I have heard stories that this was a problem for a long time. We started in islands and expected everything to be centered on those islands. I have never even seen an island, or even what the ocean really looks like.
It sounds so strange these days, saying an ethnicity and expecting people to know it is tied to some land far away. Most of my people have moved away to all sorts of places in the known Galaxy. I try to understand how our culture lived before space travel, and honestly it is very difficult. My grandmother says I should imagine I was on a beautiful station meant for herbal growth and farming.
She lived on Earth as a child, and even visited her home island of Samoa. It was filled with people that were not native of it. There were houses all over the place, and the beaches seemed devoid of live because so many people swam in it.
She says that hidden beneath all that was Samoa, her home from far away. She could sense it there. I think this is why she always stays on farming stations, the feeling won't leave her.
I live near a farming station and even own a home there. Though Max and I live in the bigger city. It is a joy to go down to the agricultural station and stand next to the open water works near the house. They have it looking like a real island, and then a wonderful view of space. I think they project the view onto the walls or something. I doubt there was a thought by any planner to build a giant dome just perfect for gazing at the stars.
We try to grow taro there, but really don't know how it all works. My children are always asking what this is, or what that is. I have to look at them and admit I have no idea. It is sad for me not knowing my own heritage the way it used to be. I can understand how everything needed to be changed because of all the differences between life on a secluded island and life on a - hah hah wow, I never thought of it this way but life is very similar now. We live on a fairly secluded station system. Sure there are tourists to see the arts and farmlands, but for the most part we are left alone.
I spoke to our Matai yesterday about needing to find a good place to collect water. He told me some good places to try out. It's true, I wasn't digging for it, or trying to get it from the ocean. It was a certain water resource request area. I had to go there, and he helped me fill out the forms for getting water for the taro. I joked with him that it was just like back on the islands.
We have fish tanks here. I took my son and told him that I named him after the shark. I don't really know what I did, it just felt right. We saw them swimming and hunting along the reef. There were so many fish there and the water was so clear. I tried to imagine the past where this was normal, but I honestly could not imagine it.
Max, my husband, has been very supportive of my attempts to bring back the islands into our home. He grumbles sometimes about me learning to make Tapa. It takes a long time and I can't say I am perfect at it. We can't use the bark of trees, so I have to create it using created stuff from the synthesizer. I still put it together properly though, and that takes a long time. The entire living room is covered in threads and I can't put any of it away, because I don't know how.
In return I try to instill the culture Max is from into my children. He tells me that the only traditional thing from his home was French Fries and Coke. But I can see other things in him, he just can't see them because they are too much a part of him.
I guess there are things about me that are Samoan that I have not realized yet. I always thought I really wasn't Samoan, but this interview has really helped me think about it. So thank you for going out of your way to do this.
My name is Makalesi Stuart, and I orbit the twin Star system Orbion.
