“At the PEAK of Purpose”: A Heartfelt Talanoa with Kristian Fanene Schmidt
Talofa lava, fam. You already know what it is when we gather on the Fala, it’s not just a podcast or blog, it’s a sacred space – a space where we get to share the richness of our stories as Queer and Trans Pacific Islanders. And this week on Fofola Le Fala, I had the […]
Redefining Boundaries with Vaelupe Ma’aele-Gonzales
Hey Fam, If you’ve been tuning into the Fofola Le Fala podcast, you know that we don’t shy away from the real and raw. Healing is messy, beautiful, and essential, and I’m almost three years into my own healing and sobriety journey. I’ve learned that breaking generational patterns takes courage and a whole lot of […]
One Storyteller’s Journey to Align to Her Calling
Talofa & Malo ‘e lelei, and welcome to the Fala. I’m Donato Fatuesi. I’m a former nonprofit executive who found herself burnt out, overwhelmed, and depressed in the life I had worked so hard to build for myself and those around me for 10 years in Seattle. Using the skills I had acquired and my […]
A Woman For All Seasons: An Intimate Conversation with Dakota Sofa
The aroma of newly bought notebooks fills the hallways as students return to classrooms in their crisp uniforms and clean haircuts. It’s a fresh start to another school year at Samoana High School. However, missing from her teacher’s desk, where she taught English for the past 20 years, is Dakota Sofa. “My resignation was kinda […]
A Place for Us to Live Our Dreams: The Story of Bhimcee
A week of heavy rain has subsided, and the scent of wet grass and sun-soaked concrete is in the air, a habitual sense of just another tropical day on Tutuila Island, American Samoa. Earlier that morning, my cousin Grace had talked about her hair appointment with a newly opened salon on the east end of […]
Stepping down with tremendous grace – The story of Paris Mae Mackie Yandall
We begin our story in American Samoa. The year is 1988, the street markets are filled with vendors, and the hustle and bustle of commuters shuffling through and from the nearby Fagatogo marketplace. Many people would be traveling through this main transit for shopping activities, or commuting to the fishing cannery. Lucky would commute to […]
Levi Reese: A Trailblazing Civil Servant in American Samoa
For more than two decades, Levi Reese has been quietly serving the people of American Samoa through her work with the Office of Treasury, a principal operating department for the local government. She goes beyond her duties and responsibilities, assisting workers, business owners, and private citizens daily. “I always try to do my best to […]
For the Love of the Game: Memoirs of Jaiyah Saelua a Journey Destined for Greatness
The scent of the blooming moso’oi tree signifies the harvesting of the palolo season. A delicacy in the Samoan islands. In American Samoa, festivities of art and culture are held for an entire month to culminate the occasion. It was in the midst of such a celebration one evening in late October at the Goat […]
Superstar: The Story of Cindy of Samoa
On a Thursday night in Apia, Samoa the traffic and bustle of town dwindles down at dusk. It’s seemingly quiet, but a dive into the local eateries and bars, and the ambiance is alive with nightlife and entertainment. We arrive at the Taumeasina Island Resort, a swanky hotel located on an islet in the harbor […]
Fierce & Dangerous: The Legend of the Notorious, Delilah
It is often that indelible characters and names in fable and of history endure with the passing of time. Often those unforgettable figures are etched in history books, artwork, and media. In the Pacific Islands, written history rarely exists outside a larger scope. This is ever dire in subcultures of the fa’afafine community of Samoa […]