Welcome to the Office of Samoan Affairs

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This website is supported by Grant Number 90ZD0009 from the Office of Family Assistance within the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Neither the Administration for Children and Families nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Administration for Children and Families and the Office of Family Assistance.

Headquarters: 454 E. Carson Plaza Dr. #109, Carson, CA 90746

Sacramento Main Office 2255 Watt Ave., Suite 385 Sacramento, CA 9582

Sacramento Satellite Office 11779 Bagota Way Rancho Cordova, CA 95742

June V. Pouesi, Executive Director

Talofa!

These are challenging times in California. With gas prices and the overall cost of living rising sharply, and the ongoing difficulties facing families across Los Angeles, many in our community are feeling the pressure. We see the extra hours you are working, the sacrifices you are making, and the worry you carry for your families.

Even in these difficult moments, I want to remind you of the strength that defines us as Samoan people. Our Christian heritage has always guided us, teaching us to trust in God, to lean on prayer, and to find hope in His faithfulness. Let us hold fast to our values of aiga (family), fa’a Samoa (the Samoan way), and caring for one another. In these trying times, may we draw closer to God and to our families for strength and comfort.

Together, we move onward. This season will pass, and we will emerge stronger as a community. Please know that the Office of Samoan Affairs stands ready to assist you. If you or your family need support, do not hesitate to call our office.

Fa’afetai tele. Be strong, trust in the Lord, take care of one another, and keep moving forward.

June

Opportunity

SPOTLIGHT

OSA GARDEN

OSA Wrap

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Samoan Community

Pacific Community

- Samoan Flag Day Celebration Marks Its 50th Anniversary in Carson, 2026
  Carson, California, once again served as the heart of Samoan cultural life in the United States this summer with the 50th Anniversary of Samoan Flag Day Los Angeles. Held August 1–8, 2026, at Victoria Regional Park, the week-long festival is the original and longest-running Samoan Flag Day celebration in the country, dating back to 1975.
  The event draws tens of thousands from across the Samoan diaspora—uniting families and communities from both American Samoa and the independent nation of Samoa—alongside friends and neighbors from the broader South Bay. Organizers framed this milestone year around the theme “Taking It Back To Our Roots – Toe Fo’i I Lo Tā’ua Fa’avae!” emphasizing cultural preservation, faith, family, and service (tautua).
  Highlights included an international cricket (kilikiti) tournament with teams from places such as Hawaii, Utah, and Australia; vibrant cultural performances featuring traditional dance, music, and Siva Afi (fire knife); authentic Samoan foods; arts and crafts vendors; and community gatherings that keep fa’a Samoa—the Samoan way—alive for younger generations. Performers such as island reggae artist Siaosi appeared during the week, and free admission kept the celebration accessible to all.
  Carson’s deep Samoan roots make the city a natural home for the festival. For half a century the gathering has offered a living expression of heritage rather than a museum display, strengthening identity and community ties in one of the largest Samoan populations outside the islands. As the 50th anniversary drew to a close, it stood as both a joyful reunion and a renewed commitment to passing culture, language, and values forward.

Samoan Band Tiama’a fights to retain original works lost to AI

TIAMAA

Tiama’a Band Founder Reverend Leatiogie Fafo Afualo, daughter and band performing at the 64 Independence Concert infront of the Government Building in June.

A YouTuber has responded to Tiama’a’s official statement calling for an end to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to remake, recreate or release the band’s original music without permission.

Tiama’a said it is actively working to remove unauthorized AI-generated versions of its music from digital platforms.

The band stressed that its songs carry Samoan language, stories, history and cultural legacy. However, Tiama’a said many AI-generated versions do not correctly pronounce the Samoan language.

The issue arose after Tiama’a contacted a YouTuber about an AI-generated remake of one of the band’s original songs, “Atulaolao le Vasa.”

Tiama’a asked the YouTuber to remove the song from the channel.

The YouTuber refused, saying there was nothing wrong with using AI to remake the song.

In a post, the YouTuber said Tiama’a had previously taken the song down from YouTube, prompting him to file a counterclaim.

He said YouTube then gave Tiama’a three weeks to respond.

“After 3 weeks Tiama’a did not respond, YouTube reinstated the song on my channel,” he stated.

Tiama’a Band Founder Leatiogie Fafo Afualo in a duo with and daughter in a video clip of Tiama’a Next Generation version of Aso Leaga.

In an interview in June when the band featured during the 64 Independence concert, Tiama’a Band founder, Leatiogie Fafo Afualo stressed the importance of copyright and following the rules and laws governing music copyrights.

He also advised the younger generation to stay away from using AI to create music and encouraged them to compose and perform their own songs using their God given natural talents instead of giving their work to AI.

He warned that allowing AI to create their music could result in the technology receiving credit rather than the young composers themselves.

Originally from Toamua village, Leatiogie founded Tiamaa Band in the 1970s with his brothers and relatives and composed and recorded songs that have become anthems such as “Samoa Matalasi” “Sosefina” “Pule Aoao le Atua” and recently re-recorded some of his more popular works such as “Aso Leaga” featuring his daughter who he said have been passed the talent as he now focuses on Gods work as a church pastor.

The Band has taken a conscious move to claim its original works and re-recording the songs accompanied by videos and a more aggressive marketing and protection of the works.

While Leatiogie he focused on a ministerial mission based in Wellington, his songs have been re-recorded by major artists such as the Five Sars, Jerome Grey, the late Fiji and overseas based Samoans, but he was never properly acknowledged as the writer and still not properly rewarded financially for his work.

Village performs ifoga for threatening remarks on PM

TALAMUA

Villagers from Saleapaga village in Samoa have performed a traditional apology or an ifoga, to Prime Minister La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt after a 49-year-old man from the village, Aumaga Aloalii, was charged over an alleged Facebook threat to kill the Prime Minister.

Aloalii was also identified as having lived in Aua village.

The formal apology followed a social media post in which Aloalii allegedly threatened to end the life of PM.

Police subsequently arrested and charged him in connection with the alleged threat.

The Prime Minister accepted the ifoga, as the village sought to apologize for the actions and words attributed to the defendant.

The ceremony was marked by visible emotion, with several ministers and the Prime Minister seen crying.

During the ceremony, Prime Minister Laauli spoke about the importance of repairing his relationship with Opposition Leader and former Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.

For Sale’apaga, the ifoga represented a traditional step towards acknowledging the offence, seeking forgiveness and restoring peace between the village, the Prime Minister and the Government.

ECONOMY: Samoa

American Samoa's Economic Development Authority announced two new bond series (2025A and 2025B) totaling millions for revenue refunding, amid threats to its fishing economy from climate change, deep-sea mining, and overfishing. A new $9 million Frankie Siusega Supermarket opened on October 25, signaling retail growth.

HEALTH CONCERNS

Health authorities report a surge in influenza and dengue fever cases, with over 200 confirmed dengue infections in the past week alone. Vaccination drives for flu are underway, and vector control measures (e.g., mosquito fogging) are intensified in Apia. In neighboring American Samoa (often covered in tandem due to shared health risks), a dengue outbreak has reached 348 confirmed cases, with sustained transmission.

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Tokelau loses nearly two-thirds of revenue after fisheries pact expulsion

RNZ Pacific

Caption:Waiting for boats to bring in their catchesPhoto credit:Elena Pasilio

Tokelau has lost more than 60 percent of its fishing revenue between February and June, according to New Zealand officials, following its expulsion from a key Pacific fisheries agreement.

The small self-governing territory was expelled from the Vessel Day Scheme (VDS) of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), which allows Pacific member countries to license fishing time in their waters, but no clear reason for the decision has yet emerged.

Correspondence released under the Official Information Act (OIA) revealed that Tokelau had been forced to revise its government budget “following significant loss of revenue” since the expulsion.

Offshore fisheries are Tokelau’s only source of independent revenue.

The minutes of a June meeting between New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Ulu o Tokelau Alapati Pita Tavite stated that: “NZ officials are working to better understand the matter in detail with a view to supporting Tokelau to seek readmission.”

Tokelau’s finances are not readily available. However, the latest estimate of revenue from its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), was about NZ$15 million in 2024.

Based on that figure, the loss could be near to NZ$9m – and that is just in five months.

As a result, Tokelau has become more dependent on New Zealand monetary assistance.

The New Zealand government has budgeted $138m for Tokelau between June 2024 and 2027, although no allowance has been made for the shortfall in Tokelau’s revenue.

The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) has maintained that it is actively lobbying the PNA, the coalition of Pacific countries that administers the VDS, to re-admit Tokelau.

However, PNA officials may not be persuaded by MFAT’s lobbying, as concern has been raised about the degree to which New Zealand influences Tokelauan fisheries. New Zealand is not a PNA member.

RNZ Pacific has seen minutes taken from a PNA summit in November that included an “expression of regret at Tokelau’s situation with New Zealand”, but did not outline any clear path to readmit Tokelau to the scheme.

“Tokelau’s latest update in their letter to Parties was that New Zealand’s position was not likely to change, which meant that Tokelau could no longer operate as it used to.”

“Certain Parties were already experiencing the effects of this in their dealings with Tokelau which were now proving difficult; past activities done in the past, such as trading of days were now proving difficult to undertake with Tokelau.”

Shortly after this was reported, the minutes were removed from the PNA website.

A Tokelau government spokesperson refused to comment, calling the matter “sensitive”.

An MFAT spokesperson said New Zealand is voicing its support for Tokelau at regional fora.

“Tokelau is seeking readmission to the PNA Vessel Day Scheme as a priority and is engaging with PNA members directly.”

“The decision on Tokelau’s readmission to the VDS is a matter for PNA Ministers to consider.”

Fiji church leaders told to lead by example, cut back on kava, quit smoking

RNZ Pacific

A kava bowl — Caption:Rev Dr Turagavou says over-consumption of kava has affected church attendance.Photo credit:RNZ / Jamie Tahana

The president of the Methodist Church in Fiji wants all lay pastors and ministers to refrain from the over-consumption of kava (yaqona) and stop smoking cigarettes.

In Fiji, nearly 70 percent of the population is Christain. The Methodist Church is the largest denomination and is especially dominant among indigenous iTaukei Fijians.

FIJI - DEC 18 2016:Sunday service in Methodist Church in Fiji. The Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma It is the largest Christian denomination in Fiji about 36 percent of the total population. — The Methodist Church is the largest denomination in Fiji.
123RF / Rafael Ben-Ari

Speaking at the opening service of the 2026 annual conference in Suva, Reverend Dr Semisi Turagavou said he wants greater discipline among ordained ministers and lay pastors.

He spoke candidly about the excessive consumption of yaqona within the ministry, stressing that the concern is not cultural but one of self-discipline.

He reaffirmed the Methodist Church’s existing ban on smoking, extending the same standard to lay pastors alongside ordained ministers, noting that congregations do not distinguish between the two when it comes to Christian example.

He said lay pastors and ministers are examples that church members look up to and they need to be “transformed” people, before the church members can be transformed.

“Spiritual authority is inseparable from spiritual discipline,” he told conference participants.

“A minister who cannot govern himself will struggle to shepherd others faithfully. It is in this spirit that I must once again speak about the excessive consumption of yaqona.

“I raise this matter not to shame anyone, nor to attack our culture or traditions, but because it has become a genuine burden upon our ministry and our witness.”

Rev Dr Semisi Turagavou receiving a whales tooth in the traditionall Fijian ceremony of welcome accorded to him by the Koroturaga Wesley Fijian church in Kapiti last Sunday. Photo: Koroturaga Fijian Wesley — Reverend Dr Semisi Turagavou
Koroturaga Fijian Wesley

He said this is not a cultural issue, as kava has an honoured place within the vanua and among the people.

He added the issue was not yaqona itself, but the absence of discipline, stating over-consumption of the traditional drink has affected church attendance, diminished the energy for evangelism and social outreach and weakened witnessing before congregations and the wider community, becoming a source of ridicule rather than respect.

“We must also recognise that our image matters alongside our message. Too often, the very bodies and bearing of our Ministers and lay pastors tell a story before we ever preach a sermon.

“Bloodshot eyes, weary appearances, dryness of skin, unsteady speech, and visible fatigue communicate the effects of excess. Whether we intend it or not, these things undermine the Gospel we proclaim.”

He said some people have left the church simply because of what they have seen church leaders doing, seeking what they believe to be “greener pastures, not because the Gospel has failed, but because they have been unable to find the spiritual leadership and pastoral care they long for”.

‘Honour our bodies as temples’

Rev Dr Turagavou said the church also maintained its stand on cigarette smoking.

The conference agreed last year to ban smoking by all church ministers, which now includes all lay pastors.

“This is not merely a regulation imposed by the Church; it is an expression of our calling to honour our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit and to live lives worthy of the Gospel we preach,” he stated.

“Lay pastors stand beside ordained ministers in the pulpit, in homes, at hospital bedsides, and before our congregations. The people do not distinguish between a Minister and a Lay Pastor when it comes to Christian example. Therefore, the standard of discipline cannot be different.

“I encourage every minister and every Lay Pastor who continues to struggle with smoking or with any habit that diminishes their witness to seek help, seek accountability, and seek freedom through Christ. The Church stands ready to walk alongside those who sincerely desire transformation.”

Rev Dr Turagavou also raised the importance of living a free life from financial burdens, plus a life that is focused around health and well-being.

He said non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become one of the greatest challenges in Fiji and the Pacific and he wants ministers and lay-pastors to express discipline in “what we eat, what we drink, how we rest, how we exercise”.

He stressed that the church suffers when ministers are weakened by diseases and sicknesses.

Rev Dr Turagavou also encouraged ministers to start planning their retirement early and ensure they have land and houses to retire to when they complete their ministerial services.

“Past experience has shown us that many of our Ministers do not retire well, often because they have no house or piece of land of their own to retire to, whether in their village or elsewhere,” he said.

“After decades of faithful service, some find themselves without a place to call home in their final years. This should not be so among us. I therefore urge every Minister, from the earliest years of your service, to plan ahead.”

The conference continues over the next few days, with the annual choir singing also being part of the annual event.

Topics like the ever increasing drug problem, HIV/Aids, rising crime cases, the church’s financial arm and annual budget plus the church’s own stand on same-sex marriage are expected to be part of the conference discussions.