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Descendants of Samoan chief celebrate history on island
A reception was held to welcome descendants of Samoan Chief Iiga Pisa, one of the chiefs who came to Saipan in the 1900s, as part of the celebration of the historical event’s 100th anniversary.
Headed by the Northern Marianas Humanities Council, the reception was held at the Pacific Islands Club Saipan and was attended by government officials including members of the Legislature Wednesday evening.
Fuailelagi Tuitama, a great granddaughter of chief Iiga pisa, said coming to Saipan is like having a reconnection with her past.
“It’s overwhelming. It’s an opportunity for my generation, because I am a great granddaughter, to come to Saipan and first of all experience Saipan. I’ve never heard of it before and coming here has really been a real eye opener for us. It’s a reconnection,” Tuitama said.
“The experience of coming here is really like retracing my great grandfather’s steps,” she added.
According to council executive director Scott Russell, the Samoans’ chapter in Saipan’s history is significant.
“Saipan was home to another group of people for a substantial period of time and nobody really knows about that history, it has been forgotten,” Russell said.
“One of the things we’re fortunate to have is an account that was written by the chief, Iiga Pisa. He wrote it himself in the early 1940,” he added.
For Tuitama, what she experienced and discovered here on Saipan, she will pass on to her generations as well.
“I’m a mom so I’d like to pass this kind of lineage on to my children and the legacy that he’s left us, to inspire us, to explore the beyond,” Tuitama said.
We’re hoping that from this initial gathering, that there’ll be a follow up from what the Humanities Council has started,” she said.
