Home-A College of many cultures
- Our team
- From an orchard and vineyard to a school
- Our school culture
- Our school song and haka
- Languages in our school
- Cultural fusion
- Taste sensations from Samoa and the Phillipines
- Arts and Culture Week
- National Independence of Samoa Day
- Discovering different types of cultural dances in Waitakere College
- Waitakere College Arts and Cultural Awards
- Our long-awaited school Marae
- 12,000 miles to New Zealand citizenship
- Europe to Australia to a life in the circus
- Massive state to tiny island to green New Zealand
- Afghanistan to New Zealand
- India to New Zealand
- Around the world
- Research process
- Learning outcomes
- References and acknowledgements
National Independence of Samoa Day
Waitakere College celebrates this special day by holding a flag ceremony instead of doing a well-known Powhiri (Māori culture). Members of our Services Academy raise the Samoan flag in honour, and they then have a huge ceremony held in the hall with just over 500 people inside. Each member of the Samoan language are able to invite two members to attend.
The ceremony always starts off with performances. In 2013 a group of year 9’s did a 'Snow White' play fully in Samoan, and two girls from my class participated in it hopefully they have another outstanding play ready for us this year. It followed after a year 10 dance for entertainment. They also did a quiz for parents followed by a Level 2 Poetry Reading and also a Level 3 Musical Production. Then finally had lunch and they introduced some well-known and favourite culture food like umu, taro, fish, corn beef, fried chicken, also raw fish and many more traditional foods. The ceremony ended with the Services Academy squad marching in with the flag.
We celebrate this day to acknowledge the Independence of the Samoan culture. The purpose of this day was made for the Samoan people to come together as a nation to celebrate their freedom from New Zealand. Story of this day became important when one of the NZ Military Police shot Leader high chief Tupua Tamasese Lealofi. Also leaving 11 others dead. This is known as the 'Black Saturday.' The Mau movement eventually led to the political independence of Samoa on the 1st of June 1962. The whole island celebrates this day.
Tati