GALEA’I NAMED FALE’ULA O FATUA’I’UPU PRESIDENT FOR 2004-2005
(Mapusaga, American Samoa): PC Galea’i M. Tuufuli, Manu’a District Governor, has been selected as the next President of the Fale’ula o Fatua‘i‘upu, an international organization dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of the Samoan language. Galea’i, a member of the American Samoa Itulagi (chapter), will begin his presidency at the close of the 2004 fonotele (annual conference) to be held in Honolulu on July 8th and 9th, and he will serve until the close of the next fonotele, which will take place here in American Samoa during the summer of 2005. The selection was made during the American Samoa Itulagi commissioners’ meeting at the American Samoa Community College last week.
In making this announcement, Fale’ula Secretary and ASCC President, Dr. Adele Satele-Galea’i, explained that the Fale’ula Constitution provides for the hosting itulagi to select the chairman for the fonotele it will host. The Constitution further states that the chairperson selected by the hosting itulagi will assume the presidency of the overall Faleula organization, and will serve until the conclusion of the following year’s fonotele, when a successor is announced. "The organization will be informed of the American Samoa Itulagi’s decision in the July fonotele, at the close of which a ‘changing of the guards’ will be held," Dr. Galea’i added. At present, Tofa Aumua M. Simanu of the University of Hawaii Samoan Studies staff is the Fale’ula President.
Included in the meeting’s agenda was the confirmation of two more commissioners for American Samoa. Tofa Seuamuli Fiamalua, Samoan Language and Culture instructor at ASCC, and Tofa Muli’aumasealii A. Ripine, Chairman of ASCC’s Samoan Language and Culture Department, were named to fill the 7th and 8th slots. Dr. Satele-Galea’i said that the decision reflected the need to have college and university instructors serve as commissioners.
"Of the five itulagi’s making up the association," Dr. Satele-Galea’i went on to say, ‘"three - Samoa, Aotearoa, and Hawaii - have selected their commissioners from among members who are college and university professors. We feel there is a need for us to include ASCC Samoan language instructors among our commissioners to better equip our itulagi to cope with the mission of the organization."
The other commissioners are the Hon. Fonoti Vaeao, Chairman of the Humanities Council; Dr. Malaetele L. Tuitele, Director of Education; HC Tau’iliili Pemerika, representing the religious community, PC Galea’i M. Tuufuli, representing government operations, and Susuga Aeoainuu A. Tamaalelagi, representing the media.
Dr. Satele-Galea’i pointed out that the number of commissioners from each itulagi has caused some controversy among the overall membership of the organization. At the commission’s first meeting in 2000, Samoa and American Samoa each were assigned four commissioners; Aotearoa and Hawaii, three; and Los Angeles, two. Two years later, during the fonotele at Wellington, New Zealand in 2002, each of the itulagis was given a free hand in naming the commissioners they each needed.
Then last year in Carson," Dr. Satele-Galea’i said, "it was decided that all itulagi’s should have equal representation, and the number of eight commissioners was agreed upon. In the upcoming Honolulu fonotele, we hope to introduce and pass a constitutional amendment to formalize this change."
Other subjects for discussion during the upcoming Honolulu fonotele will include plans for the 2005 conference to be held here in American Samoa and the Fale’ula monolingual dictionary project.
In closing, Dr. Satele-Galea‘i wishes to inform the public that a general meeting of the American Samoa Itulagi of the Fale’ula will be held this coming Tuesday, May 18th, at 9 a.m. in the ASCC Land Grant conference room. "We invite all members of the public who wish to join us in our effort to preserve and to promote proper use of our language to this meeting," concluded the Fale’ula Secretariat.