Biography
Born on April 11, 1951, Sapa'u Ruperake Petaia is
a published poet and the Director of the Ministry of the Post and Telecommunications
for the island nation of Samoa. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Public
Administration and Economic Geography from the University of the South Pacific
in Suva, Fiji, in 1980. Sapa'u also has a Master's in Public Administration
from Trinity University (USA), which he earned through their long-distance
learning program. After completing his undergraduate degree at Samoa College,
Petaia returned to Western Samoa where he worked in the Public Service Commission,
restarting a career that began in 1973. In 1987 he was appointed Deputy
Secretary of the Commission. In 1989 he was appointed the Director of the
then Post Office Department, and a year ago he was delegated and appointed
to his present designation. (Lyall).
Brief History of Samoa
The Dutch first visited Western Samoa in 1722.
However, people of Polynesian descent primarily inhabit the island to this
day (1995 est. pop. 209,000). It granted 
trading privileges to the U.S. in 1878 and to Germany and Britain in 1879.
In 1899, the U.S. annexed eastern Samoa and the western islands passed to
German control. New Zealand occupied the German islands in 1914 during World
War I, and subsequently administered them as a League of Nations mandate and
a UN Trust Territory. They gained independence as Western Samoa in 1962.
Executive power rests in a chief of state, chosen by the legislative assembly
from among the royal families. The Samoan clan chiefs are responsible for
choosing the majority of the members in the legislature. Chief Susuga Malietoa
Tanumafili II has been head of state since 1962. In 1997, the country dropped
"Western" from its official name. The Flag of Samoa shows three quarters
red, having the upper left quadrant blue. The interior of this area contains
five white stars depicting the Southern Cross.
Major Themes in Petaia's Writing
Heavily postcolonial, Sapa'u's poetry criticizes the legacy of British influence on different facets of Samoan life. In 'Kidnapped,' for instance, he opposes the institution of an Anglicized educational system. Alluding to his academic training as a metaphorical "kidnapping," he implies that his teachers (white colonialists) had essentially stolen him from his mother (representing the native culture or "patria"). Markedly politicized and distinctly accusatory in tone, this particular example intends to extrapolate itself to the sentiments of the colonized, and rejects the now widely accepted establishment of Western imperialism. Other themes throughout Sapa'u's work include elements of nature and historical facts.
Q & A with S. Ruperake Petaia
Q: So, where to from here?
"It is my serious intention to leave the public service at the end of my current contract. However, the feeling now is, it's time to move on to my other areas of interests like working in the plantation, being involved directly with village matters as a matai [head of the family] and looking after the aiga and church commitments. I want the younger fellas and the more versatile, energetic qualified people to take over in the best interest of the country's development."
Q: I wasn’t sure whether I was going to ask this question. What about politics?
"Well, maybe, but I don't feel the urge to take up politics. Hey, but who knows!" [From samoalive.com, 2001]
Q: From when does your first memory of rebellious behavior or thinking come?
"Hmm . . . well, when I was six years old, I used the crayons from art class to draw on my lunchbox."
Q: What was the subject of the first poem you wrote, and how old were you then?
"I was fourteen. I think it was some sort of love poem, but I don’t really remember, and it was certainly never published!"
Q: Why did you choose to examine the institution of education in 'kidnapped' as opposed to governmental or religious influences?
"In the Pacific Islands, education is where the Western influence is most felt."
Q: What is your preferred mode of writing for publication (i.e. poetry, prose, journalism, etc.)?
"Poetry is my preferred medium . . . it allows me to be succinct."
Q: As a follow-up question, do you intend to publish anything in the near future?
"Yes, I do, but I won’t say what or when!" [From telephone interview, conducted by David Klivans on 11/07/01]
Works Published by S. R. Petaia
Blue Rain, a collection of poetry, first printed in 1980 by Mana Publications in Apia and then reprinted in 1991 and 1999. It is 32 pages in length and available in paperback. This collection includes Petaia's most well-renowned poem, 'Kidnapped.'
"Patches of the Rainbow" is a series of poems published by the Samoa Observer
in 1992 in Apia, Western Samoa.
He has also published many reports and government documents, a short novel,
and various short stories.
S.R. Petaia's Contact Information
S. R. Petaia, Director of Posts and Telecommunications
Western Samoa Posts And Telecommunications Department
General Post Office
Apia, Western Samoa
Phone: +685 24000 ; FAX: +685 24671
Works Cited & Related Links
The Arnold Anthology of Post-colonial Literatures in English, John
Thieme (ed.), London: Arnold, 1996
Post-colonial Transformation, Bill Ashcroft, London: Routledge, 2001
Author: David M. Klivans, Fall 2001
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