Press Release: Pepe Faitau Book Co.: Preserving Gagana Samoa Through Community and Accessibility

Duseigneur Sivia, Amouli, and his wife, Jimmi, have created the first Samoan board book company. Pepe Faitau Book Company is on a mission to bring Gagana Samoa board books into homes with young children. By exclusively working with Samoan creatives and building strong relationships, the family centered company aims to uplift Tagata Samoa in hopes to build trust and foster a sense of community. This commitment is evident in their partnerships with organizations to donate books, ensuring that Gagana Samoa board books are accessible to Samoan communities worldwide. Through their Send a Book Program, they have donated to organizations in Samoa, American Samoa, Hawaii, and California, so far, and are continually looking for new organizations to send donated books. 

The idea for Pepe Faitau Book Co. was born when the founders discovered a lack of Samoan board books as they prepared for the arrival of their first pepe. What began as a passion project to have Samoan board books in their home to aid in their children learning Gagana Samoa, has blossomed into a beautiful community of like-minded parents and caregivers. These individuals share a common goal: to provide their tamaiti with access to cultural and language resources in their early years.

“It’s important for people to know their native tongue. It’s what connects them to their ancestors; to their history.” Duseigneur says as he talks about the importance of language learning in their home. “I want my boys to know the language of where they come from. It’s a huge part of our identity.” 

Pepe Faitau Book Co. aims to create a richer cultural library for homes and bridge the gap in available Samoan resources for tamaiti. “Our sons are not organically immersed in their Samoan culture here in America. Instilling a deep respect and understanding of this part of their heritage requires intentional effort. Creating these books isn't just for our family, but for all Samoan families and mixed-heritage families, like ours, who may be geographically distant from the islands. It's a way for us to nurture our children and uphold their cultural roots despite our physical distance.” Jimmi says. 

Additionally, Pepe Faitau Book Co. has recently changed how they sell their books. The company has implemented a “pay what you can” model in their shop, offering three payment options for each book. This bold step has created a sustainable honor-based community within their customer base. Those who can afford to pay the higher price are encouraged to do so, and have enabled the company to offer lower prices for those who truly need it.

Through this innovative approach, Pepe Faitau Book Co. continues doing what they can to help the Samoan culture thrive for generations to come.

They offer their books online and encourage small shops worldwide to place wholesale orders so communities around the globe can shop locally to them. You can learn more information on their website at pepefaitaubooks.com.