The Change

By Tautalatasi Malifa

TN this world of change, we, the J- young generation find it very hard to accept our traditional way of life. With the strong inflow of west ern influence, our ideas and attitudes change and what was laid down by our fathers for our sakes, is rejected and discarded.

Without realising it, we have be come what they do not want us to be; we are a different people with foreign ideas. No longer are we the centre and hope of our fathers and forefathers; nor are we the respon sible young people whom they very much depend upon. We are the young generation that tends to question authority, who fail to realise the importance of living within the family circle; who ignore the observance of Sunday as a day of rest.

If these are faults, then who is to blame? Our stars or ourselves? . with the strong influx of Western influence, our weak, small culture is

in , danB f r of , bein 8 obliterated and f. 0I ? ance - Th f articles of our culture L ha C We used t 0 fash >°" with *? ving

ss6£?s

possession of fine mats tapa ’ and such valuables meant prestige and a rich consciousness of being Samoan Now, they are only articles which can be sold to ge/ money In our struggle to retain our culture it is taught in schools, but the resull is frivolity and superficiality T However, in order for our culture to survive it has to adapt to the con- T hat 18 . . es ern *° P er "

art, where we, the young generation of self-discipline. In our struggle to achieve freedom - forget our f We are tben cast , off from society, fr ° m the f lan ’ and ld f® stra y d °B s !£ am the . streets . seeking remnants tbe P reviou s nights supper. We llk , e , to be ? ble to acce Pf our * radmc > nal law ? and meet our cultural de f mand |’ but u * I s extremely difficult, We fe ! that !t sh ° uld be the aim of every Samoan youth to meet these demands.

The revolutionary changes are so F 6 alread Y Part of our world bas deteriorated. The bonds between

our realisation, for we are involved in these acts and the effects of the acts we launch against our fellow men are the destruction and disin tegration of our way of life.

The pride and morality of our closely-knitted society is breaking down, and the community is losing its dignity and identity. There is also a breakdown in the family spirit, so that we want to become individuals, independent of the ties of traditional life, setting up one’s laws and worship ping one’s idols.

Often, people talk about equality and fraternity; that all people possess the same rights. This is true to a certain extent, but no two people are the same. People have different quotas of intelligence and capabilities.

It would follow then that some people are more capable of doing a certain job than others. A kingdom con sisting of only kings would never function. Hence a society needs to have leaders or superiors and its working class. Our society has these and yet we are not functioning pro perly, because we are trying to imitate someone else’s way of life.

Why? The western way of life suits western people and our way of life should suit us.

Good relations between teacher and pupils and between pupils themselves are spoilt by acts of disrespect and discourteousness and we, the young people, float lifelessly like objects being blown about by the wind, but unlike these we bite and hate, trying insidiously to hurt one another. Our primitive instincts come to the fore and we become brutal, violent and greedy, the very trends of wes ern society as depicted in violent films. Money, the god of the western world, has become our God.

Before, our togetherness in our society, in our families, village or community had let no opening to outside influence, but now money and western attitudes to money have cut into our organisation, and like a knife unzipping our solid structure, we are falling apart.

Where then is our hope? This lies within ourselves, the young people.

Our culture and traditions offer rich philosophical and practical views which are capable of making a better Samoa. It is our job and our direction to find and carry out what our elders had failed to weave into our society to make it more meaningful not only to us, but also for those who will be the young generations of the future.

In doing so, we will be helping our society, and most important, our selves.