Lē ʻāiga na lalaʻa mai i vasa (The family that has been wandering the sea): Using community-based research with the tama uli of Aʻele, Sāmoa in understanding identity in connection to place

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dc.contributor.advisorGenz, Joseph
dc.contributor.authorCooper-Moussa, David
dc.contributor.departmentHeritage Management
dc.date.accessioned2025-06-27T18:44:34Z
dc.date.available2025-06-27T18:44:34Z
dc.date.issued2025-05
dc.description.degreeM.A.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10790/43996
dc.subjectCultural anthropology
dc.subjectSocial research
dc.subjectHistory of Oceania
dc.subjectblackbirding
dc.subjectidentity
dc.subjectoral history
dc.subjectSamoa
dc.subjectTama Uli
dc.subjectvoluntary immobility
dc.titleLē ʻāiga na lalaʻa mai i vasa (The family that has been wandering the sea): Using community-based research with the tama uli of Aʻele, Sāmoa in understanding identity in connection to place
dc.typeThesis
dcterms.abstractThe village of Aʻele, in Sāmoa, stands apart from traditional Samoan villages due to its unique land lease system. In this study, I investigate the connection and perception of place among the descendants of tama uli (lit. black man) in Aʻele. I explore how these descendants perceive their ties to the village through the lens of “voluntary immobility” (Yee et al. 2022), a theoretical framework describing communities that choose to remain on their ancestral lands despite challenges. I employ a multifaceted methodological approach, including grounded theory, ethnography, indigenous methods, and narrative research, to conduct oral history recordings in collaboration with community leaders. The study uncovers the factors influencing voluntary immobility in Aʻele and its impact on residents’ sense of place, community well-being, cultural preservation, and social capital. The historical backdrop of Aʻele, marked by the importation of laborers from Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands during the colonial plantation era and subsequent land lease agreements, frames the current socio-political dynamics of the village. The analysis of the oral history transcripts produced three key themes: communal identity, connection with the land, and family. These themes reflect the communities’ drive for greater autonomy over their lives and their land, where they can safeguard their ancestors’ stories, maintain their unique heritage, and protect against displacement and the dispersion of their identity. Drawing from the recorded oral histories and the oratory proverb, “the family that has been wandering the sea,” I argue that the Tama Uli of Aʻele understand place as inseparable from their ancestors’ shared historical experiences, serving as the foundation that unites and sustains their communal identity.
dcterms.extent200 pages
dcterms.languageen
dcterms.publisherUniversity of Hawaii at Hilo
dcterms.rightsAll UHH dissertations and theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission from the copyright owner.
dcterms.typeText
local.identifier.alturihttps://www.proquest.com/LegacyDocView/DISSNUM/32046595

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