Fagamalo

Last updated
Fagamalo
Village
ISS018-E-7724 NASA North central SAVAI', REEFS, FAGAMALO.jpg
Satellite image showing Fagamalo and neibouring villages with reefs off the coast and lava fields to the east in Saleaula, Mauga and Samalae'ulu. (NASA photo)
Samoa location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Fagamalo
Coordinates: 13°26′S172°21′W / 13.433°S 172.350°W / -13.433; -172.350 Coordinates: 13°26′S172°21′W / 13.433°S 172.350°W / -13.433; -172.350
Country Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa
District Gaga'emauga
Population
 (2016)
 • Total383
Time zone -11
Climate Af

Fagamalo is a village situated on the central north coast of Savai'i in Samoa. It is a sub-village or pito nu'u of the larger traditional village enclave of Matautu in the political district of Gaga'emauga. The population of the village is 383. [1]

Contents

Fagamalo is by the sea at the northernmost point of Savai'i. There is a small post office and next door to it is a police station which services the local district. The Tutaga Primary School is at the east end of the village near where a hospital was situated. Cyclone Ofa (1990) and Cyclone Valerie (1991) [2] caused a lot of damage on the north and west coast of Savai'i and destroyed the seaside Itu-o-Tane College [3] in the village. The school was rebuilt inland in a neighbouring village. Five to ten minutes to the east of Fagamalo are the villages of Saleaula and Sato'alepai. Towards the west are the villages of Safotu and Safune.

Mythology

Matautu, 1902 Matautu north coast Savai'i 1902.jpg
Matautu, 1902

In Samoan mythology, Fagamalo is the home of Tui Fiti, a spirit deity [4] who resides in the sacred forest, vao sa, an area that is tapu in the village.

Fagamalo is in the traditional sub-district of Matautu, an area which took the lead in the attack during war. [5] Matautu is also said to have been settled by Fijians [6] or people from a place called Fiti. The name Matautu is traced back to a figure called Utu, whose father was called Lautalatoa from Fiti. [7] Utu had a brother called Taua and a sister called Lenga. Taua went and settled further west at what is now called Sataua, and the sister Lega went to the south-west of the island to the place that is known today as Salega.

In 1978, the Governor-General of Fiji, Ratu Sir George Cakobau, arrived in Fagamalo during a state visit to Samoa. The High Chief of Fiji had requested a visit to Tui Fiti's sacred ground. An ancient kava ceremony was carried out in the village and Cakobau was given a chiefly title by the matai in recognition of the ancient connection with Fiji. [8]

Colonial era

During World War II, Fagamalo, which had a wharf and anchorage, was the main village and administrative centre on Savai'i and home for a resident commissioner of Allied forces defending the South Pacific against Japan. [9] The government administration centre was later moved from Fagamalo to Tuasivi village on the north coast towards Salelologa township and ferry terminal.

Proverbial Expressions

Samoan proverb originating from Matautu.

O faiva 'aulelei translates as Only a handsome man can do a thing well.

Some three generations ago the tulafale (orator chief) Nafo'i of Matautu, Savai'i, had guests. His young men prepared the food. When Nafo'i went into the cook-house to see how they were progressing, he noticed that they had not sufficiently pressed out the shredded coconut. So he applied himself to the job and did it right thoroughly. The others said, “Only a handsome man like Nafo'i is able to do a thing competently.” [10]

Recent era

More recently, in 2002, the small village made the headlines in New Zealand [11] when the chiefs declared Fagamalo smokefree and imposed fines on people who broke the local law. Le Lagoto Resort is a local hotel on the beach in Fagamalo. [12] The office for scuba diving company 'Dive Savai'i' [13] is located across the road from the resort.

Related Research Articles

Samoan culture tells stories of many different deities. There were deities of the forest, the seas, rain, harvest, villages, and war. There were two types of deities, atua, who had non-human origins, and aitu, who were of human origin.

In Samoan mythology, Tagaloa is generally accepted as the supreme ruler, the creator of the universe, the chief of all gods and the progenitor of other gods. Tagaloa Lagi dwelt in space and made the Heavens the sky, the land, the seas, the fresh water, the trees and the people. Samoans believed Tagaloa created nine heavens. Tagaloa's role as paramount deity in the Samoa pantheon bears similarities to the position of Ta'aroa in Tahiti and Io Matua Kore in Aotearoa New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samoan Islands</span> Archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean

The Samoan Islands are an archipelago covering 3,030 km2 (1,170 sq mi) in the central South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia and of the wider region of Oceania. Administratively, the archipelago comprises all of the Independent State of Samoa and most of American Samoa. The land masses of the two Samoan jurisdictions are separated by 64 km (40 mi) of ocean at their closest points.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savaiʻi</span> Island in the Samoan Islands chain

Savaiʻi is the largest and highest island both in Samoa and in the Samoan Islands chain. The island is also the sixth largest in Polynesia, behind the three main islands of New Zealand and the Hawaiian Islands of Hawaii and Maui.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falealupo</span> Village & Electoral Constituency in Vaisigano, Samoa

Falealupo is a village in Samoa situated at the west end of Savai'i island 20 miles (32 km) from the International Date Line used until 29 December 2011. The village has two main settlements, Falealupo-Uta, situated inland by the main island highway and Falealupo-Tai, situated by the sea. The road to the coastal settlement is about 9 km, most of it unsealed, from the main highway. The village's population is 545.

Queen Salamasina was a powerful and high-ranking woman in Samoan social history. She held the four papā (district) titles which gave her the paramount status of Tafa‘ifā on the western islands of Samoa. Contrary to popular belief she was not the first Tafa'ifā, as these titles were willed to her by their previous possessor, Nafanua. She is the titular ancestor of two of the four paramount titles of Samoa, Tupua Tamasese of Falefa and Salani and the Amaile Mataafa line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atua (district)</span> Place in Samoa

Ātua is an ancient political district of Samoa, consisting of most of the eastern section of Upolu and the island Tutuila. Within Samoa’s traditional polity, Ātua is ruled by the Tui Ātua together with the group of six senior orators of Lufilufi and 13 senior matai from throughout Ātua, comprising the Fale Ātua. The fono (meeting) of Atua's rulers takes place in Lufilufi on the great malae of Lalogafu'afu'a.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gagaʻemauga</span> District in Samoa

Gagaʻemauga is a district on the island of Savaiʻi in Samoa. The district is situated on the central north side of Savaiʻi. The name 'Gagaʻemauga' literally means "near side of the mountain", meaning the eastern side of the mountain chain running through the centre of Savaiʻi Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malietoa</span> One of Samoas four paramount chiefs

Mālietoa is a state dynasty and one of the four paramount chiefly titles of Samoa. It is the titular head of one of the two great royal families of Samoa: Sā Malietoa. Literally translated as "great warrior", the title's origin comes from the final words of the Tongan warriors as they were fleeing on the beach to their boats, "Malie To`a, Malo e tau...".

Matautu is the name of different villages in Samoa. Places named Matautu are found on the two largest islands, Upolu and Savaiʻi.

<i>Faʻamatai</i> Chiefly system of Samoa

Fa'amatai is the indigenous political ('chiefly') system of Samoa, central to the organization of Samoan society. It is the traditional indigenous form of governance in both Samoas, comprising American Samoa and the Independent State of Samoa. The term comprises the prefix fa'a and the word matai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saleaula</span> Village in Gagaemauga, Samoa

Sale'aula is a village on the central north coast of Savai'i island in Samoa and is the traditional center of the Gaga'emauga political district. Chief council meetings are held at Vaitu’utu’u malae in the village. The village has a population of 600. Sale'aula is one of two main pules in samoa, the other consisting of safotulafai. Sale'aula is one of the two highest villaes in the whole samoa. Hence why they're called a pule village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sina and the Eel</span> Samoan origin story

Sina and the Eel is a myth of origins in Samoan mythology, which explains the origins of the first coconut tree.

Tui Fiti or Tuifiti is the name of a figure referred to in different legends in Samoan mythology and in other parts of Polynesia. In other stories, "Tui Fiti" means "high chief of Fiti."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safotu</span> Village in Gagaifomauga, Samoa

Safotu is a village on the central north coast of Savai'i island in Samoa. Safotu is in the district Gagaifomauga and has a population of 1270. Traditionally, it attained the status of 'Pule,' customary political authority, and has been the main centre of the Gagaifomauga district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archaeology of Samoa</span>

Archaeology of Samoa began with the first systematic survey of archaeological remains on Savai'i island by Jack Golson in 1957. Since then, surveys and studies in the rest of Samoa have uncovered major findings of settlements, stone and earth mounds including star mounds, Lapita pottery remains and pre-historic artifacts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avao</span>

Avao is a village on the north central coast of Savai'i island in Samoa. The village is part of the electoral constituency of Gaga'emauga 2, which is included in the larger political district of Gaga'emauga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lelepa, Samoa</span>

Lelepa is a village on the north central coast of Savai'i island in Samoa. The village is part of the electoral constituency Gaga'emauga 2, which forms part of the larger political district of Gaga'emauga.

Saleia is a village on the north central coast of Savai'i island in Samoa. The village is part of the electoral constituency of Gaga'emauga 2 which forms part of the larger political district of Gaga'emauga.

Safa'i is a village on the north central coast of Savai'i island in Samoa. The village is part of the electoral constituency Gaga'emauga 2 which forms part of the larger political district Gaga'emauga.

References

  1. ↑ "Census 2016 Preliminary count" (PDF). Samoa Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  2. ↑ United States Department of State
  3. ↑ Ministry of Education, Samoa.
  4. ↑ Craig, Robert D. (1989). Dictionary of Polynesian Mythology. ISBN   9780313258909.
  5. ↑ O Samoa Anamua by Siaosi Tana, p.198,1884. Retrieved 27 October 2009
  6. ↑ , Lagaga: a short history of Western Samoa By Malama Meleisea & Penelope Schoeffel Meleisea, p. 42
  7. ↑ , Samoa, a hundred years ago and long before: Together with notes on the cults ... by George Turner, p.256
  8. ↑ , Samoa's Pre-Contact Connections with West Polynesia and Beyond by Shawn S. Barnes & Terry L. Hunt, p. 28, Department of Anthropology, University of Hawai‘i, Mänoa
  9. ↑ , World War II Pacific Island Guide:a geo military study by Gordon L. Rottman p.88
  10. ↑ Proverbial expressions of the Samoans collected by E. Schultz, p.35-62,1906, Journal of the Polynesian Society, Volume 59, 1950. Retrieved 27 October 2009
  11. ↑ "No butts in Samoan village's smoking ban". The New Zealand Herald . 2 August 2002. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  12. ↑ "Le Lagoto Resort". Archived from the original on 2009-04-27. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
  13. ↑ "Dive Savaii, Location: Scuba diving and PADI courses in Samoa, South Pacific". Archived from the original on 2009-09-10. Retrieved 2009-09-27.

Notes

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.