Sapa'u Ruperake Petaia (born 11 April 1951) is a poet and writer from

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

. His poem ''Blue Rain'' became the title of a collection of his poems first published in 1980 with later editions in the 1990s. The collection included the satirical poem ''Kidnapped'' (1974) which explores themes about the loss of traditional Samoan knowledge. Like other Samoan writers such as Albert Wendt, Petaia's work explores themes about the effects of

colonialism Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colony, colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose the ...

and Western influences on Samoan culture and society. Petaia was born in Samoa. He attended

Samoa College Samoa College is a secondary school in Samoa officially opened in 1953. It is co-educational and teaches from years 9 to 13. It is in Apia on the island of Upolu and is considered the main college in the country. The early college and curriculum was ...

and worked as a clerk in the Public Service Commission in 1973. In 1978 he won a government scholarship to study at the

University of the South Pacific The University of the South Pacific (USP) is a public research university with locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. Established in 1968, the university is organised as an intergovernmental organisation and is owned by the go ...

in Fiji. In 1980, he graduated with a B.A. in Public Administration and Economic Geography. He returned to Samoa where he has since continued to work in the public service in management roles. In 1992, his poetry ''Patches of the Rainbow'' was published in the

Samoa Observer The ''Samoa Observer'' is the largest newspaper group in Samoa published in both English and Samoan. The ''Samoa Observer'' is published Monday to Friday, the ''Weekend Observer'' on Saturdays and the ''Sunday Samoan'' on Sundays with all editi ...

.Retrieved 17 November 2009 Petaia witnessed the 1994 two-wheeled landing of

Polynesian Airlines Samoa Airways, formerly Polynesian Airlines, is the state-owned flag carrier airline of Samoa. The airline was founded in 1959 as "Polynesian Airlines", providing domestic and international flights throughout the South Pacific. International ope ...

Flight PH844 at

Faleolo International Airport Faleolo International Airport is an airport located west of Apia, the capital of Samoa. Until 1984, Faleolo could not accommodate jets larger than a Boeing 737. Services to the United States, Australia, or New Zealand, could only land at Pago ...

, and wrote ''The Miracle'' based on a number of passenger accounts of the event.

References

1951 births Living people Samoan chiefs Samoan writers Samoan male poets 20th-century Samoan poets 20th-century male writers {{Samoa-bio-stub 21st-century Samoan poets 21st-Century male writers 20th-Century Samoan writers 21st-Century Samoan writers 20th-Century male poets 21st-Century male poets 20th-Century poets 21st-Century poets 20th-Century writers 21st-Century writers Petaia family Samoan Civil Servants Samoan Poets