|
power over their extended families. The Matai operate hand in glove with the ministers, who are also greatly respected, given food, cash and have churches built for them. The church a villager belongs to is the choice of his Matai. In recent years the charismatic church has set a cat amongst the pigeons, so to speak in recruiting new members. The Matai say that discord is the result of allowing the Assembly of God in Samoa. They complain that the services are noisy, they try for converts, and people act as individuals when they choose to be members of the church. Usually they are young. Perhaps--- in a country where church going is mandatory, they prefer the feisty, raucous style of the charismatic church, with its guitar playing and songs, to staid sermons preached at them. Unlike ordinary village members, the Matai have difficulty controlling this mob --- who are apparently even willing to suffer for their faith.
Assembly of God members have been ostracized, exiled, had their homes burnt, and even been murdered! A court of law has recently upheld their right to "freedom of religion". However the threat of disharmony in these very conservative communities (and the undermining of Matai chiefly authority) has led local parliamentarians to consider removing "freedom of religion" from the constitution. Only the consideration that the UN might not approve, or that they would be considered repressive has so far stayed the government's hand.
24 November 2002
Passage to Savaii
Thunder rumbled from the dark shadows that blanketed Savaii's volcanic mountains. We had set off at sunset from Apia, believing the 60-mile run would take 12 or 14 hours. However, the wind died, leaving us to coast at 3-knots on a tack away from land. At 2:00 PM the next day we put on the engine to motor the last 20 miles!
Savaii is twice as big as Upolo but contains less than half the population. Miles of black lava cliffs mark the coastline, broken here and there with white sand beaches or plumes of spray forced through "blow-holes". Long slopes taper from the crater-pocketed highlands to the sea.
In Apia we were told "If you haven't seen Savaii, then you haven't seen Samoa! Our stay in Asau Bay, we hoped would be a treat, for this was to be our last stop in the South Pacific before heading north.
The passage into Asau Bay is narrow and rather hairy. It runs obliquely between two lines of breaking surf. Michael lined Sea Quest up with the leading marks on a hillside, but I held my breath as we committed Sea Quest to the pass. The swell grabbed the stern and swept us along past the foaming surf and the depth-sounder dial showed ever-shallower water, a worry, as the entrance is known to silt up.
In the southwest corner of the bay were some attractive large tin-roofed fares, which so epitomized Samoan architecture. Savaii was our first opportunity to experience native living away from the town centers. It was nearly sunset before we roused ourselves to go ashore after our long night and day at sea. Groups of ladies on their way to
|
|
