Abstract
Being resilient in the face of climate change is important for island societies such as Samoa, which currently face the consequences of rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall and wind patterns, and sea level rise, yet there is a dearth of academic literature on the subject. This paper argues fa’amatai connections are crucial to the protection and survival of individual Sāmoans and communities. Therefore, understanding the resilience of Sāmoans to climate change requires assesment of Sāmoans’ perceptions and actions in the context of their positioning (and related connections, responsibilities and obligations) within this complex system. The author uses a non-equilibrium cultural ecological lens to demonstrate fa’amatai’s resilient nature as a social system. In the past two hundred years, fa’amatai has evolved to become a complex system encompassing not just connections within extended families and villages but also churches, central government and nongovernmental organizations that operate within and outside Samoa. The multiple and multi-layered connections which currently exist within fa’amatai has provided opportunities for individual Sāmoans and communities to develop resilience to climate change.
Keywords: fa’amatai, resilience, climate change, Samoa
