Poet passes away

Samoan poet Eti Saaga dies aged 67

His daughter Terri Saaga Sua said her father died at Kuakini Medical Centre in Honolulu.

He was 67.

In his lifetime, Eti had been a builder of roads, a journalist, a government press officer, TV host, documentary producer, speech writer and translator for a congressman.

Eti was one of the star graduates of Samoa College and was influenced by his English teacher, the novelist Albert Wendt.

He turned down a scholarship to study in New Zealand, opting instead to be a labourer, building roads.