Teaching
The Problems With Coming of Age
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Unit 10
Legacies of Colonialism in Samoa
In this unit (to accompany SAPIENS podcast S6E5), students will examine the legacies of the colonial era and how Samoans have striven to overcome them. Students will explore how ideologies shape language and the West’s view on Samoa and its people.
Learning Objectives
- Explore the legacies of colonialism in Samoa.
- Recognize how derogatory language toward Samoans misshaped the global view of Samoa and the Samoan people.
Sapiens articles
To Decolonize, We Must End the World as We Know It
A contributor to a special series on decolonizing anthropology argues that true decolonization would require the complete dismantling of existing global power structures, including academic disciplines.
How Can Societies Decolonize Conservation?
Two archaeologists reflect on how social hierarchies harm biodiversity and how to move away from conservation efforts based on colonialist values.
Keywords
View All in Violence
![Two pairs of scissors, two rocks, and two slips of paper rest on a pale-yellow surface.]()
![Dozens of papers with text on them are punctured and strung horizontally on wires.]()
![A white cartoon speech bubble on a red background is wrapped in barbed wire.]()
![A person wearing a gray T-shirt and tan baseball cap pushes buttons on a camera that is attached to a tree in the forest.]()
![A dark shelf leaning against a wall covered in gold-tinted wallpaper displays the personal items of a missing loved one, including a portrait of the person dressed in a black suit and tie, a photograph, a red plastic hard hat, and books.]()
![Clear water streams down moss-covered rocks amid thick, luxurious vegetation with broad tropical leaves and bright red and yellow flowers.]()
Playing Rock, Paper, Scissors Across the Red-Blue Divide
As toxic polarization deepens in the U.S., some global conflict prevention experts are now addressing political violence at home. An anthropologist shares three key insights from a community action program in Wisconsin.
Archived Haints
SAPIENS’ 2024 poet-in-residence conjures the voices of those imprisoned in archives.
Speaking Truth to Israel Requires More Than Academic Freedom
Educators and students critical of Israel’s war on Gaza face censorship, harassment, and dismissal. An anthropologist who researches coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians argues such critics need more than free speech protections.
Payangko, or Echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi)
After a 60-year haitus, an Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna was seen in Indonesia’s Cyclops Mountains. A poet-anthropologist reflects on the echidna’s message through the storied lens of the people of Yongsu Sapari.
For Families of Missing Loved Ones, Forensic Investigations Don’t Always Bring Closure
An anthropologist working in Azerbaijan looks beyond forensic science to understand the value of culturally specific ways people navigate uncertainty in protracted conflict zones.
Coastal Eden
A poet interrogates the garden of Eden origin story by reimagining it against the backdrop of East Africa’s coastal environment.
View All in Power
![A close-up image features two stained-orange hands holding a cluster of objects that look like small, orange strands.]()
![A person wearing a rust-colored hooded coat and a black face mask stands in front of a large facility while holding a red sign that reads: “It’s Been a Long Time Coming but I Know a Change Is Coming!”]()
![A woman’s legs and a man’s leg are shown against the backdrop of a stage where red, white, and blue colors are prominent. The man wears a black cowboy boot and black pants. The woman wears a cream-colored skirt and dark-blue high heels.]()
![Amid a crowd, a woman with dark auburn hair and a black jacket embraces a child who faces away from the camera and wears a jacket with blue cartoon monkeys on it.]()
![A person stands inside a moving flame of yellow light while sparks fly out in all directions. A second person stands on the left side holding an umbrella against the sparks.]()
![On a body of water surrounded by large trees, a person stands in and rows a canoe with a wooden paddle. Large white bags are piled near the front of the canoe.]()
The Land of Dreams
In a dystopian short story, an anthropologist imagines an alternate world in which Kashmiris are forbidden to dream.
Inside Amazon’s Union-Busting Tactics
An anthropologist reports on the impediments to labor organizing—and why it’s still worth trying.
The Shortcomings of Height in Politics
Why is height a focal point for some politicians? An anthropologist explores the significance of height—explaining how cultural perceptions influence and distort political dynamics in the U.S.
Inside Russia’s Campaign to Steal and Indoctrinate Ukrainian Children
An anthropologist investigates an insidious side of Russia’s genocide against Ukrainians meant to shatter families: snatching children and occupying their minds.
A Call for Anthropological Poems of Resistance, Refusal, and Wayfinding
SAPIENS is seeking poetry submissions for a curated collection that will publish next year. Deadline: September 1, 2024.
Cultivating Modern Farms Using Ancient Lessons
An anthropologist examines what past farmers can teach us about adapting to climate change amid—and sometimes against—powerful political influences.
View All in Mind
![A person with short gray hair wearing a pink, long-sleeved shirt and black pants hits a small swinging punching bag.]()
![Photographed from behind, two children wearing flip-flops hold hands and walk on a dirt trail between rows of tall trees. The taller child wears a skirt, and the other wears capris and a polo shirt.]()
![Public wall art depicts a woman with facial wrinkles and gray hair smoking a cigarette while surrounded by green leafy plants as well as red, blue, and yellow mushrooms.]()
![A photograph features a cluster of stars sporadically circling a larger and brighter central orb in a pitch-black sky.]()
![A photograph features a child with a cochlear implant sitting on a wooden chair at the end of a hallway. They are looking down at a handheld device they are using.]()
![A photograph features two people smiling and holding chopsticks. Surrounded by sunlight, they sit side-by-side at an outdoor table with plates, pots, and plastic cups on it.]()
Taking on Parkinson’s Disease—With Boxing Gloves and Punching Bags
In a California gym, people living with Parkinson’s practice noncontact boxing to redefine their experience of the disease and maintain a sense of self.
A Long Road Ahead
SAPIENS’ 2023 poet-in-residence questions where peace of mind can come from for Indian-occupied Kashmir.
The Psychedelics Industry Is Booming—but Who’s Being Left Out?
Three researchers discuss the possibilities and problems arising as psychedelic plant medicines, held sacred by many Indigenous communities, move into the global mental health and tourism industries.
“T”
A poet-anthropologist celebrates how the Orring people of southeastern Nigeria conceptualize the origins—and workings—of the cosmos.
Who Pays the Price When Cochlear Implants Go Obsolete?
Some cochlear implant users can’t afford to keep up with compulsory technology upgrades. After becoming dependent on the devices, they’re losing their hearing and feel abandoned by manufacturers.
What Is Linguistic Anthropology?
Linguistic anthropologists study language in context, revealing how people’s ways of communicating and expressing themselves interact with human culture, history, politics, identity, and much more.
Glossary
Globalism
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The lack of isolation of individual countries and the practice of creating a world with more fluent borders.
Language
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A set of words that is spoken and understood by a group of people.
Legacy
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Something that was passed on by the people who have lived before us.
Professor Talking Points
- Several countries played a role in the colonization of Samoa: Germany, New Zealand, and the United States. Lead students in considering how each country influenced Samoan culture.
- The legacies of colonial rule in Samoa are complex, as some are viewed negatively while others are seen in a positive light. Explore with students how Western traditions, views, and beliefs infused Samoan culture.
- Investigate how, despite colonization, Samoans have generally been able to preserve their traditions and cultures.
- Language can carry bias and affect a person’s empathy. Colonizing nations often used derogatory language to refer to the people they colonized, inhibiting the ability to understand them. Discuss how words like “savage” and “heathen” resulted in negative and false interpretations of non-Western cultures.
- Language is a powerful tool. It can uplift, and it can harm. Examine the impact language and its usage has had on the global view of Samoans.
Academic Articles
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Cervone, Carmen, Martha Augoustinos, and Anne Maass. 2021. “The Language of Derogation and Hate: Functions, Consequences, and Reappropriation.” Journal of Language and Social Psychology 40 (1): 80–101.
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McMullin, Dan Taulapapa. 2011. “Fa’afafine Notes: On Tagaloa, Jesus, and Nafanua.” Amerasia Journal 37 (3): 114–131.
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Sailiata, Kirisitina Gail. 2014. The Samoan Cause: Colonialism, Culture, and the Rule of Law. Ph.D. diss., University of Michigan.
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Tuia, Tagataese Tuia. 2019. “Globalization, Culture and Education in Samoa.” International Online Journal of Primary Education 8 (1): 51–63.
Student Discussion Questions
- Discuss the colonial legacies that are still found in Samoa.
- What, if any, influence did colonialism have on the educational system in Samoa?
- How does language shape our view of other people and ourselves? Include examples to support your points.
- Discuss how derogatory language can be used to devalue other people and how this can impact our society.
Activities
- Watch “How Language Shapes the Way We Think” in Additional Resources. Create a list of your thoughts while you are watching this video. How would derogatory language play a role in the topic of this video?
- Can language be used to intentionally manipulate other people’s perceptions of the world? Write an essay arguing your opinion.
- Create an infographic highlighting a selected colonial nation in Samoa.
- Create a list of at least two cultural aspects that were influenced by Germany and New Zealand and that can still be found in Samoa.
Additional Resources
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Podcast: Dayonara Gaoteote’s “Keeping SĀMOA in American Samoa” in American Samoa Politics: Performing SĀMOA
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Video: Lera Boroditsky’s TEDx Talk “How Language Shapes the Way We Think”
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Video: UN Story’s “The Shocking Link Between Hate Speech and Genocide”
Unit By
Nadine Rodriguez, Freedom Learning Group
Teaching
The Problems With Coming of Age
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Unit 11
Unpacking the Mead–Freeman Controversy
