Fa'a Samoa, means the Samoan Way, and refers to how Samoans are supposed to behave.  In Samoa, the family is the most important obligation that a person has.  Next comes community, then church, and lastly the individual person.  In America, we tend to focus on the individual as number one, but Samoan's do not see themselves as the most important on their list of obligations.

Samoans also value the concept of respect.  They care for their elders, pastors, doctors and teachers.  In the past few years, the young Samoans have had a chance to become more educated than their elders.  Because of this, the younger people sometimes think of themselves as superior to their elders, therefore, the respect issue has been a struggle in modern day Samoa.


The people of Samoa also value their religion , even claiming that "Samoa is founded on God."