This last weekend was the Coastweeks Family Fun Beach Day.
It’s a huge annual event put on by the Department of Commerce Coastal Management Program and supported by various agencies and businesses. There are outrigger canoe races, kayak races, food booths, jumping castles, water slides, stand up paddling, game booths, prizes, and live entertainment – and they are all going on at the same time. As the name suggests, it’s a beach day plus a lot of fun.
“The Siva Samoa is an essential part of the culture.”
I was busy running around coordinating two paddling teams, a game booth, and a photo booth, and was lucky to have caught a break right in time to watch the Utulei youth group hit the stage. Their performance included a sāsā, aufaipese, traditional siva, and the taualuga.
The Siva Samoa is an essential part of the culture. Song and dance to tell a story, retell old legends, and give praises to God. It’s one of the many beautiful parts of growing up in American Samoa. Though I don’t usually dance, my heart still swells a little with pride when I see the smiling faces and the bright and colorful puletasi.
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