OUR WORK
Founded in 2011, SAILI began by offering free and low-cost Samoan language classes to the community. In 2017, we helped establish Samoan language courses at the University of Utah while continuing to expand cultural learning opportunities for community members. In 2020, we launched online community language courses and made our introductory Samoan 101 course materials freely available on our website.
We were honored to co-host the 2018 International Samoan Language Symposium at Brigham Young University, bringing together educators, scholars, and community leaders while showcasing the vitality of Utah's Samoan community.
Since 2021, we have been able to expand our programing and efforts to include pandanus weaving, ceremonial regalia making, customary rituals, printmaking, traditional food preparation, and other cultural arts, with a strong focus on engaging and empowering youth.
In 2025, we hosted Utah's first Wayfinding Week, engaging youth and community members in learning about the ancestral practice of wayfinding, including the knowledge, science, and navigation techniques Pacific voyagers used to navigate without modern technology. Wayfinding Week is now an annual program that continues to connect our community with Pacific ancestral knowledge through hands-on learning, storytelling, and cultural engagement.
