N atural disasters provide humanity with a setting in which to examine core dimensions of life. How people respond to and make sense of their experiences due to the ruptures of trauma and devastation remains vital in grief recovery. An earthquake of 8.3 magnitudes on October 29, 2009 triggered a galulolo (tsunami wave) that devastated parts of Samoa, American Samoa, and Tonga. This calamity provided an ideal setting for a case study examination of how those directly impacted recovered from the devastation. In this article, the experiences of one couple in the context of Samoan grieving processes becomes the key focus. Disaster and grieving literature is examined to inform and provide interpretation to their experiences. It is through such an examination that this article seeks to makes an important contribution to understanding the complexities of loss and culturally patterned responses of Samoan people, like this couple, to disaster recovery.Keywords: galulolo, tsunami disaster, fa'asamoa, trauma and grief recovery, indigenous psychology On September 29, 2009, an earthquake of magnitude of 8.3 on the Richter scale occurred offshore between Samoa and Tonga at around 6.50 am and lasted for almost 2 minutes (Potoi, Tautua & Fa'atauva'a-Vavatau, 2000). Though earthquakes occur regularly in this part of the world, this quake was the most fierce many people had ever experienced in their lives. Its tremors were felt not only in Samoa, but also in American Samoa, the northern parts of Tonga, Wallis and Futuna, and as far as Niue (Figure 1).Following the trembling, many locals proceeded with cleaning up the mess left behind by the massive quake, unbeknown to them that the shakes were only minor compared to the utter devastation that came next -a galulolo (tsunami wave). The Psychosocial Response Report (PSR) that was compiled by members of the Samoa recovery teams situated in Moto'otua reported that 'it only took 10-15 minutes after the earthquake had stopped for the wave to hit Samoa and Tutuila, at speeds of between 450-600 miles per hour, measuring between twenty to thirty feet in height at the worst hit areas' (Potoi et al., 2009, p. 2). In Samoa, the galulolo left 143 people dead in its wake, mostly women, children and the elderly. Five of the victims have never been recovered. Among the deceased were 10 tourists holidaying in Samoa, including some from New Zealand. Over 300 people sustained physical injuries and over 100 were admitted to the Samoa National Health Address for correspondence: Byron Malaela Sotiata Seiuli, School of Psychology, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand. Email: byron@waikato.ac.nz Services (NHS) situated in Moto'otua, Apia, or satellite clinics in outlying regions. The PSR report also recorded that over 130 surgical procedures were undertaken to aid victims towards physical recovery, not counting those who chose not to report their injuries. The three main districts directly affected were Safata, Falealili, and Aleipata, representing between 37-40 villages, w...

Given that dialogue relating to death and grief for many Samoans still remains in the realm of tapu (sacred) or sā (protected), few attempts have been made by researchers of Samoan heritage to understand whether the cultural contexts for enacting associated rituals might also provide avenues for healing. Psychological scholarship on recovery following death, particularly among men, is largely based on dominant western perspectives that continue to privilege both clinical and ethnocentric perspectives as the norm. This case presentation, which forms part of a larger doctoral research by the author, demonstrates that some Samoan end-of-life rituals open space for greater consideration of recovery from death as a culturally-defined process. In many instances, instead of severing ties with the deceased person as is popular in clinical approaches to grief work, Samoan grief resolution strongly endorse continued connections through its mourning patterns. Their end-of-life enactment helps to transition the deceased from this life to the next, while drawing the living together. Critically, the performance and maintenance of such important tasks create space for heaving emotions to be calmed, where meaning is made, and where the lives of those impacted are slowly restored. Some of these familiar rituals offer therapeutic value, enabling Samoans involved in this study to walk hand-in-hand with their emotional distress, while transitioning them through the grieving process. Such mourning traditions are meaningful and culturally preferred, validating and celebrating Samoan cultural identity.

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