Village Herrings Ban Wins Strong Support
Written by: Lua Salei The banned use of cartons of herring for traditional family obligations by the Savai’i village of Sili, has the excited support of village mayors, working to overcome the unnecessary financial burdens cultural practices hold for families. The Sili village leaders made a public announcement last week for villagers living in or outside the village, to cease from the popular use of cartons of herrings for family traditional commitments. The man who is spearheading the village leaders drive to streamline the cost of cultural commitments, Maulolo Tavita, described the Sili village decision as an example of good governance. Maulolo is also the assistant Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Women and Social Community. “Sili has taken a different approach from the other villages by banning the use of herrings which is a popular item required for family obligations,” he felt. “Other villages have taken different approaches where the culture is not taken advantage o...