Samoa

General websites

These websites will help you explore Samoa through its history, culture, food and beliefs.

Britannica School

This is one of the EPIC resources, a collection of reliable databases covering lots of different topics. It’s put together especially for New Zealand school students and helps to answer questions like this.

• Choose the Primary level and put in your keyword 'Samoa'.

• This will bring up the Samoa entry which covers the geography, plants and animals, people and culture, economy and history.

• Use the arrows at the top of the page to find images on Samoa.

• If you want to find even more information, change the Reading Level near the top of the page to 2.

Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

BBC Country Profiles

This is the website for the popular British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for international news. It has a section on country profiles that covers facts, government and history of countries like Samoa.

• Look down the page for the Asia-Pacific heading.

• Choose the country Samoa.

• You will find some introductory facts for Samoa, as well as some key dates which can be extended to a fuller timeline.

Kids World Travel Guide

A teacher and a team of young people have put this website together. It includes images and fun facts about a range of countries.

• Look on the left of the page for Countries.

• Find the link to Samoa.

• You will find a map, some cool images and fun facts about the people, geography, animal life, and economy and more about Samoa.

Tips: Websites that have .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the company’s mission and values are.

Topic Explorer

Topic Explorer is an online tool from the National Library of New Zealand. It's a good place to find lots of quality resources in a range of formats (eg articles, books, images, videos, primary sources, sets, websites), on a variety of topics including Samoa.

• Select the button Filter by topic, type or learning area and this will open a search box.

• Use 'Samoa' in the box to find different topics to explore.

• Choose Samoa to explore traditions, fables (fāgogo), culture and history.

• Or, choose Mau Movement to look into the revolutionary protests for Samoa's independence.

• Or, choose Reo, 'Ōlelo, Gagana (Pacific Languages) to look into Gagana Samoa (the Samoan language) and other Pacific languages.

Tips: We like sites like Te Papa and the National Library these because they’re reliable. You can tell because of their web address – they have either .govt or .ac, meaning they are from government or educational organisations. They’re also New Zealand sites, so relevant for us.

Pictures, videos and media

Here are some excellent places to look for facts, pictures, videos and more about the history, people and culture of Samoa.

Digital Pasifik

On this site you will find images, videos and more about the Pacific Islands, including Samoa. To search for pictures, follow this pathway:

• Look down the page under the heading Explore locations.

• Choose Samoa.

• Use Media Type to select from images, objects, videos, or audio.

Tips: Websites that have .org or .net in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the organisation’s mission and values are. We like it because we can see it is supported by National Libraries in New Zealand and Australia, as well as government departments.

thecoconet.tv

This website has lots of information, songs, stories, news and videos about Pacific Peoples and their culture and history.

• Go to the tab How to, then find the link on Samoa.

• You will find cultural videos like the Saofa'i ceremony - getting a Samoan Matai title and How to Aiuli.

• Or, you can use the search box at the top of the page to enter the keyword 'Samoa'.

• Then watch Samoa in 1949 and The national anthem of Samoa - Samoa Tula'i.

Tips: If a website is new to you, you can check out the About us link, if you can find one. That can tell you what the company’s mission and values are.

Pacific Learners Education

Use the resources on this website to get familiar with the languages of Pacific Peoples.

• Go to the Resources tab from the top of the page, then select Samoan Language Week.

• Find here videos, images and infographics to help you learn Samoan.

New Zealand and Samoa

New Zealand has a strong connection with Samoa. Here are some websites to help you find information about New Zealand's relationship and history with Samoa.

Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Te Ara is an excellent starting point for all questions about Aotearoa New Zealand. If we look down to the bottom of the page, we can see that the website belongs to the Ministry for Culture & Heritage, so the information is well-researched and reliable.

• From the homepage, look under Sections to find New Zealand Peoples.

• Then choose Peoples. This will show you lots of different people who have settled in New Zealand.

• Now choose Samoans.

• Remember to explore External links and sources for other suggested resources.

NZ History

NZ History is a great website for information about history in Aotearoa New Zealand, including New Zealand's relationship with Samoa, and the Dawn Raids of the 1970s. If we go all the way down the page we can see that the website belongs to the Ministry for Culture & Heritage, so the information is well-researched and reliable.

• From the home page, select Culture and Society.

• Look down the page until you see the heading Immigration.

• Then choose the link The dawn raids: causes, impacts and legacy.

• Or, enter 'Samoa' into the search box to find New Zealand in Samoa and other related stories.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade | Manatū Aorere

This New Zealand government website will help you understand our country's relationship with Samoa.

• Select Countries and regions from the top of the page.

• Choose Australia and Pacific.

• Select Samoa to read about trade and cooperation between Aotearoa New Zealand and Samoa.

Tips: We like sites like these because they’re reliable. You can tell because of their web address – they have either .govt or .ac, meaning they are from government or educational organisations. They’re also New Zealand sites, so relevant for us.

Books

Have a look at these books for more information on Samoa, or ask your school librarians or public librarian to help you find more.

• Samoan Heroes by David Riley.

• Rarotonga, Samoa and Tonga by Brett Atkinson, Charles Rawlings-Way and Tamara Sheward.

• Sāmoa by Dahlia Malaeulu

• S̄āmoa by Jane Va'afusuaga and Tuiafutea O Va'afusuaga

• My place, Samoa by Jill MacGregor

SCIS no: 1896450