put on your left ear you're taking married or stuck in the middle means you don't know whether you're coming or going are you married or single not single and where do you want me to put your flower and the left okay all right there you go and I'm gonna take a picture with you how about that come on up here take a look at this handsome guy right there this is your picture to take home so you pick this up before the show tonight okay yep who else Japanese this is yours come on down the edges are all married or single you're single my lucky day come on down here city there you go and we'll get your picture - all right okay thank you very much yeah [Laughter] who else it was up here there was someone else that was that here oh there you are married or single accepting applications you're married okay all right stop it [Laughter] we're not dancing right now yeah and here's a picture no problem [Applause] thank you very much cameraman cut it out this is yours yeah but everybody walk or do Japanese okay you don't worry about it it's that's not real this is real I made it married okay jingo okay yeah and how about a picture clean up right here [Music] look at the camera okay okay Sameera are you happy do you at MA I'm gonna be here too want to see the tree climbing anybody want to see the tree climbing not enough for the demonstration we need five more people raise your hands again that's too many this is difficult to do tree climbing is very dangerous most of our climbers are not here anymore because last month was very windy so please put hands get it join me and give a hand for my friend but a meal and a bus y'all see what we call him up let go here we go [Applause] come on don't step make it move up what up go get it follow the boy well give ahead while three partners Bonilla and COC from Samoa ladies and gentlemen thank you the tattoo or as we say in summer that the town is a very important part of my culture the Tao comes from the word Tata means to makan to tap on twice or hit twice which referred to the tapping of the instrument to the body several hundred years ago in the heart of Polynesia two women swam across the Pacific from Fiji to deliver a message this message carried the knowledge of an art originally desired was to be expressed by the women somehow when the message was delivered it was reversed and given to the men for three centuries the knowledge of the to Tao or the tattoo as it has been translated has been passed from generations to generations in Samoa a young man who is tattooed is called serenity meaning someone who is open-minded alert and vigorous in all functions of the culture and plays an important role in his family and in support of the community especially the Chiefs Council today that Tao is still an important part of the culture it is a sign of strength beauty and pride it shows endurance determination and dedication it is a symbol of authority among the community when I found favor with my family and they made me chief I was encouraged by the high chief of my family to have the tattoo put on me I accepted the challenge and I've never had a moment of regret that Tao is a symbol of my love for my culture and no matter where I travel in this world it is always a reminder to me of the importance of retaining one's cultural identity just rolling slow like this another part of the Samoan culture that has become a favorite of mine is what we call the Savannah forum the dance of the truth of death better known as the fireknife dance first dances are more in the last century the fire knife dancer become a symbol of the strength and power inherent in our culture it is a display of discipline and danger that challenges us to overcome the obstacles of life in 1993 I won the first world finite dance championship and here you see part of that performance [Music] [Music] [Applause] for the past five years at the Polynesian Cultural Center I have performed the fireknife dance part of our evening show mana the spirit of our people join me now as we catch this live performance and don't get too close to the TV or you might get burned [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] it's been a long day and there's so much to see the Polynesian culture center is the only place where you can see all of Polynesia all in one place you can enjoy our world of New Zealand Fiji Hawaii Marquesas Tahiti toga and of course my lovely islands of Samoa so come bring your whole family bring all your friends and enjoy our world of Polynesia until we meet again thank you so far so forth [Music] Oh I [Music] I [Music]

Channel: GARY SMITH

Views: 1,508,036

Rating: 4.7875543 out of 5

Keywords: Hawaii Island, Pacific, Hawaiian, Native Hawaiians, Beach, samoa, samoan, pcc, polynesian, cultural, center, laie, hawaii, BYU, Tonga, Islands

Id: qEASE_raPX0

Length: 44min 1sec (2641 seconds)

Published: Mon Nov 28 2011