What is up with the Samoan football players and the new look – the horrible bushy long hair? It seems as if all Samoan players in the NFL and a good number in college are sporting this look. What on earth are they thinking?
And the thing that really gets me going is the explanation they give the media for it. Apparently it’s part of our Samoan culture for men to wear their hair long. Okay, I think I have a pretty good handle on our culture, after all I am Samoan, born and raised in Samoa in a Samoan family, speak the language fluently, went back to Samoa and taught after college, married to a Samoan man who wears his hair short (and always has). Even though we now make our home in the good ole USA we still live and honor our culture and fa’aSamoa. So what am I missing?
Let’s see from my earliest recollection of life in Samoa, I don’t recall a single adult Samoan male with long hair. These are men who not only know their culture like the back of their hand, they are living it. They live and breathe the fa’aSamoa, the culture, the aganu’u. They don’t just talk about culture, they also practice the culture every day of their lives. So, forgive me if I have a problem with someone who grew up in California or wherever in the States, someone who perhaps barely understands, let alone speaks the Samoan language talking about long hair being a part of the Samoan culture.
Part of our culture? I’m not saying that you have to grow up in Samoa to really get the culture but it sure helps. We’re raising our kids here in the States and even though we are trying to teach them about the culture, the fa’aSamoa, I’m afraid there is a lot about the culture that they just won’t get because they are not immersed in it and that is something that I regret very much. But that is another blog so where was I…
Oh yes, the long hair. Long hair and Samoan culture. I understand that in early historic times, Samoan men, if they wanted to, wore their hair long. But I don’t believe its right to say that it was because long hair (on men) was part of the culture. It was a matter of preference, a choice, a matter of personal expression. I guess it depends on how we define culture. Is what we wear culture? Is culture the length of someone’s hair or is culture something else?
I think in those days we pretty much ran around without clothes too, maybe a loin covering but not much else. The white man brought clothes when they finally came to our corner of the globe and also introduced the flowered ie lavalavas that is also now synonomous with being a Samoan (also another of my pet peeves).
So should we all run around in nothing but grass skirts all day (or maybe nothing at all) and say we are doing so because this is our culture?
Whenever I see these guys on the field I shudder with horror and think back to the good old days of men like Jesse Sapolu who I thought represented our Samoan community and culture exceptionally well in professional sports. So on the really slim chance that someone with influence on any of these guys happens to read this and agree, fa’amolemole fai iai e oki le ga gasu e feoa’i ma lakou.
My point? If you are a Samoan young man and you choose to wear your hair long, by all means do so. That is your right and your privilege to do whatever you feel makes you look good. But please, please, please, don’t say that long hair is part of your culture.
Samoan men are strong and proud. Our young sons growing up need to understand that what is portrayed by some of these players isn’t representative of the Samoan culture at all. Instead, I hope they look closer to home if they are looking for someone to emulate and to idolize.
Filed under: Fa'a Samoa/Culture | Tagged: Jesse Sapolu, NFL, Samoan players
Talofa lava,
I hear you there sis, however, we don’t take our lessons in the true faasamoa from these kids. They perpertuate what they see an hear from TV and promote it as their own, them being Samoan natives. I think it’s the influence of the “Wild Samoans” in wrestling and it’s just their props; nothing else. Also I remember back when I was growing up in Samoa that when a young boy had blondist hair (i.e. different from the normal black hair) the parents would allow this to grow and when he’s of age (10-12) there somewhere they would have a hair cutting ceremony like a big birthday and everyone would celebrate. I don’t hear anyone of late doing that now.
Anyway that my input to this subject. I have 3 sons, 3 have long hair and one not; it’s really just whatever they are comfortable with.
Ia manuia.
CORRECTION
Anyway that my input to this subject. I have 3 sons, 2 have long hair and one not; it’s really just whatever they are comfortable with, one graduate from college and two are in college…so go figure.
Hi Matai,
Thanks for stopping by and for your input. I too remember what you mentioned about having a hair cutting ceremony for a young boy when they reached a certain age. I actually went to a few of those myself. I really liked what you said about your sons, that they wear their hair long or short because its what they’re comfortable with. In other words its their personal preferance to wear it that way and that is how it should be. We all don’t want other people to tell us how to dress or how what length our hair should be. What I had a problem with was the explanation I hear a lot that certain players wear their hair long because it is part of our culture to do so. Thank you again!
I grew up in Auckland in the 70’s all the sasa’s i saw round the place had long bushy fro’s ? . . sole stop being ashamed of our
fresh hairstyles !
Hi Daniel,
It’ s nice to have a Kiwi drop in and give us his take. It really isn’t the hairstyle that I object to, as far as I’m concerned anyone can wear whatever hairstyle tickles their fancy, after all as we like to say here “its a free country.” What I was trying to say is that I don’t think it has anything to do with culture like I keep hearing in the media. I knew a Samoan man who did something really awful, (the kind where the police come knocking on your door and take you away in handcuffs), and you know what he had the nerve to say to the police – I did it because its part of my culture. Fa’afetai for your comments. Hope you visit often. Tofa
thesamoanwoman:
Thanks for blogging about this subject. I thought it was part of Samoan culture for men to leave their hair long but It appears I was mistaken. Pennsylvania must have been quite a culture shock for you having been born and raised in Samoa. I thought it was odd when I was stationed on Oahu that many adults had never been to the mainland and quite a few had not even been to another island.
Take care,
Siggy
Okay I got a good opinion for this topic, as I was one of those sporting the long hair due back in my HS football days; good times. Well, in those days we did grow up watching the rise of pacific islanders in the nfl, and not all had the long hair. But most of us Polys that were on the team sported the long hair, as a way of making ourselves easily identifiable as Islanders. If you could see long hair sticking out of a helmet you could say that most of the time it was a polynesian. It was a sort of pride thing too, in knowing who the polys were on the opposing teams. Also, we use to joke the other players got intimidated when they saw a Poly with long hair sticking out of his helmet, thus it gave us the advantage sometimes. Sometimes the feeling of the hair for me at least, made the helmet feel a little bit more comfortable when I got banged on the head (which happened more than not). Its also cool seeing pictures and game highlights of us with the long hair flowing in the wind as we would run around the field. The worst was when I picked off a ball, and started running back to the endzone when I was dragged down by my hair. It didn’t hurt as much as it was unexpected, but I guess thats the price one pays. As for the long hair being representative of our culture, in some ways I feel it is representative for the newer generation. A tool for the many island kids growing up playing football to from that bond between eachother, but also a bond towards their ethnic cultures. The long hair is just a tribute that we have to the many that passed before us and whose roads we are walking on. This is our way of expressing our gratitude towards our heritage, but also our respect for our peoples. When you see another uso on an opposing team with long hair, back then there was not that much, but there was always this sense of respect we had for one another, a kind of bond that could never be broken. Although, most of the time we did not know each other, the fact that they wore their hair down with pride, showed the kind of person they are.
Hope this helped a little… lol.
joda
Hi Joda,
It’s refreshing to hear from someone who actually sported this look, especially since you articulated your position so well. I do see how it could be a positive thing from a young man’s perspective. Thank you for helping me see a different point of view.
Soifua.
I can see where you’re coming from when these players say the hairstyle is part of our culture. I grew up with long bushy hair. My main inspiration was bone thugs. I’ve got short hair now but I’m always proud of my curls. I always used to get comments from all types of people saying they wish they had hair like mine which is weird because I always wanted straight palagi hair when I was younger.
Heeeeeey, the downward fro aint horrible LOL
I wish I had hair like that but my parents say I have to faigaluega first. I get heaps of comments from saigas and palagis saying how cool my hairstyle is and then I get heaps or critisizm from my parents [mostly Mum] saying “Se va’ai aku le faife’au e makaga lau ulu!” Haha, yer i’m agreeing with you, I don’t think it was a Samoan thing to grow long bushy hair untill the Palagi’s came and found how fascinating it was.
This is a really interesting blog, and i love the comments to, especially the one coming from the guy who played football and used to sport the look. I am native american and my tribe specifically wore long hair including men, but again it was a matter of choice, today not many of us wear long hair, but those of us who are not close to predominately native american communities tend to still wear it long as a sense of identification and we are much more easily discernible to our fellow natives as well as non natives . I do understand where you are coming from, as I tend to say that i wear my long hair because of my culture, it isn’t exactly a cultural norm as it was 400yrs ago. Again I’m not samoan, but i think i can offer a little of a different perspective as well, although this may not be the case, samoan males with short hair can be mistaken as hispanic or multi-racial, with the long hair they are easily categorized rightfully. honestly that’s I do it.
Hope this is helpful too. take care
I am a non-Samoan who was just watching a football game and decided to once and for all find out if the long hair on Samoan football players was indeed a cultural nod. A Google search led me to this blog, but it also led me to a book excerpt about Western Samoa that indicates it was a ancestral tradition (pp. 67-68 of Lagaga: a short history of Western Samoa, by Malama Meleisea, Penelope Schoeffel Meleisea) http://books.google.com/books?id=Gt_RrCAkctwC&pg=PA68&lpg=PA68&dq=samoan+male+long+hair&source=bl&ots=_8nqH6OLKL&sig=WDTL3PW0Ua8okd7QcHZKrHpghvY&hl=en&ei=jiWvSo_GOYqeswPT8J3DCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2#v=onepage&q=samoan%20male%20long%20hair&f=false)
So now I am confused. I guess I need to study the subject more…
I am a 23 year old Samoan offensive linemen and I too sport the long bushy black hair look. Originally from a highly Samoan populated area in North Seattle, now playing football in North Dakota (not very many usos, but a few) I feel that the long hair, for our generation, especially in sports is more of a bridge, connection, or bond between myself and the other polys I play against. We play against schools from Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska and, Iowa where it is safe to say that polys and Samoans specifically are few and far between. But when we play against each other, long hair or no hair, there is an unspoken bond of friendship. The hair is merely a statement that I use to say, “I know that people see this hair and think Samoan, and in my case you are right. I am very proud.” I wouldn’t say it’s a direct culture reference but I would say it is a metaphor for our people’s dedication to tradition, strong work ethic, strong sense of respect for family and self, and tight community. I know that when I play in a football game and there is a poly on the other team whether I notice because they have long hair or by there name, I make a special effort to be sure to greet them, congratulate them on a good game, find out where they are from, and wish them well. So i guess what I am trying to say is that I agree with this original blog about the direct connection between our culture and my hair, but also I am trying to help understand the method behind the madness of our long flowing locks.
Watching guys like Troy Polamalu and Chris Kemoautu of the Pittsburgh Steelers kids growing up see them and want to be like them both in football ability, and in appearance and I get that.
Bottom line for me when I’m out on the field I feel comfortable with my long hair. I think I look good.
Look good, feel good. Feel good, play good.
Thank You.
Thanks Mary OL for your thoughts. It’s very nice to actually hear from one of the guys sporting the look:-). I’m sure you’re right about the shared sense of brotherhood that the long hair brings out amongst all the Samoans on the field. Good luck to you and your team.