Wind patterns have dramatically changed, Samoa

13/07/08: I fully agree with the notion that Climate Change is changing seasons and making them increasingly unpredictable. And in my home country of Samoa Climate Change has done far more than that. It looks as if we are beginning to loose much of the traditions, the wisdom and the skills that has kept us survive life for many years and I can see no way we will be able to get those back. It looks as if we will loose them forever. Before the fifties, we used to depend largely on the knowledge of our old folks to tell us what and how the climate is becoming, in fact these old people know exactly what wind is blowing just by feeling the wind or simply by looking up where the wind are directing the tree tops. They have a name to any wind from any direction of the globe, like the TO’ELAU, LA’I, LA’ILUA, the TUA’OLOA and many others. These Samoan Old folks are eventually all dying (as anybody will) and of course these Samoan Terms, the wisdom and the skills, fading out with them and we will hear them no more. We did not have many radios or telephones at the time in fact there was only one radio at the village mayors house where all the villagers would go and listen and one wireless station serving my whole district. It means we did not depend on those things for advise on when a hurricane is coming, but rather depending on our old folks as these guys would know how one of any of the above winds will develop to become a hurricane.

Even when our young and strong would decide to go bonito fishing the old folks would come and tell them not to do this as the winds do not look good. They even do know which winds blow in a certain month in fact I can still remember at a certain time of the year, my old chief would tell me to have an early shower as the TUA’OLOA will start blowing and the water will become too cold for us as kids. During this TUA’OLOA season also, my old chief used to tell me the animals would look nice and beautiful and the human beings become not too good looking, and it was true.

Back in fifties also we could see our young and strong fishing bonito not far from our reefs using our paddled canoes. What is it now? I do not think you can see any more of these bonito fishing canoes as they are being replaced by engine driven boats. Yes, I am sad my kids and my grand sons and daughters will never have the opportunity to see how their ancestors used to live life. Much of the oratorical language of Samoa comes from the art of fishing especially bonito and catching sharks the traditional way. And I am further saddened by the fact my grand children will only speak of words of which they will never understand how these words came about or come to be part of the oratorical language.

In my opinion it is about time the small islands should stand up to these bullying developed countries who are the main cause of these Climate changes. The do not care how these has affected us, but they only need our votes for their selfish agendas.

17/07/08: Greetings from Apia. It’s a bit difficult to get the right person to be interviewed where I am now. You see I grew up on the big island of Savaii, where I was groomed on these issues, (if you are familiar with geography of Samoa) I am now living in town Apia. The person we need to interview here should either be from Savai'I or from the Rural Areas and moreover that person should now be at his late nineties or even at his early 100's.

Of course wind patterns have dramatically changed. Not only the directions have changed but also the timing are not as in those days. For example, the old folks of the time know beforehand which months hurricanes are possible. In fact in those days late January, February and March were the worst months. November/December used to be the best months as you would know these are the months everyone look forward to a happy Christmas.

But if you would go back to the most destructive hurricane in Samoa you will find that this was in December 1991 (Hurricane Valerie).

Moreover, in those days, a hurricane used to come in one direction and eventually fade out once you hear of strong lightning and loud thunders. That’s when these old folks would say "The hurricane is been shaken" in Samoan "Ua taliligia le matagi".

However for that Hurricane Valerie in Dec,1991, it did not end till it covered the four directions of the globe and it did not end despite the strong lightnings and heavy thunders while at its most destructive power.

I have just had a chat with one of my neighbors who is a prominent talking chief of his village and he is in his early fifties. I asked him if he would have knowledge of the various winds of Samoa. And unfortunately, he said he only heard of these things from his father who passed away fifteen years ago. And this is exactly what I had said earlier. I even asked him about the hurricane path in where we are living now and he said this has shifted dramatically further east since Hurricane OFA in 1990.

I have also talked with some fishermen, about a way to tackle the rising cost of fuel. I suggested if only the people can go back to paddled canoes. But they said, they don't think anyone would dare face the waves which seemed to have grown higher as well the stronger currents in a paddled canoe.

Cheers and God Bless,

Iteli Tiatia.