A most unusual Ava ceremony

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Ava ceremony conducted by the American Samoa Community College Samoan Studies Institute Students Association to welcome delegates from the US, who are here for a Mental Health Summit this week.

The ceremony's Folafola Ava — Ava Announcer was a female student making it a most interesting and unusual ceremony at the start. 

Miss Lagi Sooalo acknowledged the receiving of the ava stalks and distribution of them. 

This role is usually played by a male figure following the Sufi Ava or Ava Collector, which was played by Bahn Vaofanua. 

Another interesting change to this ava ceremony was the Lauga Usu or the Welcoming speech by another female student, Miss Silupevaelaa Kuresa.

Usually the the only female figure involved in traditional Ava Ceremonies would be the Taupou or the esteemed young maiden, who ceremonially prepares the ava.

Miss Alofatunoa Lemalu along with the untitled men prepared the ava drink; while Mr Tuu Palemene was the Solialofi serving the ava drink in the traditional half of a coconut shell (finely polished), following Ava distributor, Mr Momoe Vaalele.

When asked by Samoa News on why the females were playing the usual roles for males in the traditional ava ceremony, Aiono Keseta Okenaisa Fauolo of the Samoan Studies Institute said:  "Sa faaaoga suafa o tamaiti, o lesi lena mea taua." (Their role play was according to their names (both male and female) as that is another important element in the ceremony.)