Tafesilafa'i: Towards a Samoan Epistemology in the Diaspora

Tafesilafa'i is a community conversation of the Samoan communities in the United States. The author, using the grounded theory research methodology, has suggested that: Samoans, because of their fa'a-Samoa, come to know in unique ways. Because the fa'a-Samoa has its own cosmogony, social infrastructures, culture, and unique language, it stands to reason that Samoans come to know in a unique way. In this work, the fa'a-Samoa is placed in dialogue with theories of perception and the resulting epistemology, or theory of knowledge, is embodied and showcased during the Tafesilafa'i Festivals. Tafesilafa'i is a faith-and-community-based organization that functions as an organic clearinghouse for the fa'a-Samoa and a think tank where inquiries about the Samoan people, language and culture are addressed. Tafesilafa'i is also a place where contributions by the Samoan community are made to the larger community.