Fautasi Races

Fautasi (Samoana Sharks) in Pago Pago Harbor

     Flag Day, April 17, is the local version of our Independence Day - it celebrates the anniversary of the treaty whereby American Samoa became a territory of the United States.  You may recall the history: Germany, England and the US were contesting possession of the various islands down this way back in the late 1800's.  They all sent warships out here, which met in Apia, Samoa.  A sea battle was brewing when in 1899 a big cyclone came up and sank most of the ships.  Thereafter cooler heads prevailed.  The three powers met and divided the islands.  Fiji went to England; Savai'i and Upolu (now the nation of Samoa) to Germany, and Tutuila with a couple small islands to the east went to the USA.  No one seems to have asked the Samoans what they preferred.

     As it turned out, the Germans were kicked out of their islands at the start of WW1 by a British fleet sent from New Zealand.  New Zealand then administered those islands for some 50 years or so, during which time they put down a series of revolts and agitations for independence by the Samoans there.  The methods used were not particularly nice.  Despite that, New Zealand remains today a friend to Samoa with generous foreign aid, tourists, and other ties.

     Tutuila was different.  There, the local matai and chiefs were on the whole happy with the US and so they signed a treaty ceding Tutuila to the United states on April 17, 1900.  It guaranteed that Samoan customs and culture were to be preserved.  There were no revolts or disturbances here (there were few people!); the US wanted the harbor of Pago Pago for Navy use and mainly couldn't care less about the rest of the island or its people.  The Navy maintained a small coaling base here until 1941.  But then, even before Pearl Harbor, the Navy knew Japan was about to be a problem so they greatly expanded the base and brought in Marines.  Pago Pago was heavily used during WW2, but after the war was so remote and outmoded that the Navy left in 1951.  As something of a sidelong comment, the US seems to have performed rather better with this treaty than with many of those involving our Indian tribes.

     Anyway, Flag Day here is celebrated with speeches, shows, and athletic events.  The highlight every year is the fautasi race.  What, you ask, is a fautasi?

     Fautasi is a long boat, designed to be rowed by a large number of oarsmen.  They originally were a means of transportation among the islands; they could go very fast and carry people and cargo significant distances across the open ocean.  Nowadays they are purely racing boats - long, narrow (the rowers sit two abreast) and amazingly quick across the water.  They carry 40 - 50 rowers, who of necessity must pull completely in unison - tough to do.  Many Polynesian countries race the fautasi.  Here, the one race per year is on Flag Day.  Crews train for months for the event, we see them practicing on the harbor, running up hills, group calisthenics, etc.  All for a race lasting, maybe, a half hour.  The boats row out into the ocean to a buoy about 7 miles from the finish line; there they jockey for position and at some point the signal to start is given.  It's controversial every year as one or two boats always seem to be out of order and behind.  But nevertheless, off they go.

     Cyndi, I and my sister Suzy (here to visit for a week)  went to see the race.  We were at the launch point of the boat from Samoana High School.  It had the youngest crew (most of the others had adult crews) but maybe the most excited:

Samoana High School boat; tenders giving signs!

Pre-race gathering before launch

Warming up with group calisthenics

Group Hug and cheer:  Samoana  Sharks!

Team in song before race

 

Pre-race briefing and pep talk

     After the preparations it was time to launch the boats:

Take to the boat!

Almost full

Same, but what a backdrop!  That's Rainmaker across the harbor.

Nearby was another boat, Satani from the village of Nu'uuli:

Satani boat pushing off

Here's a short video of Satani pulling into the harbor to head for the start line:

      The race started way out at sea, but there was TV coverage.  I wish I had a photo; imagine 7 big long boats, each with oars pulling in unison, stretching out over the blue sea with the mountains of American Samoa in the distance.  If I can get a photo I'll add it here.

     We saw the race from along the shore at Utulei.  It was too far from the finish to see that, but we caught the boats through the harbor mouth racing past us with the escorting flotilla:

Lead boat around the reef into the harbor

Pulling hard with flotilla of escorts.

Second boat trying to catch up near the end.

Another video, racing to the finish:

    After the finish, the winner came back home with the victory flag:

Proud as can be.

A short video of that:

     Of seven boats racing, the Satani boat captured the flag and First Place.  The Sharks from Samoana High School were proud to finish a strong 2nd.  So our locals did well.

     Here are a couple scenes from the shore.  First, local probation officer Tone (center) is an assistant coach, he is involved with Samoana no doubt due to his lovely daughter by his side:

     And here is a fale where many of the palagi's stood to view the action.  Not our group, we saw it from Sadie's nearby.  Note the sign - oh well, everything was picked up and clean afterwards:

     The race was on Friday, April 15 - when the holiday was celebrated, as April 17 is a Sunday this year.  Tomorrow there will be speeches and some shows, as well as a cricket tournament.  But the fautasi race remains as always the centerpiece.