WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:22.260 --> 00:00:24.520 Strength doesn't matter to me 00:00:24.520 --> 00:00:28.740 but the skills of the rowers, and that's very important. 00:00:28.740 --> 00:00:31.360 Everything has to be in perfect order 00:00:31.360 --> 00:00:33.200 for this boat to glide. 00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:37.240 One mistake by one oarsman would stop the boat. 00:00:40.760 --> 00:00:43.740 My name is Fu'ega Sa'ite Moliga 00:00:43.740 --> 00:00:48.280 and I'm the captain for the Fautasi Matasaua 00:00:48.280 --> 00:00:54.260 for the Manu'a District, representing Ofu, Olosega, Ta'u islands. 00:00:55.820 --> 00:01:01.060 This boat right here, this is the longest of all the fautasi in American Samoa. 00:01:01.060 --> 00:01:02.740 115 feet. 00:01:05.340 --> 00:01:09.820 As you can see maybe this evening, there's about 14, 13 fautasi 00:01:09.820 --> 00:01:13.380 will be in the water, getting prepared for Flag Day. 00:01:28.500 --> 00:01:33.159 The pride of the village and every young man on this island is on this boat. 00:01:33.159 --> 00:01:36.240 Especially from our islands Manu'a. 00:01:36.240 --> 00:01:40.080 And we represent every single soul in Manu'a. 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:43.600 It's a sport that we love to do. 00:01:45.580 --> 00:01:47.820 See how long the boat is? 00:01:47.880 --> 00:01:50.740 It's very difficult for me to stand in the back there 00:01:50.740 --> 00:01:53.080 trying to tell the guy up in the front what to do. 00:01:53.080 --> 00:01:57.580 And the only way to do that is by listening to the whistle. 00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:02.540 I served in the U.S. Air Force for eight years 00:02:02.549 --> 00:02:09.039 and I was fortunate enough to be selected by my district to do the 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:11.560 training for the fautasi 00:02:11.560 --> 00:02:14.020 and also be the leader of the boat. 00:02:14.100 --> 00:02:17.060 Training the crew not only on land 00:02:17.060 --> 00:02:21.340 but also on the water with the fautasi. 00:02:21.340 --> 00:02:23.720 It's not an easy thing to do. 00:02:23.720 --> 00:02:29.700 The Flag Day is in April but usually we start training from December, 00:02:29.760 --> 00:02:32.860 3 o'clock in the morning, start training, 00:02:32.860 --> 00:02:36.760 and then got off maybe 6 o'clock in the morning 00:02:36.760 --> 00:02:40.700 then 4 p.m. on the water and that's the our daily routine. 00:02:41.740 --> 00:02:43.480 I grew up in the water 00:02:43.480 --> 00:02:45.560 in the ocean 00:02:45.560 --> 00:02:49.020 and that's why I have a lot of respect for this. 00:02:49.020 --> 00:02:52.460 With the fautasi, it's the same spirit. 00:02:52.460 --> 00:02:56.300 There's a lot to it, taking 50 young men on a longboat 00:02:56.300 --> 00:02:57.840 and take them out there for a ride. 00:02:57.840 --> 00:02:59.520 There's a reason why we do that. 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:02.390 Not only showing that we belong to the ocean, 00:03:02.390 --> 00:03:06.080 you have the courage to lead your young men of your village. 00:03:06.120 --> 00:03:09.340 We don't just go out on the water just for fun. 00:03:17.500 --> 00:03:20.660 I'm glad I grew up when I was young 00:03:20.660 --> 00:03:22.960 I'm 66 years old right now 00:03:22.960 --> 00:03:25.700 and I still have that heart for the culture 00:03:25.700 --> 00:03:31.060 and, you know, the ocean, the land, the forest. 00:03:31.069 --> 00:03:32.980 You know, everything goes hand-in-hand. 00:03:32.980 --> 00:03:38.520 That's what we like to pass on to our kids in the younger generations. 00:03:41.240 --> 00:03:46.080 To maintain our identity, that's the most important thing to us.