Samoan Canoe Project

UCI proposed to simulate various native environments and engaged with students in researching the customary ways these environments were used. One of which they decided to go with was the study of the Samoan language and culture. From the previous usage, they turned the Bonita Farmland area into a housing facility that would simulate a similar environment that Uli (boat-builder) would have been accustomed to. It was noted that the department used Samoan artifacts to properly define the interior environment of this house, including artifacts that permitted Samoan instructors to enact some of their typical behaviors. The intention of this research was to demonstrate a high level of technological competence in the construction of a basic artifact and also to provide other traditional Samoan belief-action systems in this simulated Samoan setting. Throughout the project documentation - including letters, proposal drafts, and notes - problematic patterns emerged in the language and approach. The wording revealed underlying racial biases and an Americentric perspective. Particularly, in how the team approached Uli, treating him as an exotic "other" rather than as an equal colleague. These biases have influenced the entire project, from its initial proposal stage through its execution.