Washington, D.C. – Congressman Faleomavaega today announced that he recently met with Elisapeta Tuupo-Alaimaleata and Alice Malepeai Silbanuz of the Honolulu-based Le Fetuao Samoan Language Center in his Washington, D.C. office. Faleomavaega congratulated Le Fetuao for becoming the first Samoan language project in the nation to be funded by the Administration for Native Americans (ANA) Language Preservation Grant and Le Fetuao thanked Faleomavaega for offering a letter of support in their grant application to ANA Commissioner Lillian Sparks Robinson. Tuupo-Alaimaleata, Le Fetuao’s Executive Director and Founder, and Silbanuz, the Center’s Communications Coordinator, visited with Faleomavaega during their stay in the Nation’s Capital for the first meeting of ANA grantees.
Since 2008, Le Fetuao has offered free Samoan language lessons to Samoan youth and families living on O‘ahu. Serving pre-k to high school age groups, the program focuses on three primary Samoan values: fa’aaloalo (respect), usita’i (obedience), and finafinau (perseverance). Through a combination of classroom-teaching and interactive learning, students learn through songs, dances, art classes such as siapo-making, and umu demonstrations.  Based in Island Family Christian Church in Honolulu, Le Fetuao will use its three-year ANA grant to provide training and resources for teachers and support the creation of a Samoan language curriculum. Furthermore, due to limited space and growing interest in youth and adult classes, the organization will also use part of the grant to expand the program to serve two additional communities on O‘ahu.
“I offer my sincere congratulations to Le Fetuao Samoan Language Center for creating this exceptional cultural education program for our Samoan youth and families living in Hawai‘i. I thank Elisapeta Tuupo-Alaimaleata and Alice Malepeai Silbanuz for taking the time to meet with me and for updating me on all of the great work Le Fetuao is doing to foster a strong Samoan identity in the next generation,†Congressman Faleomavaega stated. “I have always believed that language is the umbilical cord that ties us to our culture and I am pleased to know that because of this program more Samoan youth will grow up knowing their native language.â€
“I also thank ANA Administrator Lillian Sparks Robinson for the opportunity extended to our Samoan community to help maintain our unique language and culture. I am hopeful that as a first-time ANA grant recipient, Le Fetuao will be able to acquire the needed space and resources in order to continue to offer this free community service to all who are interested,†Congressman Faleomaveaga concluded.