Pastor Samuel Fiu Unutoa knelt on the ground Monday with his daughter, Annamaria, as she mixed kava root in a bowl of water, performing a traditional Samoan welcoming ritual.
“We mash it into a pulp, a fibrous pulp,” he said, “and then we mix it with water, and we get to drink out of it.”
The kava was then passed around the crowd, each person taking a sip as the group clapped rhythmically. The ceremony marked the official opening of the Pasefika Roots Institute of Language and Cultural Arts, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and revitalizing Pacific Islander culture in the city. One of its main goals is to connect kids with the heritage and community that they may have grown up without.
“Most of the young Samoans living here were born and raised here,” said Unutoa, who’s also the CEO of the Native Samoan Corp. “They identify as Samoans, but they don't know their language, they don't know their culture, they don't know their traditions, they don't know their ancestry, they don't know where they come from.”
The new institute is a collaboration between multiple organizations, including the Native Samoan Corp. and the Samoan Council of Pastors and Elders. It will offer a variety of cultural programs from dance lessons to oral history projects to performance ensembles. Its main initiative right now is an after-school program for kids starting at age 5. Fall registration opened Monday.
Maddy Unutoa is in charge of admissions for the institute. She said the name of the after-school program, Fa’aSamoa, means the Samoan way of life, and it speaks to the goals of the institute as a whole.
“The principles of the Fa’aSamoa, or the principles of the Samoan way of life, cover love, respect and, of course, the care for our elders,” she said.
She said the after-school program will focus on language and cultural arts, both central to preserving a sense of Pacific Islander identity.
“Cultural art is also part of our storytelling, also what we wear, traditional wear, our attires and everything,” she said. “So it keeps our culture alive, with our colors, with every single motif, our tattoo is our art.”
Intergenerational learning is also a key focus. Pastor Will Amotai Asaivao, the institute director and chairman of the pastors and elders council, said when kids grow up in Samoa or other Pacific Islands they’re immersed in a strong support system that teaches them cultural values.
“Out here, there's not villages, like back home,” he said. “And out there everything is about making sure we take care of our families, our parents, respecting others, respecting elders and, you know, know what to do to help others and know what not to do.”
He said he hopes the institute will fill that gap. Many of the programs will be led by elders, giving Anchorage youth the support system of an island village.
Some programs will also be led by teenagers like Annamaria Unutoa. To celebrate the launch, she and her brother, James, performed a traditional Samoan dance. The siblings said they’re excited to teach dance lessons for the institute and to pass on their skills to a new generation.
“It's all about my culture. I love representing it, sharing with your siblings and everyone,” Annamaria said.
They’re starting with Samoan and Tongan dances, but organizers said they hope the institute will grow to include more Pacific Islander dances, languages and cultures.
