Question

Give a description of life on the Samoan Islands in the 1920s.

Answer 1

Major activities on the island in the 1920s:

• According to a report published in the 1920s, Samoan children did not go to school. Instead, they engaged themselves in many different activities.
• They learned from their elders how to care for children or do housework.
• Fishing was an essential activity on the Samoan islands. It was common for young people to embark on long fishing expeditions.

Role of children in different activities while growing up:

• Both boys and girls used to look after their younger siblings. When the boys were about nine, they joined the older boys to do outdoor jobs like fishing and planting coconuts.
• As girls grew older, they continued to care for minor children or run errands for adults. Upon reaching the age of fourteen or so, girls also went on fishing trips, worked on plantations, and learned how to weave baskets. When it came to cooking, most of the work was done by boys. The girls assisted with the preparation of the meal.