The leaders of Samoa and American Samoa have hailed the Monolingual Samoan Dictionary as another end product of collaboration between the two Samoa…one that will help preserve the Samoan language into the future.
O le Tusi Faatonu’upu was launched at a ceremony at the ASCC Multi-Purpose Center this morning.
Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa, who traveled here with members of the Samoan Language Commission which compiled the dictionary, said it was the shared desire and objective of both Samoa and American Samoa to maintain and preserve the Samoan language. And the monolingual dictionary reflects efforts of the two sides to ensure that the language is not lost.
She said it’s their hope that the publication will also inspire the youth to continue using the native language, adding that the dictionary will be a tool for government, schools, families, churches, villages and Samoan’s in any part of the globe. 
Her sentiments were echoed by Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga who expressed thanks to the Samoa Government for sharing the dictionary with American Samoa.
He said preserving the Samoan language is not an easy task, but the dictionary will be a valuable tool that will help in this effort.
Lemanu also referred to the dictionary as an example of what can be achieved through collaboration between Samoa and American Samoa.
The Commissioner of the Samoan Language Commission Rev. Elder Vaiao Ala’ilima Eteuati said that the Samoa Parliament passed the establishment of the Samoan Language Commission in 2014, which put the Samoan language on par with the English Language as official languages.
In November of the same year, the Commission decided to compile the first Samoan dictionary. It was in 2019 that the law was amended to allow for the addition of a member from American Samoa in the Samoan Language Commission. Rev. Eteuati acknowledged the contribution of Fofo Sunia to the Commission’s work on the dictionary
The publication is 800 pages long and includes 27,000 words. Rev Eteuati said the terms used are every day Samoan language and the official language of matais.
Prime Minister Fiame Naomi and Governor Lemanu jointly cut the ribbon to launch the dictionary, and copies were presented to some of the VIPS, including the Senate President and House Speaker, Bishop Kolio Tumanuvao, who gave the invocation and Secretary of Samoan Affairs Mauga Tasi Asuega. 
Several church ministers and members of the Samoa Language Commission of American Samoa and educators also attended.
