Connecting The Past With The Future In American Samoa

Connecting The Past With The Future In American Samoa

Steven Munatones 01/08/2012 Open Water Swimming No Comment
AMERICAN SAMOA. Bruckner Chase has started the Toa o le Tai program, an ocean swimming initiative, in American Samoa yesterday.

“The stories down here are about as pure as you can get. The oral history and legends from both the ocean and the land are fascinating.”

Despite a 3,000-year history with its surrounding ocean, the relative percentage of watermen in American Samoa has significantly decreased from its illustrious past. Similar to other island nations from the South Pacific to the Caribbean Sea, the connection with the ocean has been reduced.

For many of those people under 18 here in American Samoa, their most viable career option is the military. With an improved ability to swim, different opportunities and paths become available.

There are two early examples of what the future holds once that connection is made. “By studying about the oceans while learning to swim, Charles will work with the Fagatele Bay Sanctuary,” explains Bruckner. “Tank was another example. He was afraid of the ocean. But he swam his first mile last week and will be a paid instructor at Samoana High School for our Ocean Swimming/Ocean Science class.”

Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source
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