Graduation ceremonies, which began to occur in the 1960s and 1970s as Samoans started to graduate from New Zealand universities, illustrate this process. Graduation was of great significance and families sought to commemorate members’ academic successes publicly, but because the only tertiary institutions in Samoa were theological colleges and training colleges which did not award degrees, there was no established protocol.
Early graduation ceremonies were small, informal and relatively unstructured events, held usually in homes or church halls, in which families and friends gathered, shared a meal, held a brief service of thanksgiving and made speeches in which graduates were commended for their efforts and thanked for bringing honour to the family, and younger members of the family were encouraged to emulate them. These were usually reserved for the celebration of university graduations.
But as matai and āiga sought new sites in which to demonstrate their growing human and material resources, graduations presented an opportunity to extend and formalise the ceremony.[11] Families started to invite guests whom they wanted, ostensibly,[12] to thank for contributions to graduates’ success and the ‘top table’ came to include ministers of religion, Sunday School teachers, music teachers, university faculty, sports coaches, colleagues, members of parliament and so on. They too were increasingly invited to speak on the graduates’ achievements and potential, and to congratulate the graduates and their families. In many cases, these speakers were given gifts, often fine mats and food, in recognition of their contributions both to the graduate’s success and to the dignity of the celebration.
Increasing numbers of Samoan graduates from an ever-wider range of tertiary institutions and courses provided an increasing number of opportunities for the evolution and refinement of a protocol of sorts. Over time, an extended format started to emerge in which thanksgiving services were followed by formal meals, speeches by graduates and representatives from both sides of the graduate’s family, dances, formal photographs and gift-giving. As with weddings, a competitive element led to pressure for larger, more elaborate and more expensive graduation ceremonies.
[11] Some graduates who had discouraged families from spending large amounts of money and who had resisted the increasing formality and ceremony had been reminded that this was an occasion for the family!
[12] A number of graduates noted that these occasions gave their parents an opportunity to show friends, family and guests ‘how many important people they knew’.