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Fitiuta, American Samoa

Coordinates: 14°13′20″S 169°25′25″W / 14.22222°S 169.42361°W / -14.22222; -169.42361
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14°13′20″S 169°25′25″W / 14.22222°S 169.42361°W / -14.22222; -169.42361

Fitiuta
Country United States
Territory American Samoa
CountyFitiʻuta
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
120
Time zoneUTC−11:00 (Samoa Time Zone)
ZIP Code
96799
Area code+1 684

Fitiuta, also known as Fiti'uta or Maia, is a village on the northeast coast of Taʻū island, one of the Manuʻa Islands in American Samoa. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 153.[1] The village of Fitiuta is made up of two hamlets: Maia and Leusoali'i,[1] the latter of which is the most eastern area on the island. Historically, they were classified as villages.[2] The town has two shops, a hotel and a church, which was recently built. Fitiuta Airport is located in the town.[2]

The area is famed for its myths and legends. According to Samoan mythology, it was in a place called Saua in Fitiuta that the god Tagaloa decided to make the first human being and crown the first human king, the Tuimanu'a. It was also near this village that the first kava ceremony was performed.[3]: 1–2 

Fitiuta is recognized as the most ancient village in the Samoan Islands.[4] It is the oldest settlement in the Manu’a Islands.[5] The Fagā Village Site, located in Fitiuta, is among the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in American Samoa. It features foundation ruins, stone terraces, and other archaeological structures dating back to approximately 1000 CE.[6]

Etymology

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According to legends, the village was originally known as Aga'e. The village was home to the first Samoan chief, Tagaloa Ui, in ancient times. He was a mortal descendant from the gods and his daughter, Sina, was known all over the Samoan Islands for her beauty. Tuifiti, the king of Fiji, traveled to Samoa and proposed to Sina. After some time in Fiji, Sina became lonely and the chief's eldest son, Taeotagaloa, traveled to Fiji in order to bring her home. The king was sad to see Queen Sina leave and made a request for her to rename her village “Fitiuta”, which means “Fiji in the Mountains.”[3]: 9  It can also be translated as "Inland Fiji".[7]

The name Fitiuta is derived from the combination of two words: "Fiti" (Fiji) and "uta" (land behind each village). In the typical Samoan village layout, settlements are located along the coast, facing seaward ("tai"). From Sāmoa, facing westward toward Fiji places it in front ("tai"), while the area behind would be referred to as “uta." If the Polynesian migratory direction was primarily eastward, the name Fitiuta would appear to be a misnomer, and a name such as Fititai or Fitiluma ("luma" meaning front) would be more appropriate. The naming of Fitiuta, situated east of Fiji, may underscore Fiji's significance during that era. This could also imply that the Polynesian migration followed a westward trajectory rather than an eastward one.[8]

History

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The Faga Village Site is one of American Samoa's oldest continuously populated settlements, with foundation ruins, stone terraces and other features dating to 1000 CE.[9] It has been named the oldest village in the Samoan Islands.[10]

Pre-European petroglyphs have been discovered in Fitiuta Village. These engravings were created using techniques such as pecking (hammering the stone with a pointed tool), bruising (rubbing the surface with another stone), and abrading (a combination of pecking and bruising).[11]

Traditionally, Fitiuta was divided into two distinct sections: Fitiuta-by-the-sea and Fitiuta-landwards.[12]

Geography

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The village is located on the northeast coast of Ta‘ū Island.[13] Fitiuta is one of three villages on Ta'ū Island. On both sides of the village are steep slopes with agricultural lands on their summits, owned by Fitiuta families and certain areas communally owned by Fitiuta village. A number of fruits are grown here, including breadfruit, banana, coconut, and some taro. The village of Fitiuta is made up of two hamlets: Maia and Leusoali'i. The two Fitiuta hamlets share the same schoolhouse, dispensary building, and church.[3]: 1–3 

Fiti'uta Village, like Ta‘ū Village, forms its own distinct county, as does Faleasao Village, which also constitutes a single county. This unique political structure is a defining characteristic of the villages in the Manuʻa Islands and has been in place since the establishment of governance under the first Tui Manu'a. This system is exclusive to the Manuʻa Islands and is not observed in the neighboring Tutuila and Aunuʻu Islands.[14]

It is directly north of the National Park of American Samoa.[15]

The climate is described as "a warm, tropical island surrounded by the South Pacific Ocean with temperatures moderated by southeast trade winds. It has humid days and nights and rainfall is abundant."[2]

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Table 1b. Population, Housing Units, Land Area, and Density by Place for American Samoa: 2010", United States census, 2010; American Samoa;. Retrieved on 2019-09-17.
  2. ^ a b c "Fitiuta Airport (FAQ)". American Samoa | Department of Port Administration. Archived from the original on 2022-12-04. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  3. ^ a b c Holmes, Lowell D. (1974). Samoan Village. Holt McDougal. ISBN 9780030779251
  4. ^ Gray, John Alexander Clinton (1960). Amerika Samoa: A History of American Samoa and Its United States Naval Administration. United States Naval Institute. Page 121. ISBN 9780870210747.
  5. ^ Krämer, Augustin (1994). The Samoa Islands: Constitution, pedigrees and traditions. University of Hawai'i Press. Page 510. ISBN 9780824816339.
  6. ^ Stubbs, John and William Chapman (2023). Architectural Conservation in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands: National Experiences and Practice. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781003807940.
  7. ^ Churchill, W. (1913). "Geographical Nomenclature of American Samoa". Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, 45(3), page 191. Retrieved on December 6, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.2307/199273.
  8. ^ Fiatoa, Pen (2013). “Ulu Lau: Searching For Common Roots”. Page 150. Retrieved on December 12, 2024, from http://solo.manuatele.net/ecopy/Ululau-May2013.pdf
  9. ^ Stubbs, John and William Chapman (2023). Architectural Conservation in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands: National Experiences and Practice. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781003807940.
  10. ^ Kikuchi, William Kenji (1963). “Archaeological Surface Ruins in American Samoa”. University of Hawaiʻi. Page 44.
  11. ^ Mallon, Sean (2022). Samoan art and artists: O measina a Samoa. University of Hawai'i Press. Page 31. ISBN 9780824826758.
  12. ^ Perry, W.J. and W.H.R. Rivers (2013). Social Organization. Taylor & Francis. Page 209. ISBN 9781136195020.
  13. ^ Hills, J.W. (2010). O upu muamua i le Tala i le Lalolagi mo e ua faatoa a'oa'oina u lea mataupu: Elementary Geography. Nabu Press. Page 63. ISBN 9781147952896.
  14. ^ Fai’ivae, Alex Godinet (2018). Ole Manuō o Tala Tu’u Ma Fisaga o Tala Ave. Amerika Samoa Humanities Council. ISBN 9781546229070.
  15. ^ "Maps - National Park of American Samoa". U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
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