October 2003 Draft; © copyright 2003,   Pen Fiatoa

Solo Ole Va:   Searching For Common Roots

A personal view of a possible Polynesian connection to pre-Columbian America and the Book of Mormon.

A. Introduction I was always interested with the subject of Polynesian migration, and particularly aspects related to Samoa that I'm familiar with. I've visited the topic occasionally, but I never took it seriously until a few years ago. As a member of the LDS Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), this topic is especially interested to me because of the claim by early LDS church leaders that Polynesians are descendants of a people whose story is recorded in the Book of Mormon. Since 2003, I set out to tackle this subject by reading books and browsing websites that deal with it. The materials that I came across motivated me to gather some notes, which I decided to make into this manuscript. This is neither a lesson on archeology, nor a lesson about LDS theology. I'm unqualified to present either of those subjects. These are notes that I'm compiling about Polynesia that I want to share with those interested in these subjects. The title of this manuscript is based on a Samoan verse - the "Solo Ole Va." My goal is to find out if this Samoan myth provides any insight into the Polynesian migration. Are there traditions from the Pacific and the Americas that might reveal the essence of the Solo? It was time to search for answers. What I've learned thus far had convinced me that a connection between ancient Polynesia and America is much stronger than what's acknowledged by many experts. While the names and words in the Solo seem foreign to the cultures of pre-Columbian America, some commonly available information strongly suggests that this story from the middle Pacific shares a common root with the traditions of pre-Columbian American cultures. Whatever your position on the subject of Polynesian migration and Mormon theology, I hope that you would be patient with me as I walk you through my findings. I expect nothing from you except an open mind to the possibility of a grand human history, a story of a past that's clouded in mysteries and more often, unfortunately, hidden by prejudices and ego. The acceptable truth that was taught during my high school years in Samoa was that Polynesians came from the west. We also learned about the Kon-Tiki expedition and its famous organizer. But, I think that that was probably an attempt to provide some balance to the discussion, and included in some cases as a failed example to strengthen accepted theories. These accepted theories, including Lapita and DNA research, have gained many followers in the scientific community, and their opinions have become the standard of Polynesian studies. Against this force, I want to add my oppinion, and to present a picture of a possible migration to Polynesia of people from the Pre-Columbian Americas as suggested by Thor Heyerdahl. This is not an attempt to introduce a new theory, but to restate an old one with a slightly different view. So, as the Celebrated American Chef Emeril Lagasse says, "Let's kick it up a notch!"

Several people have advocated the westerly migration of Polynesians from the Americas. It was made particularly popular by Thor Heyerdahl who in his Kon-Tiki adventure tried to prove that the simple boats used by the Peruvian natives were sufficient to carry people to the remote islands of eastern Polynesia. Although I have a problem with Heyerdahl's sentimental views, I agree with him that a group of people migrated from America into the Pacific.

When I saw an online copy of the "Solo ole Va", I was encouraged to take a closer look into this subject, and to write this short manuscript. While looking for references that might provide evidence of a pre-Columbian America-Polynesian connection, I came across a book by William Sullivan that provided a unique way of looking at this subject. It became a key source for me in my attempt to find root ideas between these cultures. Both Sullivan's book, "The Secret of the Incas", that was written about Andean cultures, and the "Solo ole Va", a myth from a people in the central Pacific, in my mind, are connected. The goal of this manuscript is to try to show these connections.

Furthermore, I'm impressed with hints of a possible connection of these traditions to the Book of Mormon that's purported to be written by a people who lived in the Americas. Although this conclusion is of a personal matter, it's hard for me to ignore the inference this evidence provides.

I've purposefully outlined this manuscript to encourage readers to study this subject further. I've tried to distinguish 'fact' from 'belief'. Even if the reader dismisses the Book of Mormon claims, there are still enough materials outlined that I hope provide a strong case for a migration into the central Pacific from America. I'm not a scholar, and I don't have a strong knowledge of the English and the Samoan language. My manuscript is limited to common knowledge readily available in the public domain. If you want to research this subject further, I hope I have provided enough materials for your continual studies.

"Let us discard all this quibbling about this man and the other man--this race and that race and the other race being inferior, and therefore they must be placed in and inferior position...Let us discard all these things, and unite as one people throughout this land, until we shall once more stand up declaring that all men are created equal." (Abraham Lincoln, Speech, Chicago, Illinois, July 10, 1858)

Before proceeding, I want to clear something up relating to the sensitive subject of race. The characterization of Thor Heyerdahl included accusations of him being a racist. This impression maybe wrongly attributed to Thor because of his seemingly obsessed views correlating physical appearance and advancement in cultures in both Polynesia and the Americas. In all honesty, I'm a little troubled by that part of Heyerdahl's views. However, I think that some of the accusations against Heyerdahl are unfair. The attacks also divert attention from the main point that Heyerdahl made - that there are many evidences (including race) that connect the peoples of pre-Columbian America to Polynesians. Race plays a major role in human relationships throughout history. I just can't avoid race in this manuscript and be true to the topic. It's an ugly part of our human history, but hiding it under the mat and not dealing with it honestly is also not a good thing.

The danger arises when someone tries to use race to advance a personal agenda by belittling a certain race based solely on looks. I notice the attempt by many experts to equate the starting of pottery making in the Pacific to some outside influence. I believe that the decorative-pottery that are found scattered throughout the Pacific islands originated from the dark skinned Melanesians and not an advancement brought in by lighter skinned migrants. In the case of Egypt, and of the Middle East in general, I notice that black authors emphasize the "black" element (1) from the south as the source of Egypt's advance civilization, and white authors seem to emphasize the "white" influence (2) from the north. The truth about Egypt's history is far more complicated than any of that, and it's very likely that Egypt's diversity made it one of the great ancient civilizations. I think that social condition is not a result of skin color, but rather a function of the environment that's influenced by many complex variables. I suspect that that includes the adaptation of existing resources, physical and mental, by those living in specific environments to maximize survival. This apex can be a relative notion amongst different people and locations.

"The 'master race' claims are sheer poppycock, used by characterless men to further their own interests. There has never been a monopoly of mastery in human achievement by any one nation. To claim so is simply to allow the lawless nationalism to run wild. The 'master race' doctrine of the late war was an ugly delusion, conceived by the powers of evil, whose prince is Satan, the devil."—LDS Elder John A. Widstoe, in 1946 (3)

I'm somewhat uncomfortable using race and skin color to demonstrate my case, but I feel that it's the only honest and sure way to do it. Ignoring this would impair an honest discussion of what truly happened; the truth is our ancestors were just as prejudiced as we are today. The emotional conditions of our ancestors are similar to our own - fears, dreams, desires, and passions. In those primitive years that our ancestors lived in, sometimes in insufferable conditions, survival depended on brute force and raw emotion. It's evident from traditions in Polynesia today that warriors defined social norms and dominated much of the cross-culture attitudes in early Polynesia. In those primitive settings, group identification played a major role in inter-culture relationships.

B. The Debate

How did the people of central Polynesia get there? Did they sailed or drifted in? Was their arrival the result of an accident or was it the conclusion of some thoughtful migration? Which direction of the Pacific Rim did they come from? East? West? There are so many questions, and the answers are still being debated today.

Ever since Europeans first set sight on the Pacific islands, the question of how the inhabitants of those isolated islands dotting millions of square miles of ocean got there created one of the most talked about topics. The Polynesians settled a triangular area with New Zealand in the south, Hawaii on the north, and Easter Island on the eastern extremity. On the question of the origin of Polynesians, two views exist. One view, first advanced by Captain James Cook, says that the Polynesians migrated eastward from Southeast Asia. The other view, advanced by Thor Heyerdahl, says that the Polynesians drifted westward from the Americas. Except for the presence of sweet potatoes, most of the archeological findings point to an eastward migration as proposed by Captain Cook. Current Lapita research strongly suggests the peopling of Polynesia from the west. The scientists refer to a people they think share common traits based on the artifacts they find scattered around the Pacific islands, and mostly on the western part of Oceania, as "Lapita." (4)

Despite the strong Lapita findings that support an eastward migration, there are still some questions that need to be successfully answered, and which subsequently tend to prolong the discussion. For examples are the similarity between the indigenous name of the sweet potato in the Americas and Polynesia, and counter-arguments against the popular views by other informed people; i.e. a letter written by Yuri Kuchinsky (5) ridiculing modern Lapita research, entitled "Polynesian origins and Lapita deception." Yuri is a critic of many Lapita conclusions who promotes another theory of Polynesians migrating from the American Northwest. I think that a link between the peoples of the Americas and Polynesia was never a serious matter for the experts because they had already made up their mind that people migrated from Siberia into America over a land bridge. How then do we deal with some familiar objects and like words between these two areas? There are now evidences that show conclusively that a contact between the peoples of Polynesia and Pre-Columbia America occurred. It's no longer a question whether a contact was made, but how the contact was made. The traditionalists are saying that it was probably the Polynesians who migrated into the (6) Americas, but only in a limited location in South America. However, that view generates more questions than certainty. I think that the diffusion-theory provides the best possible answer - ancient people traveled across the Pacific in both directions.

The "Solo ole Va" is an ancient chant from Samoa that deals with the origin of their people, as well as people known to the Samoans. I believe that this ancient Samoan chant could provide some clues to the Polynesian origin. The "Solo ole Va" could signify a deeper meaning beyond its limited use in local Samoan customs. We may fully appreciate the significance of the Solo to our understanding of Polynesian history if we go beyond the local imagery it depicts. It could represent something loftier and enlightening than if we look at it solely as savage chattering. Incidentally, "Solo ole Va" translates to "Poetry of the Separation"; "Solo" means chant or poetry, and "Va" means separation. My observation of these common words and traditions is providing me with an insight to a connection between the peoples of Polynesia, pre-Columbian America, and the Middle East.

"Fraser, who in the late nineteenth century edited various of the traditions collected by Powell, has likened Ta'u, the principle island of Manu'a, to Delos, the island birthplace of Apollo in the ancient Aegean." (Freeman, p.133)

A reference made in Derek Freeman's book "Margaret Mead and Samoa" about Manu'a is based on the Solo. The Solo according to Freeman recounts the creation of Samoa. I can pick out from the Solo things that are particularly Samoan, but my mind still wonders why some of it points to cultures and places far removed from its familiar surroundings.

Legends and myths were important to ancient Polynesians, and I intend to use them in this manuscript. They served the purposes of entertainment and religion, as well as navigational aids using solar and oceanic objects. Stories like the legends of Maui and Rata, common through out Polynesia, were told to encourage the primitive mariners who traveled the vast ocean. I think, too, that to understand the Polynesians better, it's necessary to understand their myths and legends. I saw a speech on television, by the Hungarian Ambassador to the US, Andras Simonyi, about the affects of Rock and Roll to the liberation of Eastern Europe from totalitarianism, particularly in his country of Hungary. The Ambassador explained that while the government sanctioned their lyrics, it failed to realize how important the music was to their cause. Their music set the tone and was a hidden motivator for them. The music was just as powerful as the words. I think that to fully understand the Polynesians we need to learn their myths and legends, as well as scrutinizing pieces of pottery.

Both pre-Columbian Americans and Polynesians shared the myth that involved the return of a white god. That was fulfilled, however mistaken that was, with the arrival of Europeans. I wonder about who really benefited more from that encounter. Was it the Spaniards who expanded their empire, or the Native Americans who were once again reminded, by way of the vicious conquistadors, of their relationship to God? The truth about the Spaniards was soon revealed, but the timing of their arrival and subsequent events should provide Native Americans affirmation of their true relationship to something great. After all, this was their myth that they themselves foretold. I believe that these aren't isolated events. For a people that lack a written language, I feel that it's important to use their myths to examine their relationship to other cultures.

I've compiled a list (Appendix B) of words that appear similar, in meaning and spelling, between the languages of the Americas, Southeast Asia, Egypt and Samoa. I'm convinced that these words have a common origin and their similarities aren't just a result of some statistical aberration. Whether this similarity is due to a transmission of ideas or a physical contact by people, I can't be certain. What's beginning to be certain for me is that the arrival of the Europeans in the South Pacific was just another layer in the myriad of pass arrivals that made up the people of Polynesia.

I didn't set out to provide "a proof" to the claims of the Book of Mormon, but to learn more about my Samoan culture. However, my progress into this project had nonetheless provided for me a very interesting observation of relationships between the recorded traditions of seemingly different cultures, and those found in the culture landscape of the Book of Mormon. Without minimizing the importance of faith in religion, I present these facts as a possible support to the Book of Mormon. I hope that these notes will kindle further your interest in this subject. Please read and decide for yourself. I hope you enjoy it.