Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Friday’s opening of the new Fale Fono had all the makings of grandeur. It was amazing to see the multitude of people who attended and efforts made to finally open this building despite its near completion. That’s right, there are still things left to be done in the main part of the building before actually saying “It is finished”.

But for whatever reason the selection date was made and the program to finally open its doors happened, there are important things about this grand building that were not mentioned during the program. It could have been an oversight on the planning of the event, or maybe it was assumed that someone would cover it.

Paying tribute to the artistic merits of the work that goes into a building of this magnitude should not be ignored.

In fact, it would be naïve to think that all of the elements of this building came to fruition on their own — just by calling it a “Fale Fono”.

Instead, an enormous amount of thought to design and creation were a part of the impetus of the building design. And, to consider it as a minor factor is downsizing the greatness of our God, who many artists like Reggie Meredith Fitiao acknowledge — that the work they do and the images they create stem from the ideas they receive from the Most High.

As one of the local artists that brought the project to life, Reggie spoke with Samoa News of the work that artists played in bringing the ‘Fale Fono’ to life, as an embodiment of our Samoan culture — a vibrant presence ever alive in our daily lives.

“We take our role as designers very seriously and are driven by the essence of divine selection. Our know-how is derived from a celestial source, just as every other discipline in this world,” she said.

Reggie pointed out that even the Architect of the new Fale Fono, Mark Lively, understood what he was designing — his blueprints called for a design that could muster a large meeting place that could cover important issues discussed within it, while also dividing the inner space with respectful places geared towards specific functions of the building.

The materials alone are a mix of varied textures and components like concrete, wood, steel, glass and stone just to name a few. Consideration for color combinations of walls, to ceilings to doors knobs and the like all this had to be decided upon in order to create a sense of order.

Lively’s design called for two inner domes within a larger massive dome. I can just imagine ancient architects like Bramante and Brunelleschi who historically designed domes during the Renaissance, smiling at such a plan.

But Lively also intentionally included cultural values and norms, like the curvature of our own Sāmoan fale a folau using modern materials. And, he went so far as to include Sāmoan cultural elements within the building for the finish.

These Sāmoan cultural elements include 34 hand carved Ifiele half columns in both chambers, 46 Ifilele hand carved upeti panels for each desk, 16 sides of carving for the 8 chamber doors, and 30 3’x10’ acoustic panels made of hand painted siapo.

The wood itself was handled by Daniel Craig — a highly skilled woodworker — whose job was to make the pieces, but the wood carving was handled by Su’a Uilisone Fitiao of Matu’u whose artistic finesse includes his work as a Tufuga ta Tatau, carving and siapo. Together with his Assistant/ apprentice Mark Clarke Iulio, the two carved and created a cultural mix of mamanu patterns focused on our ancestral heritage.

Upon entry into the chambers through the massive carved doors, there is a sense of statehood that emanates from them.

Reggie’s focus was to make the 30 large (3ft. x 10ft.) siapo panels that would cover large acoustic panels, earmarked for the chambers and upper floor.

With an exceptionally grand request such as this, the most suitable approach was to carve large upeti boards for the rubbing method (elei) to start the work. And it was as Reggie began the elei work that word got around about the large panels being made at the Leone studio.

It sparked an interest that began with a group of school students from Pacific Horizons who visited the studio one day and Reggie handed each of them a paogo brush, showing them how to highlight one of the siapo/ elei.

Next thing you know, the highlighting of the panels became an attraction, a very Samoan attraction to help with the work. And people from all over started coming in to visit and help highlight the siapo.

It reminds me of a story that my siapo master, one of my mentors, who was also my aunt, Mary Pritchard, told of fai siapo mamanu and elei with the ladies of Leone — how she learned — gathering with a group of women, laughing, talking story, & sometimes singing, while creating their siapo work.

More than 100 people between the ages of 2 years old to 90 years old have touched the 30 panels earmarked for the Fale Fono.

The creative work essentially became the work of the people for the Fale Fono, designed for the people who are represented by our Senators and Faipule.

The work took 2 years in the making.

According to Reggie, overall, it is this information that was overlooked during the grand opening. If there was mention of how the fale is as we see it today, the finer points of the artistry and thought behind the making of it was missed.

Soon, it is projected that the entire Fale Fono will be fully completed. Hats off to all the hard workers who physically endure to get everything in place. There will be many who do not know the details. But by documenting this occasion here and now, it can only lead to building good roads, good habits for our future.

Reggie concluded with these thoughts:

May the telling of these things culminate into a sense of inquiry.

May it spark the notion to give credit where credit is due, and pay homage to our ancestors that have navigated our pathways to the present day.

May our future generations feel a sense of pride for this important building, knowing that it was made with them in mind.