All those present at the Palauli Heritage Trails opening
L-R: Australian High Commissioner HE Sara Moriaty, EFKS Vaito’omuli pastor Reverend Fereti Sefo, Minister of Education, Sports and Culture Loau Solamalemalo Keneti Sio, Member of Parliament Palauli Sasa’e Tuifa’asisina Misa Richard Aiolupotea, Director of Centre of Samoan Studies Togialelei Safua Akeli Amaama, Project Director Leasiolagi Professor Meleisea Malama Meleisea
The Palauli Heritage Trails in Savaii was officially launched last Friday. The event was blessed with a prayer conducted by the EFKS Vaito’omuli pastor, Reverend Fereti Sefo. An ava ceremony was then held by the district of Palauli for the Centre for Samoan Studies who spearheaded the Palauli Heritage Trails project. Special guests who were present to mark the occasion included the Minister of Education, the Honorable Loau Solamalemalo Keneti Sio, the Australian High Commissioner, Her Excellency, Sara Moriarty, Member of Parliament for Palauli Sasa’e, the Honorable Tuifa’asisina Misa Richard Aiolupotea. Also in attendance were, the NUS delegation which included the Director of the Centre for Samoan Studies, Togialelei Dr. Safua Akeli Amaama, Project Director Leasiolagi Professor Malama Meleisea, Manager of Palauli Heritage Trails Toala Risale, a visiting scholar/archaeologist, two senior lecturers of Archaeology, three research assistants, finance officer, multimedia representative and two general staff of the Centre for Samoan Studies. After the opening, the guests were guided through a tour of the Palauli heritage trails.
According to Project Director Leasiolagi Professor Malama Meleisea the project began three years ago and its objectives were to identify archaeological sites in Samoa, in order to examine the historical and cultural settlement patterns of Samoan people in the past. Furthermore, the Palauli Heritage Trails project was designed to help students who were enrolled in the newly established Archaeology and Cultural Heritage programme to have practical and field experience in identifying old archaeological and cultural heritage sites in the country. This would help promote the Archaeology and Cultural Heritage programme as a pathway through which students can qualify to work in different government ministries whose work impact both directly and indirectly on Samoa’s cultural heritage such as the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and other ministries. Leasiolagi acknowledged the district of Palauli especially Vaito’omuli village for believing in the project’s objectives and vision, and for their tremendous encouragement and unrelenting support. He also thanked UNDP for funding the project, MNRE for their significant contribution by providing lidar maps and surveys of Samoa from which they were able to identify where to focus their research on. Leasiolagi also acknowledged visiting scholar/archaeologist Greg Jackmond for his remarkable help and achievements which made the project possible. He also recognized the assistance of MESC, US Embassy in Apia and Sky Eye Company.
Ongoing work and continuous support from NUS for Palauli Heritage Trails includes training of tour guides, keeping of books, running and updating the Palauli Heritage Trails website and to help identify sources of funding for future activities.
The Palauli Heritage Trails project is a two year project funded by the United Nations Development Programme Green Climate Fund (UNDP-GCF). The Centre for Samoan Studies alongside its government partners, Samoa Tourism Authority, Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment helped the village of Palauli to develop the Palauli Heritage Trails in order to create cultural heritage tourism sites in connection to the archaeological discoveries of 2017.
