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American Samoa Government - PR002-12152025
Posted: December 15, 2025
Auai Sui o Amerika Samoa i le Fonotele o A’oa’oga a Tagata Atunuu
i le Lalolagi i Aotearoa
AUKILANI, Niu Sila - Na fai ma sui o Amerika Samoa le Komisi o le Gagana Samoa i le Fonotele a Tagata Atunuu i le Lalolagi i A’oa’oga po’o le “World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education (WIPCE),” ma na faia i le aso 16 se’ia o’o i le aso 20 o Novema i Aoteroa, Niu Sila. O nei sui auai na ta’ita’ia e le Afioga i le Faatonu Sili ia Elisapeta Tupo Alaimaleata, faatasi ai ma le su’esu’e o lea ofisa, le Susuga ia John Pātū, o le Susuga ia Don Maifala mai le Ofisa o le Kovana Sili o Amerika Samoa, ae faapea le Afioga i le Peresetene o le Kolisi Tuufaatasi o Amerika Samoa ia Dr. Rosevonne Pato.
O le WIPCE o sē tasi o fonotaga tele fa’avāomālō e taula’i i a’oa’oga a tagata atunuu. E faia i tausaga ta’itolu, ma e faapotopoto pe faatasi atu i ai faiaoga, o tagata su’esu’e, ta’ita’i o nuu ma alaalafaga, ma tagata aooga mai atunuu eseese. E faitau afe ni pepa o su’esu’ega na fa’amatu’u atu mo lea fonotaga i lenei tausaga, peita’i, pe na’o le tusa ma le 300 na filifilia pe lautogia ma faalauiloa aloa’ia ai. Mai ia pepa o su’esu’ega, e lua na saunia faapitoa atu e sui usufono mai Amerika Samoa ma o ia fo’i pepa, na aloa’ia ma filifilia uma lava, o lea la na avea ma sini autu ua iloga lona tūla’i mai e fai ai ma ‘ai o lea faamoemoe, ae maise o tatou tagata na auai i lea fonotaga.
Na faalauiloa i le folasaga aloa’ia a le Afioga i le Faatonu Sili ia Elisapeta Tupo Alaimaleata, le galuega faifai pea a le Komisi o le Gagana Samoa e faatumau ma faamalosia ai le gagana Samoa. Sa faafoe fo’i le folasaga a le su’esu’e o le Komisi o le Gagana Samoa i Amerika Samoa, le Susuga ia John Pātū ma faaulutalaina ai lea pepa, “Faavaeina o le Ōfaga Leo mo le Taumafai e Tapu’e le Faaolaolaina o le Gagana Samoa i Setete o Amerika” poo le “Establishing the Ōfaga Leo for Samoan Language Revitalization in Stateside Samoan Communities.” O lea faamoemoe e taula’i i le lagolagoina o aiga Samoa o loo nopia’i ma aumau i atunuu e mamao, ae maise lava i a latou taumafaiga e tausisia ma faaolaola le gagana Samoa i totonu o o latou aiga.
A o auai i lea fonotaga, na feiloa’i ma feso’ota’i fiafia ai fo’i sui usufono mai Amerika Samoa ma le to’atele o faiaoga ma tamaiti aoga Samoa mai le lalolagi atoa. I sē tasi o faatasiga, na fesili ai se tamaitiiti aoga Samoa mai Texas pe mafai ona ātīna’e nisi o punā’oa i luga o le upega o tafa’ilagi (internet) e lagolago ma fesoasoani ai mo tagatanuu o Samoa o loo aumau ma nonofo i atunuu i fafo, ae maise i latou o loo fia utuvai ma a’oa’o le gagana poo le tofi o Samoa. O lenei talosaga e faaalia ai le si’itia o le fiafia i galuega a le Komisi o le Gagana Samoa ma le Kolisi Tuufaatasi o Amerika Samoa, ua faamauina ai fo’i se mana’oga laualuga e tusa o le fia faalautele o ni avanoa lē ‘aumaua o loo mo’omia e o tatou aiga Samoa i fafo atu ma le atunuu.
Na filifilia fo’i Amerika Samoa e fai ma sē tasi o nofoaga e lona fitu i ai le filifiliga ma ua valaauina faapitoa e ono tuu i ai talosaga a le isi Fonotele o le WIPCE i le 2028, e talimālō ai mo lena faamoemoe. E ui la e le’i filifilia le teritori e talimālō i lenei tausaga, peita’i, o le aofia ai i lea filifiliga faapitoa ae maise taualumaga tau faasolo o lenei faamoemoe taualoa, ua faaeaina ma alia’e ai taumafaiga faifai pea a Amerika Samoa i a’oa’oga a tagata atunuu ua amana’ia i le lalolagi atoa.
O le isi Fonotaga a le WIPCE 2028 o le a faia i Waikoloa, Hawaii. Ua amata fo’i ona fuafua le Komisi o le Gagana Samoa e u’una’ia le auai fa’alaua’itele mai o faiaoga, o tamaiti aoga, ma pā’aga mai nuu ma alaalafaga o Amerika Samoa i lea faamoemoe tāua tele.
Mo nisi faamatalaga e uiga i le Komisi o le Gagana Samoa o Amerika Samoa poo ni avanoa i le lumana’i e auai ai i le fonotaga o le WIPCE, faamolemole fa’afeso’ota’i le ofisa o le Komisi i le imeli slc@go.as.gov; telefoni 633-7526. E mafai fo’i ona feso’ota’i mai i la matou itulau o le apiofoliga poo le Facebook.
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American Samoa Delegation Participates in Global Indigenous
Education Summit in Aotearoa
AUCKLAND, New Zealand - The Samoan Language Commission recently represented American Samoa at the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education, held from November 16 to 20 in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The delegation was led by Executive Director Elisapeta Alaimaleata, along with Project Manager John Falaniko Pātū, Don Maifala from the Office of the Governor, and Dr. Rosevonne Pato, President of the American Samoa Community College.
WIPCE is one of the most significant international gatherings focused on Indigenous education. Held every three years, it brings together educators, researchers, community leaders, and students from many nations. Several thousand abstracts were submitted for this year’s conference, and only an estimated 300 were selected for presentation. Both of the abstracts submitted by American Samoa were chosen, which was a meaningful achievement for the delegation.
Director Alaimaleata presented on the ongoing work of the Samoan Language Commission to stabilize and strengthen the Samoan language. Project Manager John Pātū shared his research titled “Establishing the Ōfaga Leo for Samoan Language Revitalization in Stateside Samoan Communities,” which focuses on supporting diaspora families in their efforts to maintain the language at home.
While attending the conference, the delegation also met and networked with many Samoan educators and students from around the world. During one session, a Samoan student from Texas asked if more online resources could be developed to support members of the diaspora who want to continue learning the language. This request reflects the growing interest in the work of the Samoan Language Commission and the American Samoa Community College, and the need to expand access for Samoan families abroad.
American Samoa was also selected as one of seven places invited to submit a bid to host the 2028 WIPCE Conference. Although the territory was not chosen as the final host, being included in the selection process was an honor and shows that American Samoa’s ongoing efforts in Indigenous education are being recognized internationally.
The next WIPCE Conference will take place in Waikoloa Hawaii. The Samoan Language Commission is already planning to encourage broader participation from educators, students, and community partners.
The delegation was also able to attend the Annual General Meeting of the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC) from November 13-14 held at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, one of New Zealand’s leading Indigenous providers of tertiary education.
The Meeting was an opportunity for American Samoa to meet with Indigenous educators, researchers, advocates, and professionals from various educational and research institutions and government agencies across the globe to discuss the advancement of Indigenous education at all levels.
WINHEC also serves as an Indigenous accreditation body and the Commission aims to work with them to provide accreditation of programs focused on Samoan language and culture within the Territory.
Additionally, the Commission hopes to host an Annual General Meeting in the future and believes this will provide opportunities for collaborations between local educational institutions in American Samoa and potential partners throughout the world of Indigenous education.
For more information about the Samoan Language Commission or future opportunities to participate in WIPCE, please contact the Commission office at slc@go.as.gov or visit their website at www.samoanlanguagecommission.as.gov.
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