Sadat says it was vital to write the book given lāuga’s importance as a sacred ritual and cultural practice in fa‘asāmoa. He says: “To understand lāuga requires a lot of exposure, something that I have been fortunate enough to have. Many of our people, however, have not had that chance. Lāuga is enjoyed by many, but today many Sāmoan people, especially in the Sāmoan diaspora, also remain disconnected from it and lack proficiency in its rhetorical inventory. It is critical that the knowledge and skills that underpin lāuga are retained.”
Sadat Muaiava was born in Sāmoa and holds the titles Le‘Ausālilō (Falease‘ela), Lupematasila (Falelatai), Fata (Afega), and ‘Au‘afa (Lotofaga, Aleipata). He has contributed widely in public forums that discuss Sāmoan language, oratory, tattooing and history. In addition to his University teaching, he is the chair of the Wellington branch of the Association for Teachers of the Sāmoan Language. Sadat is a deacon and attends the Congregational Christian Church of American Sāmoa in Wainuiomata,where his parents, Reverend Elder Malaki and Rosalili Muaiava, have been in vocation since 2000.
The book itself is a beautiful object. Something that was important to the author and 19 contributors, given the mana lāuga holds in fa’asāmoa. They want it be something their people carry along to events and dip in and out of and refer to over and over again. It’s also a very accessible book that includes images and stories of many Sāmoan former and current great orators.