Parent are the educators, nurturers, police, judges and prosecutors in their children’s lives.
This is according to a retired DOE Samoan language teacher, High Talking Chief Toilolo Palemene.
Toilolo was the speaker for the Amanave Congregational Christian Church of American Samoa youth project called, “It takes a village to raise a child.”
Funded by the Amerika Samoa Humanities Council, the youth project was officially opened on the first Sunday of this month.
In his presentation, Toilolo identified the conflict and contradiction between Samoan parents’ effort to discipline their children according to cultural values which mirror Biblical principles of raising a child and the laws of the government.
He said that this contradiction has caused confusion for some parents.
Toilolo believed that resolving problems facing young today should be placed heavily in the hands of parents and not the government.
He said that the Samoan culture is a gift which governs the lives of our people despite strong outside influences.
The guest speaker also recognized that some parents are not as well informed about cultural values and principles and so their children become victims.
Toilolo said such parents need to be educated on basic aspects of the fa’aSamoa.
The next session for the youth project this Sunday will have representatives from the Departments of Human and Social Services and Public Safety speaking of their roles in dealing with social problems involving children and youth.
