INDEPENDENCE REFLECTIONS (Pays to read through) Today we celebrate 52yearrs of Samoan Independence. It should be a time of celebration and joy for the free people of Samoa. But there is something unsightly troubling about this, for me at least. We were free for over a 1000 years before all this. This is a celebration of something that should not have been there in the first place. When did we become dependent and to whom? Did Samoa ask to be a Dependent nation? Should Independence be celebrated or tolerated? In her proud history, Samoa, a nation of free people in the South Pacific, was ensnared by the tide of land grabbing Colonial times. Samoa became dependent not by its own volition or will. A great injustice was performed by the Colonial Powers of the 19th century in deciding the fate of not only Samoa but many free nations around the world. That a people, a country needed to be harnessed, controlled, governed and made subjects of foreign nations was the great Crime of the 19th Century. At the height of the Colonial Grab, in 1889 on the 15th of March the three great powers - USA, Germany and Britain - gathered in Samoa to annex the islands, East and West. The summit was thrown into chaos as the Great Hurricane blew with fury. Six warships were moored at the mouth of Apia Harbour. It must have been quite a sight! The storm battered and bruised the nations. Six warships were destroyed with the loss of 160 lives. The only survivor was the British destroyer SS Calliope. The Calliope managed to crawl out to sea where it weathered the storm. Britain attended the summit as a member of the Tripartite Convention and to act as mediator between the US and Germany. The Tripartite Convention negotiations were to take another 10 years before being formalised in 1899. In the end America took Eastern Samoa, Tutuila ma Manua. The Germans secured Samoa for themselves - Upolu ma Savaii. The people of Samoa to that point had been living their lives as they have done hundreds of years without realising the load of Dependency was being lowered upon their shoulders. We had no say. East and West was divided by the nations. Eastern Samoa became American Samoa and Upolu and Savaii were named German Samoa. Samoa was divided forever!! I weep at the loss of the two Samoa, forever separated and parted. It is like two brothers being separated in their youth to be raised in different foster homes away from a common heritage and connection. Now that we are quite some years (115 years) into this separation, we have forgotten what life would be like had we remained blood siblings. What would it be like for the two Samoas to form one government again under our own steam? That is a discussion for another time. Britain cannot escape lightly here, for the nations had reached agreement that Britain was to have the Fiji Islands. Germany was to abandon its rights in Tonga and Britain would do the same in Samoa. In return Britain was the mediator at the division of the Samoa Islands. When Germany lost the Great War in 1914 Samoa was freed from one master only to be given to another. Western Samoa was put under NZ Administration by the United Nations. For the next 48 years Western Samoa (1914-1962) remained a Dependent people by the will not of its own but of powers from beyond her shores. That changed in 1962 when, after a long process, Samoa was deemed to be sufficiently resourced to be in charge of her own affairs. The fight for freedom, not independence, was long and hard and is well documented. Samoa was the first Pacific country to be granted the privilege of Independence. What privilege?? Samoa was free when she was made Dependent! I know Samoan readers will want me to push it home here against the evils of the NZ administration particularly in the 1920s. But in the spirit of Reconciliation and Forgiveness that matter was addressed in 2002 by then NZ Prime Minister Helen Clark. She delivered the Apology from the People and the Govt of NZ to the People of Samoa at the 2002 Independence Commemorations. I do not know whether Samoa has received a similar act of contrition from Germany or from Britain. I do not think so. I believe along with the struggle particularly during the NZ Administration that Samoa learnt some good things - the process of modern government, the rule of law and justice and modern Economic management. Lets not ignore that part of our history when Samoa was divided within herself in her Kingships and Titles Wars during the 19th century. This in part facilitated allies between factions and the Colonials. In the 52 years since Independence Samoa has slowly come of Age. We have a functional democracy, a vibrant economy, and many other things going for us. We are making our own decisions too! In 1997 the remnant of Colonial branding was taken off our shoulders. The name “Western” was removed from the name of our Country. The country returned to being simply, Samoa. In her freedom of expression and ancient wisdom the people of Samoa have changed a few other things too – like changing the side of the Road our cars travel on, from right to left. Also, changing days and times, by moving the International Dateline from west to east. Samoa is enjoying her ancient freedom and will to chart her own voyage as she did in the past. The tide of Dependency has not gone away and is not far from our shores. The battle today is not political, but Economic dependency. The latter could be more unforgiving than the former. So whilst we celebrate this Independence and Freedom, lets not forget that keeping that Freedom is an ongoing task. Happy Freedom Day Samoa. Let us protect it well.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Jun 2014 21:39:21 +0000
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