Improvement Era,
1899 Vol. Iii. November, 1899. No. 1.
THE INHABITANTS OF SAMOA, THEIR SOCIAL LIFE AND CUSTOMS.
BY W. O. LEE, SAMOAN MISSIONARY.

Three distinct classes of people live on the Samoan Islands. First, the native race of brown-skinned Polynesians; second, the natives from adjacent islands, including the contract laborers or "black boys," from the Gilbert, and other groups; and, lastly, the foreign population, principally from Germany, England and her South Sea colonies, and the United States.

One who has not traveled and seen the actual effect of the white man's civilization (?) upon our brown-skinned proteges, whom Kipling most accurately describes as half devil and half child, might naturally suppose that the natives would be greatly improved through their associations with the superior white race. And so they are, in some respects, and would be in all things if every foreigner who went to the island was actuated by pure motives, and a desire to carry, in truth, the "white man's burden," and lift up, by example and precept, the inferior race.

This would be an ideal condition, and the natural desire of every good and pure man, regardless of country or religious opinions. But how different are the actual facts in the case! Avarice, immorality, drunkenness, and profanity, in lieu of good example, follow in the footsteps of the majority of the white men on the islands, and annul, to a great extent, the work of the missionaries. In proof of this broad assertion, we only need to call attention to the following indisputable facts.

Beginning with the lesser evil, profanity, there are no profane words in the native dialect, but the first words learned by a native in English, as he labors with the white beach-combers of Apia, are terribly mixed with the curses so plentifully used in modern English.

Drunkenness was an unknown factor in the social life of the native until the white man came with his beer, whisky, wine and gin.

The charge has often been publicly made that many factional quarrels among the natives, have been fanned into flame by white residents who hoped to reap pecuniary benefits thereby.

As to the more serious crime of immorality, one has but to walk through the streets of Apia, or any other village, where white men have lived, or where the cast-off partner of some white man has returned to her people, and note the tell-tale color of the half-caste children with no father to own them, to realize that some day, when men are judged according to the deeds done in this life, many a man who has returned to his own country and appeared before his fellows as a good Christian, will have to answer for the betrayal, and casting away of one or more native child-women and their mutual offspring. National pride seems to be a stumbling block to the foreigner who might otherwise honorably marry a Samoan wife.

There are, of course, honorable exceptions to the common rule of domestic life among the foreigners on the islands. We know of quite a number of happy and prosperous families where white men have married, and are true to their native wives. The children of the mixed marriages are often sent by their parents to foreign countries to receive their education.

Commercially, the whites are the merchants, the ship and plantation owners, the doctors, lawyers, butchers, bakers, blacksmiths, and carpenters of the larger villages and towns.

The "black boys," contract laborers from the Solomon, Gilbert, and other groups, perform the menial labor on all the large plantations, under the supervision of white overseers. Of these peculiar little people we can say but little, never having lived among them in their native homes. During their three years' contracts, they make good servants and work much harder and more faithfully than do the Samoans, who are far ahead of them in natural intelligence, and physical beauty. These diminutive wooley-headed, spindle-legged, black men remind one of the Darwin theory. If there is any connecting link between man and the monkey tribe, they certainly come nearer the missing link than any other race of human beings I have yet seen. At the expiration of their terms, they are taken back to their island homes loaded down with suits of clothing, hats, a rifle, ammunition, pipes, tobacco, etc. It is said that for some time this accumulation of wealth makes them kings in their own village. But soon their wealth is divided, they loose their prestige, and are anxious to sign articles and go off again to their Klondike on Samoa.

In the methods first taken by the white race to induce the "black boys," to leave their homes and contract for work on other islands we have a picture of the extent to which the white race use their superior intelligence to entrap their fellows. Here it is substantially as given to the writer by an old German sea captain who formerly spent all of his time securing contract laborers for the German plantations in the South Seas.

In their native state the "black boys," are most primitive. In the days of which we write they knew nothing of the use of clothing, tobacco, pipes, matches, kerosene, etc. Therefore, they had no wants that could not be supplied on their own little islands. No offer could tempt them to leave their homes; said our informant, "We had to create a want so that there would be a desire for money to gratify it with, and we gave them freely, tobacco, pipes, matches and clothing, and taught them to use, and to like them. After that we had no difficulty in getting them to sign contracts for three years to obtain that which they had learned so much to desire."

What a base use of superior intelligence! Yet these "black boys," seem necessary to the success of large plantations on Samoa, as the native Samoan will not work on them; first, because he is too proud, and, secondly, because he does not have to; a few hours' work every few days being sufficient for his own living in true Samoan style. There are few if any mixed marriages between the Samoans and black laborers. No more offensive epithet can be hurled by one Samoan against another than to call him a "mea uli" - black thing, as the natives designate the papuans, or black laborers.

From these two extremes, the whites and the blacks, we turn with pleasure to the happy medium, in this case, the native Samoan who, where not contaminated by other races, is an ideal entertainer, and of the most hospitable race on the face of the whole earth. It is true that nature has so provided that he need take little thought of the morrow, and it is almost useless for him to store away the foods which sustain the body; as they would only decay; therefore, the incentive to save for a rainy day is not naturally as strong in him as it is in his more enlightened white brother.

Physically the Samoans are superior to our race, and giants in comparison with the "black boys." It is a beautiful custom they have of calling the family together at dark for evening prayers, always preceded by singing a native hymn, and sometimes by reading a chapter out of the Bible.

A valuable lesson in retrenchment may be learned from the Samoan custom of placing a "faasa" on food, which is a forbidding of the use of any particular article in the time of scarcity until it becomes plentiful again.

Their cooperation in the building of churches, dwelling houses, village boats, and all public works, is an object lesson to more civilized communities.There seems to be an unwritten law among the Samoans to the effect that one should never refuse to give his neighbor anything asked for.

On account of this feeling, individual right to personal property is not very clearly defined, and we often see the natives helping themselves to each other's clothing in a way that is all right to them, but which we would call stealing. They presume on this privilege to the extent, in time of famine, of going to some other village where bread-fruit and taro is plentiful, and helping themselves to a boat-load; while the growers of it for shame's sake, because of custom, dare not refuse their needy brothers. They are very kind to each other in time of sickness, but to us, their custom, when a death occurs, seems cruel. The relatives come from all parts, as with us, but no matter how poor the family may be, they must furnish a feast after the burial for all their relatives and the village generally. Under these circumstances, if a family cannot get credit, they mortgage their crops, or go to almost any extreme in order to keep up with the custom of their country.Marriage among the Samoans is not attended with the ceremonies usual in our country, neither is the marriage vow as sacredly kept, as for the good of the people it should be.

Courtship is conducted (when there is any) under peculiar circumstances. There is but one room in a house, and courting is necessarily carried on before all present. The pleasure of a stroll on the beach, or a row on the placid water inside the reefs for sweet company's sake, never seems to appeal to the native mind. Like marriages in high life among the more civilized races, too many matches are made among the Samoans by relatives and financially interested parties, to insure the future happiness of home-life of the parties most nearly interested. Like all marriages for convenience, when no longer convenient they are quickly severed and another marriage takes its place. The original marriage ceremony, among the common native was, and still is, in many cases, simply a matter of mutual consent.

Divorces are obtained in the same manner, or by desertion. Because of this custom, the white trader finds it an easy matter to obtain Samoan wives, one after another, as he may desire. But this common rule, which the churches have tried hard to change, and in which they have partially succeeded, has an exception in the "Taupo" - maid of the village, and the "Manaia"�handsome young chief, of each village. The former is guarded from her infancy by old women who are witnesses of her virtue, and the latter is under control of the "tulafales," - talking men, or lawyers, of the village. These barter and trade, marry and divorce him as often as they please, restricted only by their opportunities to make a profitable match with the chiefs and relatives of the "Taupo," in some other village.

In this marriage contract, the consideration is fine mats, most desirable above all other earthly things to the Samoans. In these high life marriages, love, esteem and courtship, are not considered. Oftentimes the young couple have never met until they find themselves married by contract; knowing not how soon they may be separated by idle mischief-making chiefs who seek to use their handsome young men as a means of securing more fine mats from the relatives of some other "Taupo;" for, as with our American heiress who marries abroad, her relatives furnish the dowery. Notwithstanding this custom, there are many happy families among the natives. And many couples who love and are true to each other, exhibiting tender affection and solicitude for each other's welfare.

In the beginning of our missionary work on the island of Upolu, we succeeded in converting and baptizing the head chief of a village, who was also their handsome man. To all appearances, he was happily married, and we verily believe, would have been contented had the other chiefs left him alone. But they had an opportunity to make another most desirable match with a village maid. So they gave him no peace until he had dismissed his wife, and sent her home to her people. With great show and much feasting, they went to the other village to get a new bride for their chief, and fine mats for their portion. On learning of what had been done, we called a meeting of the native Saints and by a unanimous vote the offending chief was severed from the Church. One peculiar part of the affair was that we cut him off in his own house, as we were his guests. We had no mission-house of our own in that particular village, and strange as it may seem, this same chief afterwards gave us land and material with which to build us a mission house. While an ardent supporter of Mataafa, in opposition to the govenment, he yet showed the warmest friendship for us, wherever we met. How different from those who receive Church discipline at home!

When upbraided for this or any other weakness peculiar to them as a race, one is invariably given what they seem to consider an unanswerable reply: "Ole tu faa Samoa" - It is the Samoan custom. While they agree with you in condemning it as wrong, yet their resignation to what they consider inevitable is most aggravating. It is the same with the custom of tattooing. For over fifty years, the missionaries have tried to teach the natives that tattooing is a heathenish custom, contrary to the laws of God, and of good society. Yet with all their efforts, a man is not a man, in Samoan custom, until fully tattooed from waist to knee. The women, also, are frequently tattooed with their names on the forearm. They seem not at all disconcerted when a letter is accidentally marked upside down, and, of course, must remain for life.

The method of tattooing is so cruel and disgusting that we have no desire to describe it. There is one class, however, that the London Missionary Society have succeeded in keeping out of the tattooer's hands. They are the boys who, like little Samuel, are consecrated to the work of the Lord by their parents, and henceforth live with the village pastor, until old enough to finish their religious training with a four year's course at Malua, the Protestant training school for native missionaries on Upolu. This class alone is free from tattoo marks; and yet, such is the hold of this custom among the natives, that a teacher no sooner falls from grace than he immediately gets tattooed so that he may be on an equal with his fellows and not be called a "woman-man," a contemptuous name that has an entirely different meaning to the Samoan, than what our expression, "a ladies' man" has to us.

There is an Abrahamic simplicity and respect for authority and old age among the Samoans. Disobedience or disrespect shown by young men towards their elders is considered a serious offense. The offender is punished severely. In any house where chiefs are assembled, no young man would think of standing erect; but as a sign of respect for his elders, walks and waits upon them in a stoop-shouldered position. Even the language of the common people is changed out of respect for the chiefs, more respectful terms always being used in addressing a chief than a common person.

The home life of the ordinary Samoan family in time of peace, is an uneventful one. The father has his taro and banana patches, and his little bread-fruit and cocoanut grove to care for. He breaks the monotony of this work by going fishing in the sea, long before most people here are up in the morning. But he gets even with us by following the Spanish custom of taking a siesta. So accustomed are they to the noonday nap that it is almost impossible for them to keep awake all day. The wife and the girls spend their time in fishing for muscles in shallow water, washing their limited clothing, braiding mats and baskets, scraping, pounding, pasting and painting their native cloth. This, by the by, is made from the bark of the small paper-mulberry tree, about the size of a fishing pole.

The women also take care of the food when it is cooked, but the young men are the chefs of Samoa, and also the principal waiters. Their method of cooking in an oven whose sides, top and bottom, are composed of hot rocks, covered with a mass of green leaves, has a tendency to preserve the aroma and flavor of the various articles cooked, which in our way, is often lost in the air. It is remarkable how tender and palatable a small pig tastes that has been cooked in a native oven - a well-cooked chicken is not sweeter nor more juicy.

While every Samoan head of a family seems to own his home and small plantation, yet it is not so, for he is but one member of a large family, and simply a stewart over his portion, being subject to the will of the "Matai," or head chief of his family. Because of this condition, families are often moved from one house to another. They are subject to removal for any overt act, or, as a matter of choice, families often move from one island to another; living one year with his folks and another with her folks, and so on, borrowing each other's children indiscriminately. They were seemingly much offended when we refused to let them adopt our little girl, and take her home with them to live.

Natural affection as we understand it, between parents and children, does not seem to be very strong. Because of this peculiar interchange it would be next thing to impossible to take a correct census of the natives.

The first sight that greets one on entering a Samoan village, is the almost, and sometimes entirely, nude bodies of the little brown natives, playing in the sandy main street of the village. At the approach of a stranger, they scamper away in fear, and hide themselves behind cocoanut trees, and the posts of houses. They peek at you as you ride or walk through the village, with their big brown eyes set in the fattest and most interesting of faces. The native children have so few games to amuse them, that we were often tempted to introduce tops and marbles among them, that if possible they might sense the joyous delight of our boyhood days. The game of cricket has been introduced among the natives, but is frowned down by the English missionaries, because of the extremes they go to in playing it. One village plays against another for days and weeks, with feasting in the day time and "sivas" native dances, at night, until a famine is threatened in the village because of the entire cessation of work in caring for the crops.

There is a peculiarity in the way the natives do many things, and some of their ways are quite the opposite to ours; for instance, when women hand-print their "tapa" cloth, they strike away from the body instead of drawing the hand and brush towards them. They cut their children's hair with a piece of broken glass, shaving the skull like that of a Chinaman, leaving a tuft of hair here and there in a most grotesque manner. Fancy an American mother looking on while these Samoan barbers shave their children's heads, with pieces of broken beer-bottles, fastening the little one between their knees as in a vice, during the operation.

Ava drinking is used to express good feeling and hospitality. While a little piece of ava-root looks like any common piece of root, yet in Samoan custom it is a sign of the most genuine hospitality. Speeches of welcome, and responses always attend its presentation. Altogether it is a most pleasant custom, as it is carried out on Samoa. The drink is made in mild form, does not stupify as on Hawaii, but is considered a good medicine by foreigners. It quenches the thirst, and often takes the place of a meal to the natives. In no other custom more than ava-drinking does one see the caste line drawn so closely between the various degrees of chiefs, matai faipule, tulafale, etc. The highest in rank is served first, or trouble follows, since the natives are exceedingly jealous of rank and genealogy.

One would think, to see a "fono," or council of chiefs, (especially if on a Saturday) that they were all old, white-headed men, but on closer observation, you would find this effect the result of their hair, (which is always cropped short and combed pompadore, both fore and aft,) being smeared all over with a slackened lime paste. The lime has two effects. It keeps the head clean and turns the hair a golden brown. After a bath, and a plentiful supply of highly-perfumed cocoa-nut oil spread upon the hair and over the body, many of these seemingly white-headed chiefs change their appearance wonderfully.

Improvement Era 1899
Vol. lii. November, 1899. No. 1