What's in a name?

By Chris Peteru

Few would have thought discarding the Western from Samoa would be seen as cultural genocide mixed with top of the line treachery.

However, those are the kind of charges being put to the Samoan government by their American Samoan counterparts resid ing 80 miles to the east.

As far as the United States territory is concerned, they have been sold down the river by their cousins, leaving them with a half baked identity and hurt feelings to boot. It’s all set to turn even more unsavoury soon.

The rumbling began back in August when Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana pushed the third parliamentary reading of an amendment saying Western Samoan was to be no more.

Since 1976, the country been called Samoa at the United Nations. To avoid fur ther confusion it is time to make it official, Alesana told the 49 seat parliament where the ruling Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) hold a huge majority. Historically, both names are a colonial throwback under the 1899 Berlin Treaty between the US, Germany and Great Britain. With the Americans and Germans carving up the 17 mainly uninhabited islands lying to the east and west of the group, Great Britain was compensated in the Solomons.

Samoa National Development Party opposition leader Tuiatua Tamasese argued American Samoa would get riled over the Island state’s new identity without being consulted first. “There might be a thought in Tutuila (American Samoa’s main island) that we are being arrogant” SNDP member Fuimaono Mimio told parliament.

They were right. Following an escalat ing war of words both sides have now posi tioned themselves to play hardball over who gets to be called what. Little room has been left to back down. Long before any cock had crowed three times, Seti Lopa from American territories house of repre sentatives was denying that the HRPP gov ernment had exclusive rights to the Samoa

designation.

In a drink, this move care initiated by Lopa, American Samoa is in the process of

finalising some prickly legislation of its

own. If passed next month it means any passports and official documents with Government of Samoa written will get bounced back from the US territory.

“We are just as 100 percent Samoan as they are, we are non -palagis (Europeans) but only they can be called Samoans,” he told his fellow representatives.

Feelings of a looming identity crisis increased, during the South Pacific Mini Games hosted by them in August this year.

There for all to hear was the name Samoa being announced publicly he added. It was gold medal humiliation.

“Where are the official steps that should have been taken to find out how Tutuila and Manus would feel about the change?”

He received support from house speak er Mailo Nua and other members, includ ing district governor Sauvusa Tauileva a son in law of Samoa’s head of state.

“It makes us feel only half Samoans, not full blooded” insisted the governor.

With that emotional ground swell the legislation sailed through the 21 member lower house. But the main play comes next month when the bill comes before the 18 seat upper house senate. If passed, there it all but turns the bill into law.

The sense of a Judas type betrayal heightened when a group of American Samoa officials including Lopa flew into to Apia to try and reach an understanding with the head of state Malietoa Tanumafili II and deputy prime pinister Tuilaepa Malielegaoi. As it turned out the highlight of the trip could have been the plane ride.

While talks with Malietoa were cordial enough, the pleasantries ended there.

When tricky situations arise, Malielegaoi often takes on the characteris tics of a US Navy SEAL, specifically an ability to dive to great depths effortlessly, plus a talent for armed and unarmed com bat. The grim silence as the American Samoan representatives came out of his office said it all. They had taken one in the forehead.

“What has happened shows the arro gance of the leaders of Samoa,” a vexed Lopa said after the 45 minute meeting.

Tuilaepa (Malielegaoi) told us he sees no reason why American Samoa should be affected with the changing of Samoa’s

name. He also said we can go ahead with the bill, but to keep in mind that Samoa will retaliate.” Alesana, a native of American Samoa told Tala Nei news agen cy that kissing cousins aside “I feel (the bill) is a rash thought, irresponsible. “We are an independent state, they are a territo ry of America. That means that if we talk about this matter, we talk to America.”

However, the opposition have offered some qualified support to the American

Samoan legislators.

“For Samoa to claim exclusively the name Samoa implies an inferior status on American Samoa. And because of reserva tions expressed earlier, I strongly advise government to consult with the people of American Samoa,” says Tamasese.

About 165,547 other people who weren’t consulted namely the rest of Samoa, have taken scant notice of the lat est government public relations disaster.

Conspiracy theorists believe the sud denness of the name change could be tied in with a passport scandal that has caused plenty of political embarrassment and fin ger pointing. A loss of goodwill with kins men is the least of the two Samoa’s wor

ries compared to the potential financial problems from a successful senate vote.

Money is one factor as to why the odds of the two groups of islands ever uniting remains steadfastly remote. With little in the way of a domestic commercial of man ufacturing sector, American Samoa relies heavily on the millions of dollars each year from the US Federal budget. In contrast, Samoa has several times found itself almost bankrupt since independence 35 years ago, and suffered from a history of self inflicted financial mismanagement second to none.

Nevertheless treasury now reports steady growth of around five percent since 1995, and an emerging entrepreneurial spirit augurs well for the future (see fea ture). Large numbers of Samoans though still shop on the US territory where goods are a lot cheaper than their own staggering cost of living and low wages.

The Samoa Chamber of Commerce estimates that in 1996 its citizens poured SUSI 4 million into their economy.

Thousands of menial jobs often shunned by American Samoans have been snapped up by Samoans and other Pacific Islanders

looking to support their families back home. Despite the common heritage there remains a competitive edge between the two islands as to who is really cutting it in the region. For years the more affluent American Samoans dismissed their west ern relatives like poor country hick cousins.

For years thousands of Samoans visit ing the territory have had their passports confiscated by smug immigration officials to ensure they return home once their visas expire. No reciprocal arrangement has been enforced. Stories of patronising treat ment are common. Now with increasing US indifference to American Samoa, the swing toward island states opting for inde pendence, and a Samoa on the rise, the tables have in a sense been turned.

“We hate to see this bill passed because we are all Samoans, where is the tradition al customary formality?” says representa tive Lopa. Final approval from the US Interior Secretary is needed to give the anti Samoa law a full set of teeth. Failing that Lopa says they are prepared to go to the United Nations. No doubt Samoa’s lone Navy SEAL has been alerted. ■