Liko S. Smith Commissions Historian to Write “Illustrated History of Samoa’s Independence” for His Hotel Rooms in Samoa

Apia, Samoa, August 24, 2007 –(PR.com)– Eneliko (Liko) S. Smith, CEO and founder of Rogue Hospitality has agreed to commission and underwrite expenses for historian Lealamanu’a J. Robert Shaffer to oversee and execute a hard bound, luxury edition of Samoa�s history from 1900 to the present day. The commission will provide for an associate director, historian, graphic artist, editor, and several assistants. Tentatively titled “Samoa – The Road to Independence.” This luxury edition of Samoan history will be placed into every single room owned by Rogue Hospitality in Samoa such as those of the Kitano Tusitala Hotel (once it is purchased) and each of the hotels along the beachfront in Mulivai, Safata, that the company plans to begin constructing next year. Rogue Hospitality plans to have the edition in over 500 rooms in Samoa by 2009 and over 1,000 published.

Planning for the future
Liko, a former Adjunct Professor of Hotel and Motel Management (Chaffey College, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 99, 00 and Monterey Peninsula College, Monterey CA 01,02) sees the value in education for all Samoan Children. He wants them to learn as much as possible about their roots, history, and cultural heritage, and plans to take a personal interest in developing the book to meet the high standards of education in Samoa and abroad. Part of Rogue’s promise is to build and develop onto the site in Safata a special school for the children from the village of Vaiee and surrounding area, where Liko’s grandfather was born and raised. The school will be named after Liko’s grandfather Leulu Vaa, who was an avid proponent of education and discipline. The end goal is to include this book as part of the history curriculum in the school and possibly others.

Touched by the Head Of State of Samoa
“When I visited with Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese, Samoa’s new Head of State, in Samoa, his highness shared with me his efforts and plight to turn around the recent suicide issues that had plagued the youth of Samoa and his vision to educate Samoan children about the importance and pride of Samoan heritage and why the ways of old could guide them in this time of globalization. I was deeply touched by his highness’s vision and remember my darkest moments as a soldier in the US Infantry, as a boxer with an unclear future, and as a businessman trying to make his way in the world, and it was only my deep belief in God and my ancestral heritage, that I was able to draw upon my strength,” says Liko. “My parents had taught me my whole life, that being Samoan was something special. I want to share that gift to all the children of Samoa,” he finishes. Smith plans to ask the Honorable Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese to write the foreword for the luxury editions.

A vast undertaking with multiple uses
The project cost is estimated between $1.2 to 1.6 million SAT. The research, assimilation and publication for the project will involve a year or more of traveling, data assimilation, and archive research in the countries of England, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Samoa. Results of the travels, photos, and intellectual property from the study will all become the property of Liko S. Smith which will be used by Rogue where it will serve secondary uses for hotel purposes such as photos for the rooms and the common areas, assist in the development of design ideas and concepts for the hotel and also serve as educational elements throughout the properties. Finally, in conjunction with the Head of State of Samoa, many items from the research will be donated for his honors purposes which may include a museum about the history of Samoa and any other purpose that he is considering. Thirdly, Samoan Associations in New Zealand, Australia, Germany and the US will also be granted copyright to publish requested items for the educational purposes of their organizations.

Lealamanu’a J. Robert Shaffer,
J. Robert “Rob” Shaffer is no stranger of Samoa. He has been associated with Samoa for over 49 years. He has lived in Samoa for 22 of those years, first in 1964 and then again in 1967. In 1969 he started serving as a United States Peace Corps volunteer in the village of Iva, in Savai’i, as a science teacher. He lived with the family of the late Magele Ropati in Vaiafai, where he taught for two years. He became training director for Peace Corps volunteers in 1971 and moved to Apia. In 1972, Shaffer was sent to Washington DC as a specialist on American Samoa for the US Department of the Interior where he served in 1975 and 1976; during that year, the chiefs and orators of Iva, Savai’i, bestowed upon him the matai title “Lealamanu’a.” Mr. Shaffer has been researching Samoa’s history and compiling Samoa’s historical documents for more than 30 years. Shaffer has written a book titled SAMOA, the novel covers Samoan history from 1,300 BC to 1967. In 2000, upon request by the late Governor Tauese Fiti Sunia of American Samoa, Shaffer published the coffee table historical book “American Samoa – 100 years under the American Flag,” praised by librarians and historians as possibly one of the best books ever published about a Polynesian Country. He is married to Sina Liain of Papauta, Apia, and they have three children, all born in Samoa.

When asked why he was so keen to begin a 12 to 18 month project in four countries about Samoa’s fight for independence. He stated the following facts:
· All Polynesian peoples can trace their origins back to Samoa.
· Samoa has a dynamic and dramatic history that is unique throughout the Pacific.
· Samoa is the only Pacific Island country to defeat a European Power on the battlefield.
· Samoa became the first Pacific island country to gain independence.
· Samoa’s great historical leaders fought on the battlefields and in international politics for nearly 100 years for its independence, which was achieved in 1962.

Shaffer plans to submit his thoughts to Liko on a 2nd edition once this first edition is completed. Covering the dawn of mankind to 1900 for the Samoan people.

Fighting Commercialization
Liko visited Fiji recently and stayed in several beautiful hotels. Unfortunately, nothing inside the rooms told him much about the culture of the people of the island. As a person that travels often, he would sometimes wake up wondering where he was from one day to the next. One day he had thought he had landed in Los Angeles when in fact he was still in Nadi, Fiji. He promised himself that all of his hotels in Samoa would make it very clear to the guests what country they were visiting…having excellent reading material about the quest for independence in Samoa was the start. Other indicators will be the employees, layout, design, architecture, landscaping and events throughout the property. Rogue Hotels in Samoa, though very technologically advanced, will display true Samoan heritage and hospitality from check-in to departure and brand the country of Samoa as the most authentic in the Pacific.

“Samoa will not sacrifice its culture on the altar of Globalization”
-Misa Foni, Deputy Prime Minister, Samoa

For more information on the project, please contact Kevin Kearns, Vice President of Public Relations for Rogue Hospitality at kevin@roguehospitality.com.
801.509.1685

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