talking turkey! how the thanksgiving bird got its name

by Jack Lynch Reprinted with permission

from The Conversation“Meleagris Gallopavo Day”

is a bit of a mouthful. Which may be why this Thanksgiving, most people will opt for the less ornithologically precise “Turkey Day.”

And just as turkey is a ver-satile meat – think of those leftover options! – so too is the word “turkey,” which can refer to everything from the bird itself to a populous Eurasian country

to movie fl ops.As a scholar who studies

word origins, I love “talking turkey” – not only how the bird came to be named, but also how the word has evolved over time. But let’s start with what has become the centerpiece of most Thanksgiving Day dinners.

The North American turkey – the kind that many families will be carving up this Thanks-giving – was being domesti-cated in Mexico some 2,000 years ago.

Europeans glimpsed their fi rst turkeys around 1500, when Spanish explorers arrived in the Americas and brought them back to the mother country. By the 1520s, turkeys were being bred in Spain, and soon the delicacy was appearing on rich people’s tables across Europe.

OH, DINDE!But what to call the new

import? Europeans in the New World were overwhelmed by the new plants and animals they saw, and often used familiar names for unfamiliar species. The Spanish, for instance, thought turkeys looked like pea-cocks, so they used the Spanish word “pavos.” The French called them “poules d’Indes,” or Indian chickens, later shortened

to “dinde.”To the English, the newly

discovered American birds looked like the guineafowl – a bird native to Africa but which was introduced into Europe by Arab and Turkish traders in the 14th and 15th centuries.

And it is this point in the story that the modern-day turkey gets its name.

The Ottoman Empire was then at its height. Ethnic Turks, based in Constantinople (now Istanbul), ran the empire that spanned the Near East, Middle East and North Africa. As a result, to many Europeans, anyone from “the East” was a “Turk.”

Because Ottomans domi-nated trade in the eastern Medi-terranean, a lot of produce coming to Europe was seen as “Turkish.” So a precious stone from Persia was named “Turkey stone,” and the French version of that name, “pierre turquoise,” gave us the word “turquoise.”

In the same way, African guineafowl, introduced by Turkish traders, became a “turkey-cock” or “turkey-hen.” Over time, this was shortened to just “turkey.”

NOW THAT’S A FEAST!

TALKING TURKEY! HOW THE THANKSGIVING BIRD GOT ITS NAME

by Fili SagapoluteleSamoa News CorrespondentJust over 20 children ages 5

to 11 years old have been vac-cinated for COVID-19 vac-cine since vaccinations for this age group were fi rst launched last week, says Health Depart-ment’s Dr. Faiese Talafu during Friday’s DoH news conference, where health offi cial urged par-ents to get children in this age group vaccinated.

DoH launched vaccinations for this age group, which has a population of 6,200, on Mon-days and Wednesday at the Tafuna Health Center as Amer-ican Samoa aims for a 90% or more vaccination rate. And as of yesterday morning, the vaccination clinic for children added Fridays to their program.

Speaking at the DoH news conference streamed live on KVZK-TV Facebook page, Dr. Talafu says a total of 25 children from the ages of 5 to 11 years old were given the COVID-19 vaccine during last week’s launch of the vaccina-tion program for children.

She says no health issues surfaced after the vaccine was given to the children, who did well and returned home with their parents. She urged par-ents and legal guardians to have their children in this age group vaccinated so that the vaccina-tion rate is able to reach 90% or more.

She emphasized the impor-tance for the parent or legal

guardian to bring documents of proof that you are the parent or legal guardian of the child and to sign the consent form.

And DoH medical personnel are available at the clinic to answer questions from parents. Furthermore, medical staff also monitors children after receiving the vaccine.

Health offi cials who attended the news conference impressed on parents and legal guardians for this age group the importance of getting vac-cinated. The latest update from DoH indicates that the vaccina-tion clinic for 5 to 11 year olds is now operating three-days a week: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays — at the Tafuna Health Center.

DoH’s Dr. Fiona Trail pointed out that in the US more than 1 million children have received the vaccine.

“And we are still moni-toring the adverse reactions, sides affects and all that,” she explained, adding that DoH is getting its data from the U.S.

She said that “we need our people, our children to be vac-cinated” because even though the vaccine will not stop a person from becoming infected with the virus “it’s going to prevent you from dying from COVID-19 or prevent you from going to ICU, or being severely affected by the disease.”

“So the vaccine is to protect the people. And the people we

DOH RECORDS LOW TURN OUT FOR

INITIAL VACCINATIONS FOR 5-11 YEAR OLDS

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PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOA $1.00TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021 [email protected]

Olivia Reid (2nd from left ) presents check to members of the Lutu family to assist ABLE — the Agency for Better Living Endeavors, founded by Afoa L. Su’esu’e Lutu in 2004. Th is year’s theme is: MAKING MEMORIES, raising Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness in Amerika Samoa. (Read story inside this issue for details of dona-tion.) [courtesy photo]

“TALKING TURKEY”Th e bird has become so associated with harvest-time celebratory dinners that we’ve been calling

Th anksgiving “Turkey Day” since at least 1870. Other interesting turkey ‘facts’ in story on this page. [photo: Th e Conversation]

(Continued on page 7)


samoa news, Tuesday, November 23, 2021

by Ausage FausiaSamoa News ReporterA man with a pending drug

case in High Court is now in custody after being arrested by police last week on more drug charges.

The man, Anthony Alataua made his initial appearance in District Court last week.

Alataua is charged with one count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine (meth) and one count of unlawful posses-sion of marijuana, both felonies.

Bail is set at $10,000 and Alataua is scheduled to appear in court next week for his pre-liminary examination (PX).

THE CASEThe government alleges that

on Nov. 8, 2021, traffi c offi cers were conducting a stop sign enforcement at a stop sign at the Vaitogi intersection near the Ufuti residence when a vehicle did not come to a complete stop at the sign.

Offi cers pulled the vehicle over and approached the driver and informed him of the reason for being stopped and at the same time the offi cer observed the driver holding something in his hand. The driver was later identifi ed as Anthony Alataua, the defendant in this case.

Offi cers asked the driver what was in his hand and the driver told him that it was a pipe used to smoke marijuana. The offi cer then instructed the driver to step out of his vehicle but the driver refused. He told the offi cer that he’s in a hurry to pick up his wife from work and they must be back home quickly because his three young chil-dren were waiting at home.

The offi cer again, instructed the driver to step out of his vehicle. The driver complied and as he opened his door, the offi cer spotted another pipe con-taining white residue under the driver’s seat.

The offi cer asked the driver about the glass pipe on the fl oor under his seat and the drive’s response was, “What is wrong with you people?”

The offi cer asked the driver the same question about the glass pipe and his response was, “It’s a pipe used to smoke meth. ”The driver was then taken into custody and transported to the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) to await detectives of the Vice and Narcotics Unit (VNU) to take over the investigation.

When questioned by VNU investigators at the TPS, Alataua admitted that the glass

pipes found inside his vehicle belonged to him. He stated he bought the two pipes from a man in Vaitogi for $25 each, two days prior to him being pulled over by cops.

He explained to investiga-tors that he’s been involved with drugs for six months and he spends over $100 a week buying drugs from different drug dealers on the island. He refused to reveal to investiga-tors any information related to the drug dealers he gets his drugs from.

Alataua further told investi-gators that he never lied to the police when they questioned him about each of the glass pipes containing the drugs.

The glass pipe containing green leafy substance was tested and the test yielded positive for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. The glass pipe con-taining white crystalline sub-stance was also tested and the test yielded positive for meth.

Before he was taken into custody where he was booked and confi ned, Alataua asked investigators if the new alle-gation against him affects his pending drug case. Investiga-tors explained to Alataua that the issue about his pending drug

case falls under the jurisdiction of the Court, not them.

PENDING DRUG CASE IN HIGH COURT

The government alleges that drugs were found in a vehicle during a traffi c stop in Nuuuli on July 12, 2019, after police pulled over a vehicle in Nuuuli for speeding. Inside the vehicle were three males.

The driver was identifi ed as defendant Anthony Alataua and the two passengers were male juveniles. All three were instructed to step out of the vehicle and according to the government, Alataua became disorderly and refused to comply with instructions when cops were trying to carry out a body search and when he was asked to take a Standardized Field Sobriety test.

Upon patting him down, police found on Alataua a sand-wich sized baggie full of a green leafy substance. An inventory of the vehicle netted a white con-tainer under the driver’s seat with several medium sized bag-gies, one of which contained small stamp-sized baggies with a green leafy substance. Sev-eral small baggies with a white crystalline substance were also found.

In the driver’s side door was a small baggie containing a white crystalline substance, and several empty baggies were found in a plastic container while other empty baggies were discovered on the fl oor under the passenger’s seat.

Cops also found a bag belonging to one of the juve-niles, which contained a photo ID and a glass pipe containing a huge amount of a white crys-talline substance. Both juveniles were patted down and nothing was found on them.

The government stated that Alataua and one of the juve-niles were taken into custody for questioning while the other juvenile was released after he was questioned by investigator in the presence of his parents.

The juvenile questioned by investigators told police that

he was at his uncle’s house in Malaeimi when he was picked up by Alataua and another juve-nile around 6:p.m.

From there they went to Pago Pago, where upon Alataua asked him to stay in the vehicle while he and the other juvenile walked to a nearby house to visit his friend and come back. When Alataua and the other juvenile returned, he saw the juvenile carrying a black bag.

As they drove away from the area, Alataua shouted with joy and said, “We’re going to be rich.”

The juvenile told investiga-tors that Alataua was holding two small baggies containing white crystalline substance inside. He also heard Alataua mention something about, “selling drugs to the boy at the store”. He didn’t know what store Alataua was referring to.

During questioning, Alataua refused to talk. He was then booked and transferred to the TCF. The juvenile — who was interviewed in the presence of his mother — also refused to talk. His mother told police she needs to speak to a lawyer. The juvenile was subsequently released to his mother’s custody.

The white crystalline sub-stance and the green leafy sub-stance allegedly discovered on the suspect and in the vehicle tested positive for meth and marijuana, respectively.

Based on their training and experience, investigators said that the drugs found in Alataua’s possession and in the vehicle were not for personal use, but for sale.

In this case, Alataua is charged with one count of unlawful possession of meth; one count of unlawful posses-sion of meth with the intent to distribute; one count of unlawful possess of marijuana; and one count of unlawful possession of marijuana with the intent to dis-tribute — all felonies.

He was released on $20,000 surety bond while awaiting the outcome of his case.

Date:Tuesday, November 23, 2021Time:5pm-7pm

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Guest Speakers:Tualauta Representative - Samuel Meleisea

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Rep. Samuel Meleisea will present updates on Mass Vaccination Drive by DOH & ASG.

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the door prize raffl e.Sponsored by:

Chamber of Commerce General Meeting

MAN WITH A SERIOUS PENDING DRUG CHARGE, ALLEGEDLY FOUND WITH DRUGS AGAIN

by Ausage FausiaSamoa News Reporter

WAYNE AMOSAA man was apprehended by

police after he allegedly tried to damage the front door of a store before he damaged the side window of a vehicle parked outside of the store in Malaeimi.

Wayne Amosa made his initial appearance in court last month. He’s charged with two counts of 3rd degree property damage; attempted stealing and disturbing the public peace (PPD), all misdemeanors.

Bail is set at $500 cash bond. Pretrial conference is set at Dec. 10th.

The government alleges that it was around 11p.m on Oct. 29th when a woman contacted the Tafuna Police Substation for assistance after she realized that a man had attempted to open the front door of a store in Malaeimi, before he turned around and damaged a side window of a vehicle parked outside of the store. The vehicle belongs to the owner of the store.

Two police officers responded to the call and saw a man walking around the vehicle trying to look inside. The man was later identified as Wayne Amosa, 23, the defendant in this matter.

Amosa fled the scene when he saw the police units and officers immediately chased and apprehended him. Amosa was intoxicated when he was arrested by police.

When asked about the reason why he was walking around the vehicle, Amosa told police that he was looking for money to pay for a taxi to go home. Amosa lives with his family in Nu’uuli.

According to police, the window to the passenger’s door was damaged when Amosa hit it with a rock and the store’s front door was also damaged where the defendant kicked it with his foot.

TUSI ALAIA man was arrested last

month after police found a glass pipe containing white crystal-line substance inside along with 4 hand rolled cigarettes con-taining a green leafy substance in his vehicle during a routine traffic stop — he was observed speeding.

Tusi Alai, who is on pro-bation for a drug conviction 4 years ago made his initial appearance in court last month. He’s charged with one count of unlawful possession of mari-juana, a felony.

Bail is set at $5,000 surety bond and Alai’s attorney informed the court that his client wishes to exercise his consti-tutional rights to a preliminary examination (PX), which is now set for next week.

THE CASEOn the night of Oct. 18th,

the DPS Vice and Narcotics Unit (VNU) was contacted after traffic cops allegedly found drugs in a vehicle that was pulled over for a traffic violation in front of a Tafuna store. According to officers, the vehicle was speeding.

Officers approached the driver who was later identified as Tusi Alai, the defendant in this matter. Alai did not have any photo ID when he was questioned by officers. Offi-cers also discovered that the truck’s registration expired in 2019. For these reasons, Alai was informed that his truck was being impounded, and he needed to come with them to the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) for further investigation.

Before Alai was transported to the TPS, he was patted down as per protocol, and officers found a small baggie containing 4 hand rolled marijuana ciga-rettes inside Alai’s pants front pocket. Furthermore, officers also discovered a glass pipe containing white crystalline substance inside.

When asked about the 4 hand rolled cigarettes and the glass pipe, Alai told officers, “It’s marijuana and meth for my own personal use from my friend.”

An inventory search was conducted on the truck and another small baggie containing green leafy substance was found under the driver’s seat. Both substances were tested with the green leafy substance yielding positive for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana and the white crystalline substance positive for methamphetamine (meth).

In a verbal statement to police, Alai admitted to owning the drugs found inside the truck and inside his pants pocket. Working as a bus driver, Alai told police he just returned from his friend’s home in Taputimu where he helped his friend fix his bus. Before he left his friend’s house, his friend gave him two small baggies containing mari-juana, along with a glass pipe containing meth. Alai refused to reveal to police the name of his friend from Taputimu.

He told police that he only smokes marijuana and meth to give him strength to do his work but he never sell drugs to anybody.

BACKGROUNDIn 2017, Alai was sentenced

to 5 years probation after being convicted of unlawful posses-sion of marijuana. He served 20 months at the TCF as a condi-tion of his probation. The court also ordered him to depart the territory and remain outside of it border for the duration of his probation. This condition was stayed until further order of the court.

Alai’s conviction stems from an incident when police arrested

him and two other men for PPD in Nu’uuli. During the arrest, police found a small baggie full of marijuana.

SIAOSI FAAVAEA 30-year-old man who was

picked up pursuant to an arrest warrant from the court, on the allegation that he unlawfully entered a store in the Pago Pago area and stole several items

The government filed two separate cases against Siaosi Faavae when he made his initial appearance in court two months ago.

In the first case, Faavae is charged with stealing and second degree burglary, both class C felonies, punishable by imprisonment of up to 7 years, a $5,000 fine or, pursuant to A.S.C.A 46.2101, a fine equal to twice the amount of gain from the commission of said crime, up to a maximum of $20,000, or both such fine and imprisonment.

In the second case, he is charged with unlawful posses-sion of marijuana, and unlawful possession of methamphet-amine (meth), both felonies.

Bond is set at $15,000.Faavae’s defense attorney

asked to reduce bail to $5,000 surety for both cases; but the prosecutor pointed out that Faavae is not new to the court system. The court agreed with the prosecution.

THE CASEOn Sept. 20, a businessman

reported to police that his store in Pago Pago area was burglar-ized by an unknown person and a lot of personal belong-ings were stolen. He told police that the perpetrator was unable to enter the portion of the store where food and other items are stored, but only managed to gain entry into the back room where his personal belongings were stored.

A copy of the surveillance footage was provided to inves-tigators, which shows a man entering the back portion of the store by damaging the wood door to gain entry.

A female employee was able to identify the person on the surveillance footage as “Georgy” a.k.a Siaosi Faavae, the defendant.

Faavae was picked up from his uncle’s home in Pago Pago and taken in for questioning. He allegedly admitted to investiga-tors that he broke into the store and took a number of things on the night of Sept. 19th, 2021, while his friend was standing outside of the store as a lookout.

He went on to say that some of the items he stole were sold to his friend from Iliili in exchange for drugs, while other items were sold to another man from Iliili for money to buy him and his friends food and beer.

Before Faavae was inter-viewed, a body search was con-

ducted and during the pat down, two clear ziplock baggies con-taining a white crystalline sub-stance which later tested posi-tive for meth, fell from the right side of Faavae’s shorts.

Police also found inside his pants pocket two hand rolled joints, which later tested posi-tive for THC, the active ingre-dient in marijuana.

Faavae signed the arrest war-rant for the burglary case. When asked about the drugs, Faavae said that the man who gave him drugs was arrested by police last year and he has a pending case in court after police raided his house in Vaitogi and allegedly found drugs and paraphernalia. Faavae revealed to police the name of the man.

Furthermore, Faavae told police that every time they had a drinking session with friends, his friend (the one with a pending court case) always gave him drugs for his own per-sonal use.

When questioned about the burglary, Faavae admitted that he committed the crime to get money to buy things he wanted.

UALE SIITAGAThe driver of a truck that was

pulled over by police last month for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) is also being charged with unlawful posses-sion of drugs.

Uale Siitaga, who has a pending drug case in High Court from 2019, made his ini-tial appearance in District Court last month.

Siitaga is charged with unlawful possession of metham-phetamine (meth), a felony; and driving under the influence of alcohol, a class A misdemeanor.

THE CASEAround 12:10a.m on Oct.

01st, a vehicle was pulled over in front of the Veterans Memo-rial Stadium for speeding, and a field sobriety test was admin-istered to the driver, who failed it and was immediately arrested for DUI. The driver was identi-

fied as Uale Siitaga.Siitaga was transported to

the Tafuna Police Substation (TPS) for questioning and his vehicle was impounded. A body search netted a glass pipe con-taining a white crystalline sub-stance inside his back pocket. The bulb of the glass pipe was cracked but police were still able to collect residue and test it. The substance yielded posi-tive results for meth.

Siitaga told police he was drinking with a friend in Vai-togii, where he was given the glass pipe. He said he smoked the glass pipe and then kept it on him.

Police also found in Siitaga’s possession, a bag that he said belonged to him, which con-tained two empty small green straws and empty stamp-sized baggies.

During his interview with police, Siitaga revealed that he has a pending case in High Court, in which he is charged with violating local drug laws.

FIRST CASESiitaga was arrested after

armed detectives executed a search warrant on his home and vehicle in July 2019. Sii-taga was subsequently charged with unlawful possession of meth with intent to distribute; unlawful possession of meth; unlawful possession of mari-juana with intent to distribute; and unlawful possession of marijuana — all felonies.

According to the govern-ment, it was around January of 2019 that a ‘confidential infor-mant’ (CI) provided information to police regarding a home in Tafuna, allegedly being used to run drugs. The alleged business was led by Sisitaga and another person, and was operated out of the small shack behind Siitaga’s house.

A controlled buy was carried out in June 2019 and took place inside Siitaga’s vehicle before he was arrested the following


5.59 Acres of Land in Taputimu, American Samoa

FOR SALE

Margie Kneubuhl LandigranFor Residential Purposes Only

For serious inquiries, please send an email to:

Ralph Wood ([email protected]) andAitofele Sunia ([email protected])


compiled by Samoa News staff

A ground-breaking survey launched Monday in New Zea-land will give researchers valu-able insights into the state of Pacific languages in Aotearoa, said the Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio.

The Leo Moana o Aotearoa Pacific Languages Survey is part of a wider project that will support the revitalization, and sustainability of Te Gagana Tokelau, Vagahau Niue, Te Reo Māori Kuki ‘Āirani, Gagana Samoa, Lea Faka-Tonga, Te Gana Tuvalu, Vosa Vakaviti, Fäeag Rotųam and Te taetae ni Kiribati.

“What’s special about the online survey is that it will tell us about people’s attitudes to Pacific languages in New Zea-land, including the importance and value that people place on their own languages,

“It’s also the first time data about the use of Pacific lan-guages in New Zealand has been gathered in this way,” Aupito said.

“Sadly, the number of people using our languages in Aotearoa has declined over the past two decades, and in the case of some languages, to the point where we are in danger of losing some.

“Our Pacific languages must be valued and used. They’re the

cornerstone of our Pacific cul-tures and identities.

“In the words of the Samoan proverb that was the theme of this year’s Samoa Language Week: Poupou le lotoifale. Ola manuia le anofale. Strengthen the posts of your house, for all to thrive.

“We need a clear picture of the attitudes we, as Pacific peo-ples, have to our languages, to

determine what’s most needed to carry out the necessary strengthening of the posts of our houses.

“I encourage everyone to take part in the Leo Moana o Aotearoa Pacific Languages Survey, so we can make sure our beautiful Pacific languages are strong and resilient in the future,” Aupito concluded.

The Leo Moana o Aotearoa

Pacific Languages Survey is open through December 2021. For more information and to take part, visit: https://www.mpp.govt .nz/programmes/pacific-languages-survey/

(Source: New Zealand govt media release)

NEW ZEALAND SURVEY

GAGES THE FUTURE

OF PACIFIC LANGUAGES

compiled by Samoa News staff

Working to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s Disease, the Lealaifuaneva Peter E. Reid Foundation continues their financial support of ABLE — the Agency for Better Living Endeavors, founded by Afoa L. Su’esu’e Lutu in 2004 to provide a variety of services with the mission of improving the lives of American Samoa’s residents.

ABLE has taken the lead since 2019 with many govern-mental and private sector part-ners to raise awareness and bring the conversation to the forefront about Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia-related diseases.

Ms Olivia Reid, president of the Reid foundation shared her words in a media release where she told ABLE board members, “On behalf of the Lealaifuaneva Peter E. Reid Foundation, I am pleased to inform you that a grant of $3000 has been awarded to your non-profit organization to aid in your efforts. Thank you for the work that your organiza-tion is doing and we’re honored to be a part of the efforts against Alzheimer’s and in support of the families of those who suffer from this disease.”

ABLE board members received the generous grant from the foundation and ABLE Presi-dent Sandra Lutu said, “We are very grateful for this generous donation by the Lealaifuaneva

Peter E. Reid to assist in this effort. They have been a major partner since 2019, and the sup-port of our partners makes all these efforts possible. When our community is informed about Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementia related diseases, we then know what we need to do, the compassion that we need to extend and how we can lend support to all our caregivers and families that are living with these diseases.”

ABLE is a 501(C)3 non- profit organization whose theme this year is: MAKING MEMO-RIES, raising Alzheimer’s Dis-ease Awareness in Amerika Samoa.

REID FAMILY FOUNDATION CONTINUES TO SUPPORT FAMILIES OF THOSE SUFFERING WITH ALZHEIMER’S

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ASSISTING ABLE WITH A GRANT IN SUPPORT OF THE EFFORT

The American Samoa Community College (ASCC) – Agriculture, Community and Natural Resources (ACNR) Division celebrated the completion of its Family Con-sumer Science (FCS) Program’s “Basic Sewing” Workshop at the Nuuuli LDS Church on November 10, 2021. Certificates of completion were presented to eleven members of the LDS Sewing group in Nuuuli. Participants learned about the fundamentals of sewing, which includes using a sewing machine, measurements, and textile cutting. The workshops were conducted by the ASCC-ACNR FCS agents Diana Tarrant and Shalley Tailevai. [photo: ASCC/ACNR]

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For as long as the New World turkeys have been in Europe, they’ve been featured in celebratory meals. The English word fi rst appears in print in an account of a ban-quet hosted by politician John Prideaux in 1555: The menu included 38 red deer, 43 pheas-ants, 50 quince pies, 63 swans, 114 pigeons, 120 rabbits, 840 larks, 325 gallons of Bordeaux wine and “Turkies 2. rated at 4s. a piece.”

History’s most famous turkey dinner, though, was served in Plymouth Plantation in 1621, as 50 Pilgrims who survived a year of brutal hard-ship joined 90 Native Ameri-cans for a three-day feast. Turkey wasn’t the only dish being served. Writing in his History of Plymouth Plantation, Governor William Bradford noted that Native Americans brought “codd, & bass, & other fi sh,” and others brought “water foule” and venison. But he was especially impressed with the “great store of wild Turkies.”

The bird has become so associated with harvest-time celebratory dinners that we’ve been calling Thanksgiving “Turkey Day” since at least 1870.

Meanwhile, the word has continued to fi nd new uses, showing up with dozens of meanings. In 1839, the Southern Literary Messenger – a maga-zine edited by Edgar Allen Poe – reported on a new kind of dance, called the “turkey-trot” from its jerking motions.

In 1920, New York’s Depart-ment of Health reported that “Some addicts voluntarily stop taking opiates and ‘suffer it out’ … which in their slang is called taking ‘cold turkey.‘”

The turkey’s reputation for stupidity prompted other mean-

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➧ Talking Turkey…Continued from page 1


ABANDONED / DERELICT VESSEL(S) PUBLIC NOTICE

No. 707 MSF Inc. Ltd. Namok Jung 1185/Avatiu Starkist Dock 68.3 ft FishingChong Namok Jung Chongse Lee Boat LonglinerMyong

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S/V Thomas Thomas Colliga 569586/ Aground in 40 ft SailboatWorldwind St. Pete Beach, Pago Pago Village FL. USA Stream

INTENDED DISPOSITION: The failure of the owner(s) of the above references vessel(s) to comply with the provisions of the ASCA Title 20 Chapter 05, shall result in such vessel(s) being deemed abandoned and derelict. If the above-listed vessel(s) are not repossessed within 20 days after the publication of this Notice, such abandoned and derelict vessels shall be taken into custody, removed, and disposed of by the American Samoa Government Department of Port Administration in accordance with ASCA Title 20. Chapter 05.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: The Department of Port Administration, American Samoa Government, Main Port Terminal P.O Box 1539, Fagatogo, American Samoa 96799. Office: (684) 633-4251; Contact Person: Director Christopher King.

In accordance with American Samoa Code Annotated (ASCA) Title 20, Chapter 05, Sections 01-17 of the Abandoned and Derelict Vessels Act, public notice is hereby given to the owner or owners of the following vessel(s) that such vessel(s) are in violation of the provisions of the ASCA Title 20 Chapter 05 code. This Notice is also given to all lien holders who have filed a financing statement indexed in the name of the vessel’s registered owner, or who are shown on the records of the territory, or state department, or the United States Coast Guard.

Name of Last Known Last Known Registration Current Location Description Vessel Owner Captain/Agent Number of Vessel of Vessel

month after police executed a search warrant. In that case, Sii-taga was released on a $15,000 surety bond and one of the con-ditions is that he remains law abiding. His trial is set for May 10, 2024

FILO SEUA man accused of assaulting

his cousin with a hammer has entered into a plea agreement with the government.

The charges against Filo Seu, 45, stem from an incident where he allegedly assaulted his 37-year-old cousin.

Seu was initially charged with fi rst-degree assault, and fi rst-degree property damage — both felonies — and two misde-meanor charges of trespass and disturbing the public peace.

Under a plea agreement that was accepted by the court, Seu pled guilty to the amended count of second-degree assault.

Seu admits that on Sept. 23, 2020 he assaulted his cousin by hitting him on the head with a hammer. He explained that

when he went to his sister-in-law’s home to borrow some tools to fi x his vehicle, his cousin called out to him and instructed him not to set foot on his land.

According to Seu, his cousin (victim) is the owner of the home that is occupied by his sister-in-law and her family.

Seu said he kept walking to his sister-in-law’s house and eventually knocked on the door. As he was standing on the front doorstep, the victim confronted him and told him to get off the land.

A war of words erupted between the two, which ended when the defendant grabbed a hammer and assaulted the victim, who suffered severe head injuries and had to be admitted to LBJ.

Seu, who is out on a $5,000 surety bond, is scheduled to appear in court next month for sentencing. The government is recommending probation, saying the two families have

already reconciled the matter and Seu has apologized to the victim.

SENE SEGA & APELU LIMA

The two men involved in two separate incidents in Ottoville last year have entered into a plea agreement with the government.

Sene Sega and Apelu Lima both appeared in court last week for a Change of Plea hearing.

Sega was initially charged with second-degree assault and stealing, both felonies. But a plea agreement with the gov-ernment, accepted by the court, allowed him to plead guilty to second-degree assault, a class D felony, punishable by a term of up to 5 years in jail, and a fi ne of up to $5,000 or both.

With his guilty plea, Sega admits that on Aug. 21, 2020 he intended to cause serious inju-ries to the victim by punching him in the face, causing him to fall and hit his head on a rock during a drinking session.

Sega said he was looking

for the right time to assault the victim, after he learned from his younger brother that the victim and his brother-in-law alleg-edly stole from his plantation in Leone.

The victim suffered severe injuries to back of his head, which required surgery.

For the other incident in Vai-togi involving the co-defendant, Lima was originally charged with second-degree assault and trespass. But under a plea agree-ment with the government, accepted by the court, Lima pled guilty to second-degree assault, a class D felony, punishable by up to 5 years in jail, and a fi ne of up to $5,000 or both.

With his guilty plea, Lima admits that on the night of Aug. 21, 2020 after his cousin Sega assaulted the victim, he caused physical injuries to the victim’s brother-in-law by hitting his head twice with a rock.

Lima said it was the victim’s brother-in-law who fi rst threw punches at him.

Sega and Lima, who have been in custody since their arrest last year, unable to post $5,000 surety bonds, are sched-uled to appear next month for sentencing.

➧ Court Report…Continued from page 3

If you want to commentabout our fairness, call

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If you want to commentabout our fairness, call

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ings. The legendary gossip col-umnist Walter Winchell told readers of Vanity Fair in 1927 about some new showbiz slang: “‘A turkey,’” he reported, “is a third rate production.”

Since then, movies that flop with the critics or at the box office have been called turkeys.

Another disparaging sense arrived in the 1950s, when turkey became a name for “a

stupid, slow, inept, or other-wise worthless person.” That, in turn, probably led to the rise of the “jive turkey,” which first showed up in African Amer-ican speech in the early 1970s, defined by slang lexicogra-pher Jonathon Green as “an insincere, deceitful, dishonest person.”

JIVE OR STRAIGHT TALKING?

And what about “talk turkey”? Well, that can mean quite contradictory things.

One dictionary from 1859 defines it as “To talk in a silly manner, talk nonsense.” A similar meaning is attached to another turkey-related word, “gobbledygook.”

Another definition found in

the 1889 “Americanisms, Old & New” had “talking turkey” meaning “To use high-sounding words, when plain English would do equally well or better.”

Likely, “talk turkey” came from pleasant conversation at Thanksgiving dinner, or maybe negotiations between Native Americans and Euro-

pean colonists over the cost of poultry. Whatever the origin, though, when we “talk turkey,” we’re engaging in the kind of straightforward, honest speech the scheming hunter denied his hunting partner.

Jack Lunch is a Professor of English, at Rutgers University - Newark


want to protect the most are our children and also people who have medical conditions, such as asthma, dialysis, heart problems and all that,” she said. “So the vaccine has proven that it protects them from getting a severe form of the disease or dying from COVID-19.”

The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides various information on COVID-19 vaccination on [www.cdc.gov] and [vaccines.gov].

NOV. 18 FLIGHT FROM HONOLULU

Dr. Trail, who also over-sees quarantine sites, says the Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu on Nov. 18 brought in 282. And they are split up with 212 quarantined at Tradewinds Hotel, 34 at Fatuoaiga facility, and 36 at Sadie’s by the Sea.

She said all eligible trav-elers are fully vaccinated and DoH staff conducted medical assessment and all travelers are in “high spirits”. Their first COVID-19 test done here was Saturday

Additionally, the American Samoa portion of the quarantine has been reduced to 7 days, after a decision by the COVID-19

Task Force.She also shared an update on

the “one-true positive” case on the Nov. 1st flight from Hono-lulu. She said the individual has been doing well throughout the duration of isolation and remains asymptomatic. The individual was tested after the 14-day isolation period and had a negative result and been safely released to go home.

Dr. Trail said that it’s “our hope to eventually decrease the number of quarantine days or the duration of quarantine” in American Samoa when the vac-cination rate reaches the goal of 90% or more.

“So we strongly recommend to protect your children by taking them to get the COVID vaccination once they turn 5-years old. This is for their own protection from the disease and safety in case a community transmission occurs. It’s very important for this to happen,” she said.

For those ages 12 and over and not yet vaccinated, vacci-nation clinics are operating at the A.P. Lutali Executive Office Building in Utulei and the DYWA Gym in Tafuna.

➧ DOH records low turn…Continued from page 1

➧ Talking Turkey…Continued from page 6

Seventeen members of the Capstone Assembly of God Church in Iliili successfully completed a “Basic Sewing” Workshop conducted by the American Samoa Commu-nity College (ASCC) – Agriculture, Community and Natural Resources (ACNR) Division’s Family Consumer Science (FCS) Program on November 11, 2021. Participants learned about the fundamentals of sewing, which includes using a sewing machine, measurements, and textile cutting. The workshop was conducted by the ASCC-ACNR FCS agents Diana Tarrant and Shalley Tailevai. [photo: ASCC/ACNR]

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talking turkey! how the thanksgiving bird got its name

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