This is what an old Cook Islands chief told us in his welcome speech to our Samoan Delegation to a Forum Leaders meeting in Rarotonga in 1974.
Our delegation was led by our late Prime Minister Fiame Mata’afa Faumuina Mulinu’u II.
The chief wept as he spoke those words that day.
Many years before that, a famous Maori scientist and archaeologist, Sir Peter Buck, had asked an old Samoan matai where the Samoans originated from.
“We grew up here,” he said.
But according to archaeological findings, Sir Peter explained the Polynesians originated from the Caucasian Region in Central Asia and migrated through the Malaysian Peninsula, then sailed out to inhabit the many islands in the Pacific located within a triangle from Hawai’i in the North to Easter Island in the East to Aotearoa in the South.
The Samoan chief responded, “may be true for other islands but for Samoa, we grew up here!”
For over 3,000 years Samoans lived peacefully on these islands and occasionally we would engage in small village/district quarrels which were sometimes traced to unavoidable love affairs for nothing better to do!
We developed our cultural institutions to enact laws and punish the wrongdoers.
Authoritarian corrupt leaders were banished by the Fono!
No royal title holder is immune, even to this day.
Samoan style democracy predates Western Democracy which we have adopted for our Government of today.
And many of these practices which contribute to order in the villages of today are still recognised by our Courts, established under the Palagi laws.
Cultural experiences in managing people’s behavior are not new to the matai who regularly attend their village matai Fono.
All kinds of corrupt behavior can be seen miles away.
With the approval of the three bi-elections, we may soon see how the Government resources may be used under the guise of food security.
And the rumblings of a possible special ava bonus is already blowing in the wind!
Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi
Leader of HRPP