a matter of etiquette?

Death in a Samoan dawn— a matter of etiquette?

Luaiemaga raonu

IT seems such a silly thing that a petty argument over a matter of Samoan etiquette should be the cause of the death of a prominent Ameri can Samoan senator. Yet, this was not the first time a Samoan has lost his life over a matter of etiquette.

Samoans take their etiquette seri ously. To follow it strictly is the aim of every Samoan matai (chief). To know it is the sign of wisdom. To be ignorant of it is a sign of stupid ity. Hence, in every Samoan cere mony, much time is spent on debat ing matters of hierarchy, the form and content of ceremony. Often, harsh words are spoken between the debaters. Often, the debates end happily. Debates are to be expected in Samoan custom. It is not for nothing that Samoans are known as the finest orators in the Pacific. But once in a while the debates end at the point of a bush knife or the blast of a shotgun.

On Thursday, December 19, Senator Lualemaga Faoliu, a very high chief from the village of Aoloau, American Samoa, was sleeping with his wife at Satuiatua village, Upolu, Western Samoa. The chief had earlier been in high spirits: he had just completed the building of what is considered to be the biggest, tradi tional meeting-house in American Samoa. Tragedy had struck. At the very time of the dedication of the new building, his head tufuga (car penter) had died, presumably of heart attack. So he, his wife, and a few orators had travelled to Western Samoa to accompany the dead body of his tufuga.

Now, at 5 am, an assailant went to the house where Lualemaga and his wife were asleep and shot the senator in the stomach at close range.

The senator died in hospital. The police were alerted but the man, who was alleged to have shot the senator, had taken a bus and turned himself in at Tuasivi police station.

The man was Alainuuese Liu, 38, also a matai.

Telephone calls flew back and forth between American Samoa Governor Ruth, Senate President Salanoa and other American Samoan leaders, Western Samoa Prime Minister Tupua Tamasese and Wes tern Samoan leaders. Final arrange ments were made to return the sen ator’s body to the territory as soon as possible.

At first, the Western Samoa government authorities planned to have several cabinet ministers and members of parliament accompany Lualemaga’s body to American Samoa. But Governor Ruth appar ently prevented the ministers’ coming for fear of reprisals against them from members of Lualemaga’s aiga.

Under the circumstances, it was better to take precautions. However, Cardinal Pio Taofinuu, Bishop of Apia, accompanied the senator’s body the next day.

It is not absolutely certain whether the Western Samoa Government asked him to do this risky task, or that he intervened in what could well have been the start of a bloody feud between members of Luale maga’s aiga and those of his alleged assassin.

In the old days, a murder of a high chief would have resulted in the instant extermination of the offen der and his aiga and probably a war. The higher the chief the more widespread the war would be.

But this is modern Samoa. The law now takes precedence in the lives of most Samoans. Governor Ruth acted wisely in preventing the visit of the Western Samoan govern ment dignitaries. Cardinal Pio exer cised great heroism and accepted much personal humiliation by ac companying Lualemaga’‘s body.

Thousands of American Samoans were at the airport to honour the dead Lualemaga. The body was im mediately brought to the Senate where after a brief one-hour cere mony, it was taken to Aoloau for burial. Lualemaga’s seat in the Senate has now been taken by former Delegate-at-Large, Fuimaono Asuemu.

When Cardinal Pio returned to Apia he described his reception by

the American Samoans to the Samoan Times.

“I could feel the anger and hatred in the hundreds of people that awaited us at Tafuna Airport”, his Eminence said. “But I felt a great sense of peace because I knew I was with God”.

He said the tension eased con siderably and was replaced by the spirit of peace after he had appealed to them for forgiveness in Jesus Christ’s name in a service at the Fono House at Fagatogo.

“The armed police escort that met me at the airport took me to the village of the dead senator, and the villagers were all prepared for trouble”, he said.

“But a matai came out and said that even though they had felt the sting of what had happened and that they wanted an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, it was hard for them because Christ had come through the messenger of peace and that it was time for them to drop their guns.

“And those that had guns dropped them”.

The forthcoming trial is creating wide interest. What was the reason for the killing? According to one story, Lualemaga was shot because of Alainuuese’s anger at the way Lualemaga had disgraced him in front of other chiefs at the kava ceremony following the reception of the tufuga’s body at his village on Savaii.

In a Samoan kava ceremony, authorities say that the two most important persons (according to the traditional hierarchy) in the cere mony are given the first, or the last cup of kava to be offered at the ceremony. Lualemaga was not given either the first or the last cup and became indignant at this. He there upon scolded the master-of ceremonies, Alainuuese Liu.

Apparently, Lualemaga used some strong words and made a fool of Alainuuese. For a Samoan orator to be made a fool of is considered the highest of indignities. It means he does not know his Samoan etiquette and that he is not fitted to express any opinion on such mat ters in future.

From FELISE VA’A in Pago Pago