Sunday and Family

Two American Samoans: National Marine Sanctuary intern Rex Lokeni and landowner and gatekeeper Pio Fuimono share why Fagatele Bay is one of the special protected areas in the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa.

Film synopsis: Two American Samoans, High Chief Togotogo Sotoa and Rex Lokeni, an untitled man, share parts of their culture that bring families and communities closer together.

In American Samoa, chiefs give family members tasks to benefit their family. When family members earn respect from their families, their chief can grant them a title such as paramount chief, high chief, and high talking chief. An untitled man works to earn a servings chief title to a high chief in hopes of getting a high talking chief title.

Executive Producers - Jean-Michel Cousteau, Gene Brighouse
Producer - Jim Knowlton
Filmed and edited by Jim Knowlton
Music - Doug Shirley - "Silver Threads" and "Nahenahe"

Special thanks to:
National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa
National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

This film is the second film of the American Samoa Culture and Ocean Conservation Film Series. The stories in these short films are told by Americans Samoans who share their passion for their unique culture and for protecting their ocean resources for future generations.

About National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa

The National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa is located in the cradle of Polynesia’s oldest culture and is thought to support the greatest diversity of marine life in the National Marine Sanctuary System, including a wide variety of coral and other invertebrates, fishes, turtles, marine mammals and marine plants. The sanctuary protects extensive coral reefs, including some of the oldest and largest Porites coral heads in the world, along with deep water reefs, hydrothermal vent communities, and rare marine archaeological resources, and also encompasses important fishing grounds, the southernmost point in the United States, and waters surrounding one of the world’s smallest atolls. The sanctuary is also the only true tropical reef within the National Marine Sanctuary System, and is the most remote location within that system. NOAA co-manages the sanctuary with the American Samoa Government and works closely with communities adjacent to the sanctuary, all within the context of Samoan cultural traditions and practices.

About NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as the trustee for a network of underwater parks encompassing more than 170,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters. The network includes a system of 13 national marine sanctuaries and Papahānaumokuākea and Rose Atoll marine national monuments. Few places on the planet can compete with the diversity of the National Marine Sanctuary System, which protects America's most iconic natural and cultural marine resources. The system works with diverse partners and stakeholders to promote responsible, sustainable ocean uses that ensure the health of our most valued ocean places. A healthy ocean is the basis for thriving recreation, tourism and commercial activities that drive coastal economies. The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries also leads the National Marine Protected Areas Center, the nation's hub for building innovative partnerships and tools to protect special oceans.