My name is Tautua, which means “to express my cultural tradition and to serve my family or the Ali’i.” Ali’i is a term that means “chief who is a leader.” I am of Samoan and Hawaiian ancestry. I am proud of my bloodline. In the polynesian bloodline a lot of us are physically very big in height and weight. Our source of nutrients comes from the Ulu and Taro staple. With our distinct features and jawline, sometimes people incorrectly assume that we are bullies to be feared. We might be big… but we are very loving and very helpful. Family is a huge central value in my culture. We all stick together. Another important signature that is tradition of my people is our food. A traditional meal or food in my samoan culture that we eat is Sapa Sui. This is a noodle dish that my grandma would always make when I used to go to her house. Sapa Sui is a string like rice noodle that you can add pork or chicken and veggies to it similar to chicken long rice that my hawaiian grandma loves to make too. The difference is that in the Samoan Sapa Sui has no liquid in it as chicken long rice is soupy and great on a cold night. Another popular dish that is traditional to my samoan heritage is Palusami. This delicacy is taro leaves with coconut milk steamed till the leaves are cooked thoroughly. In my Hawaiian culture it would be similar to Lau Lau. The difference is in my Hawaiian tradition my grandma would add pork or chicken with the taro leaves cooked with hawaiian salt to perfection. In Samoan language when we enjoy a meal we call it “Lele” in Hawaiian we say ‘Ono’.

I was born on the island of Kauai, which is the oldest island of the Hawaiian chain. I was two years old when I moved from Kauai to Oahu. Living on Oahu is much different then Kauai. Oahu is much larger in size and population. Living here on Oahu, I have both my grandmothers residing here. My Samoan grandma who is my dad's mom lives out on the west side of Waianae. I also have my maternal grandmother Winona who lives in Manoa who is of Hawaiian descent. Growing up on the island has been a blessing for my family and I. When I’m not playing sports, I’m enjoying my family time at the beach. Hawaii consist of eight main islands, Hawaii known as the “Big Island '', Maui, Kauai, O’ahu, Lanai, Moloka’i, Ni’ihau and Kaho’olawe. The Hawaiian islands are surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. If you ever get to come and visit Hawaii you can step foot or touch the water where our ocean is warm all year, the weather is awesome. You can come anytime of the year and enjoy Hawaii. It is a blessing to live here in Hawaii, as a kid growing up you feel the love of your family and others who become part of your family not only by blood, but by association. That's the culture of Hawaii people helping one another and making others feel welcome. In Hawaiian we call this Aloha! Even if I’m still young and growing, I myself have noticed changes in Hawaii. Back in the day you could leave your house door unlocked and car doors open. Your neighbor would be your guard dog or watch dog unfortunately times have changed. But deep in our roots we still have that Aloha for our people,

When my family first moved to Oahu it was challenging for us to find a place of security and acceptance, but luckily thanks to ohana we resided the first six months with both sides of our family, three months with my maternal grandma in Manoa and three months in Waianae with my dad mom. For my parents it was hard as they have been on their own since they were both nineteen living the Kauai lifestyle, where they raised my three older siblings and I. In Hawaii we face many challenges as your average hourly pay rate is low and the cost of living is high to live in beautiful Hawaii Nei. But there's no place like Hawaii. The struggle is real. Most of the adults here work more than one job to survive or support their family. But I will never forget my roots as my ancestors before me or in Hawaiian we say Kapuna’s set the foundation for us to have a better life. Showed us what hard work was and what you can accomplish. Being of polynesian blood family, Ke Akua and Aloha is my foundation.

© Tautua. All rights reserved. If you are interested in quoting this story, contact the national team and we can put you in touch with the author’s teacher.