A large and peaceful pro-independence march along Beach Road in Apia, Samoa. Amidst panic and confusion, New Zealand police open fire with rifles and a machine-gun, killing nine people and wounding fifty. In this BWB Text, Michael Field describes what happened on Black Saturday, 28 December 1929, a day that is largely forgotten in New Zealand history but is vividly recalled in Samoa.

Historical background of the colonisation and accession to independence of Western Samoa and study of the development of government and political structures of the country - refers in particular to the period from 1830 to 1962, and covers the role of UK, the role of Germany, the role of USA, the role of New Zealand, political leadership, public administration, government policy, sociological aspects, cultural factors, tradition, etc. References.

A history from writers from Western Samoa, examining thematically the influences of European settlers, the churches, German and NZ colonialism and the background to Western Samoa's independence. This short history is written for the general reader and for senior high school and university students seeking an overview of Samoan history. First published in 1987 and last reprinted in 2003. This is a reissue of the 2003 edition for 2018.

Texts and Contexts is concerned with the development of Pacific Islands history as a specialization in its own right. Specifically, this volume examines the foundational texts that pioneered and consolidated the new subdiscipline and served as the building blocks and stepping stone for further developments in the field. Thirty-five texts, all of which represent defining points in the development of Pacific Islands historiography, are examined. Much more than retrospective appraisals of the foundational texts, the individual chapters consider a text or complimentary texts within the context of the time of writing and gauge what ongoing influence they exerted. In some cases they suggest how a particular text has been superseded by subsequent work that breaks new conceptual ground in the ongoing process of revisionism. Contributors: Chris Ballard on Gavin Souter; Ivan Brady on Greg Dening; I. C. Campbell on Norma McArthur; Bronwen Douglas and Doug Munro on H. E. Maude and Dorothy Shineberg; Michael Goldsmith on Marshall Sahlins; David Hanlon on Francis X. Hezel; K. R. Howe on Andrew Sharp and David Lewis; Brij V.Lal on K. L. Gillion and Peter Corris; Hugh Laracy on Niel Gunson and Ta‘unga; Lamont Lindstrom on Peter Worsley and Peter Lawrence; Doug Munro on Douglas L. Oliver, R. P. Gilson, J. W. Davidson, and K. R. Howe; Vincent O’Malley on Keith Sinclair and Alan Ward; Jon Osorio on Ralph Kuykendall and Gavan Daws; Tom Ryan on Bernard Smith; Jane Samson on W. P. Morrell and Deryck Scarr; Francis West on Francis West and Gavan Daws; Glyndwr Williams on O. H. K. Spate.

This is the story of Samoan women written in their own words. Sometimes sad, often exhilarating and always interesting, this is a fascinating insight into an ancient culture viewed from the perspective of women. In an often male dominated society the book tells us much that we may have already suspected. ... that even in overtly male societies women are powerful.

"Since independence in January 1962, several constitutional court cases have exposed the dilemma which the Western Samoa Government is facing balancing fa'a Samoa (Samoan customs and traditions) with Western legal systems of authority. This book traces the clash between Samoan and Western notions of government and law from the 1830s to the 1980s emphasizing the hitherto neglected interpretation of events from a Samoan perspective. As a critical reinterpretation of the literature on Western Samoa, drawing on oral sources and material from the archives of the Land and Titles Court of Western Samoa, the book provides important new insights into pre-colonial regimes, racial issues and the contemporary political problems of the independent state of Western Samoa."--Back cover.