Hawaii Senator Mike Gabbard says his late sister Dr. Caroline Sinavaiana Gabbard, who was tragically killed in Apia over the weekend, influenced him at a young age.
He told Spectrum Hawaii, “Caroline was my best friend as a teenager.
“She helped me considerably during my rebellious stage of adolescence. She got me hooked on reading, so much so that I followed in her footsteps and majored in English at Sonoma State University in California, then returned to our birthplace, American Samoa, where I taught English in the high schools and was a faculty member, guidance counselor and dean at the community college for many years.”
He continued, “I was very proud of her accomplishments as a writer and poet. I love her deeply and wish her well as she continues her journey. While I sincerely forgive the murderer of this horrific crime, I’m hoping justice will be served, and that person will be punished to the full extent of the law.”
A colleague and friend of his sister acclaimed author and playwright Papalii Sia Figiel has been charged with murder and armed with a dangerous weapon in connection with Dr. Gabbard’s death.
The Gabbard Family issued the following Press Release:
According to local press reports, a “78-year-old woman” was allegedly murdered on May 24, 2024 in the village of Vaivase-uta in the Galumoana Theater in Samoa. The alleged murderer is currently in custody and has been charged with first-degree murder. A police investigation is ongoing, and publicly available information has been scarce.
In the aftermath of this shocking event, the media has focused heavily on the alleged murderer, with little mention of the victim, Dr. Caroline Sinavaiana Gabbard. This release aims to celebrate the life of an incredible woman who was a sister, mother, grandmother, aunt, scholar, colleague, professor, activist, mentor, and friend to many across the globe.
Born in the village of Utulei, Tutuila, American Samoa, on June 26, 1946, Dr. Sinavaiana Gabbard’s proud Samoan and afakasi lineage began with her parents, the late Ben and Agnes Gabbard of Leloaloa, and her grandparents, Ben Gabbard Sr. (of Kentucky, USA) and Caroline Bartley Gabbard, as well as Robert and Palepa Yandall—all from prominent families in then-Western Samoa.
Caroline’s academic journey began at Sonoma State University in California, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English. She taught in American Samoa, founded the first environmental NGO in American Samoa, earned a Master of Arts degree in Folklore from the University of California in Berkeley, and completed her Ph.D in American Studies at the University of Hawai’i.
Dr. Sinavaiana Gabbard was the first person of Samoan heritage to become a full professor in the United States. She taught creative writing and Pacific literature at the University of Hawai’i-Manoa for over twenty years and published an acclaimed anthology of Pacific poetry. A worldwide ambassador of Samoan culture, Caroline was an expert in Samoan legend, drama, comedy, and poetry.
We mourn the loss of this woman who loved Samoa, its people and its poetry, teaching, music, gardening, and most of all, her beloved family. Funeral services will be announced in the near future.
