teine Sāmoa – -MALAGA-

#SLW2020 Learnings Part 1: So what now?

Is it just me, or was Samoan language week on another level this year?

Busy with Teine Sāmoa and our Mila’s My Gagana Series promotions, I couldn’t help but share my new discoveries with educators, principals and interviewers.

It just seemed like everywhere online something was happening, someone was sharing, people were showing and some of us were launching things that were all in support of promoting Samoan language, culture and identity.

Is it just me, or was Samoan language week on another level this year?

Teine Sāmoa FYI’s

Accidental Writing 101: ‘Teine Sāmoa’, the book.

CONGRATULATIONS to Azalia Le-Valasi Samasoni – the winner of our Mila’s Cover Model Competition. Fa’afetai tele lava to her mother and photographer, Anita Peniata, for sending through this stunning picture for our Teine Sāmoa book cover.

Over this lockdown period I wrote. A lot. Reflections, articles, poems. And across 7 days, I accidentally wrote a book – Teine Sāmoa.

It all started off by reflecting on my own teine Sāmoa journey which was published by e-tangata last year, ‘Don’t you want to be Sāmoan?’, and the overwhelming response to this article. The countless number of messages and emails. People sharing vivid recounts of their own experiences which told the same story:
– Not knowing our Sāmoan language or elements of our Sāmoan culture.
– Being told they were not Sāmoan enough.
– Being told that being Sāmoan was not good enough.
– Not being supported in developing cultural confidence or knowledge and being embarrassed by or shamed for this.
– Turning away from our Sāmoan language and culture due to any/some/all of the above, when all they longed for was to be supported, included and accepted as Sāmoan.

Mila’s Next Top Model: ‘Teine Sāmoa’ Book Cover Model WANTED!

Are you the book cover model for our next tusi faitau, Teine Sāmoa?

Teine Sāmoa, is a young adult fiction e-book which follows 4 junior high school students on their journey of cultural identity and discovery as Teine Sāmoa.