The Smiling People of Samoa

The Samoan people reside on the islands of Samoa and American Samoa. These Polynesian islands are located in the South Pacific Ocean. An oral tradition describes that the god Tagaloa created the Samoan archipelago. The Archipelago includes ten islands which are mostly volcanic. It is here where the Samoan culture, which dates back over 3,000 years, is honored and celebrated. Legend refers to Samoa as the “Cradle of Polynesia” and is believed to be the Polynesian homeland.

The rich Samoan culture is widely known for its beautiful styles of music, dance and visual arts, as well as for having a tropical island paradise as a home. Within the culture, there has long been an observance of Faʻa Sāmoa. This refers to the behavior and responsibilities within the context of living, being a part of the community, showing respect to others and more. The tradition of weaving “ie Samoa” was inscribed into the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2019.

Although the Samoan culture has survived and flourished over the years, there is now concern regarding climate change and how it is affecting the islands. With much of the Samoan infrastructure and population located near the coast, the impacts of climate change could be extensive. There are very real concerns regarding tropical cyclones, strong storms and flooding, droughts, erosion of the coasts, rising sea levels, king tides, and an increase in vector-borne illness.

Our beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai has cautioned the public about extreme weather events for many years. She and many esteemed scientists have warned the public that animal-people industrial raising operations is the leading cause of climate change. “If we don’t change our disaster-breeding, provoking way, then disasters will never end. But we can only stop the disaster once and for all by tackling the root problem; that is, by stopping the killing of humans, and mass murdering of innocent animal lives. Only when we walk in peace and love on this Earth will the Earth and nature respond peacefully to us. If we protect others, we will be protected.”