Tafesilafa'i (tah-feh-see-lah-fah-ee) is
an effort by the Samoan faith community to identify meaning
in their lives. Tafesilafa'i takes an already existing scaffolding
(such as our heritage, culture, customs, language, dances, motifs,
and rhetoric) to enhance it under the rubric of religious
stewardship by inviting conversations with others. Stewardship,
because we were neither given the choice of whom of parents were to
be, nor the cultures that we inherit. Therefore, we can only
conclude that these are gifts. Our parents, our nationality, our
language, our heritage and our culture are God-given gifts. So we
ought to nourish these gifts, develop and utilize them to improve
the communities we find ourselves in.
 In
essence, Tafesilafa'i is Culture informed by Theology.
Culture is so pervasive in how a people develop intelligibility of
the world that we would be lost without it. Simply put, culture
consists of habitual responses to the world. These collective
responses make a community identifiable as a discrete and separate
entity to those outside. So pervasive are these habitual responses
that the vast majority of them remain unexamined and completely
invisible to the community as a whole. Tafesilafa'i provides the
forum with which some of these cultural icons and habitual responses
are names, examined and presented to the community for
authentication.
FOCUS ON 3 KEY
AREAS
Annual Festival (80%)
The festival furthers our educational goals by educating the
community by celebrating the Samoan culture, customs, art language,
dances, motifs and rhetoric.
Dance & Rhetoric Rehearsals
(15%)
The Rehearsals help accomplish our educational goals by providing
confidence in culture as well as hands on training for the
community.
Language Preservation (5%)
The Language Preservation complies in creating a culture-based
language program for the Samoan community here in the United States.
Tafesilafa'i, Inc.
received 501(c)(3) exempt status May 2002. Tafesilafa'i plans to
utilize various organizations sources of financial support such as:
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Pastor Gus Ah Kiong – Sure
Foundation Church of God
Chief Tauti Aiono – Malofie
David J. Castenholz – Law Offices of David J.
Castenholz
Ieti Epenesa - Island Wave
Rev. Elder Sione Fanua – Long Beach Council
Chief Pulefano Galea’i – Polynesian Cultural Center
Chief Jerome Fa’anana Grey – Jerome Grey
Entertainment
Patrick Kennedy – Greater Long Beach ICO
Loimata Mailoto – Long Beach Unified School District
Chief Muliagatele Mona Porotesano - City of Carson
Rev. Misipouena S. Tagaloa – Second Samoan
Congregational UCC
Rev. Elder Liona Thompson – Ola Fou Congregational
Church
Rev. Elder Liki Tiatia – Dominquez Christian Church
Mareta Tagaloa – Second Samoan Congregational UCC
Maurice Begay – Second Samoan Congregational UCC
Harlan Williams – Bread of Life
Dr. Mafutaga Tagaloa-Tulifau – Vai ole Ola
Chief Setu Suasua – Second Samoan Congregational UCC
Ron Yates – Second Samoan Congregational UCC
Emeritus
Togiola Tulafono – Governor of American Samoa
Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi – Prime Minister of
Samoa |
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CONTACT US
Tafesilafa'i, Inc.
655 Cedar Ave.
Long Beach, CA 90802-1222
Office: (562) 628-9282
Fax: (562) 628-9143
EMAIL US
Sponsorship Opportunities:
misipouena@tafesilafai.org
Volunteer Opportunities:
lulu@tafesilafai.org
Vendor Opportunities: lulu@tafesilafai.org
Entertainment Opportunities:
lulu@tafesilafai.org
Youth Participation Opportunities:
lulu@tafesilafai.org
Create Networking Possibilities with Tafesilafa’i:
misipouena@tafesilafai.org
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