A'oloau is a
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
in the west of
Tutuila Island
Tutuila is the main island of American Samoa (and its largest), and is part of the archipelago of Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands chain of the Central Pacific. It is located roughly northeast of Brisbane, Au ...
,
American Samoa
American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the International ...
. It is located inland, southwest of
Pago Pago
Pago Pago ( ; Samoan: )Harris, Ann G. and Esther Tuttle (2004). ''Geology of National Parks''. Kendall Hunt. Page 604. . is the territorial capital of American Samoa. It is in Maoputasi County on Tutuila, which is American Samoa's main island. ...
. It is also known as A’oloaufou, which means "new A’olou". An abandoned area in town by A'oloau Bay is known as A'oloautuai, which means Old A’oloau’. A'oloau's nickname is Nuu Puaolele which means the Fog Village.
The village is reached from a road near Shins Mart in the village of
Pava'ia'i. It sits inland, high on the central plain of Tutuila. It has an elevation of . A hiking trail from A’oloaufou leads down to
A'asu on Massacre Bay. A’asu was the site where Frenchman
Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse
Jean François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse (; variant spelling: ''La Pérouse''; 23 August 17411788?), often called simply Lapérouse, was a French naval officer and explorer. Having enlisted at the age of 15, he had a successful naval caree ...
visited in 1787. Lapérouse explored and mapped the various Samoan Islands when he arrived in A’asu on December 11, 1787. A battle broke out between the French and the native Samoans, and several French and Samoans were killed.
Etymology
A’oloau, which is pronounced A-olo-au, translates as “to row with the sea current.” Its origin traces to an open-sea experience of the ancestors. The word A’oloau emanates from the daily activity of boat-rowing in the open sea in order to sustain life and for transportation. Before major developments in the early 1940s, the village was located in the low-lying coastal areas on the north shores. This settlement is referred to as A'oloau Tuai (Old A’oloau).
History
![Aoloau_Village_](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Aoloau_Village_.jpg)
A’oloau Tuai (Old A’oloau) is separated from the more populated villages on Tutuila's south coast, and transportation to and from the village was difficult. Ocean and land transportation were equally difficult due to the rugged terrain surrounding the village as well as the rough sea currents facing its forefront. The men of A’oloau Tuai were among the best fishermen on the island; however, after the village moved to the
Mount Olotele mountaintop eighty years ago, they raised livestock and became skilled farmers. Since then, A’oloau farms have become reliable sources of food staples for Tutuila Island.
In the early 1940s, major changes happened throughout Tutuila as a result of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Public roads were mapped and constructed, including the road to A’oloau. Village leaders took heed of this opportunity to make the move, which had been discussed for years. The move to the flat land on top of Mount Olotele was the best decision, particularly for the younger generations. By the end of the decade, most residents had moved to the mountaintop. It has become a tradition for villagers to visit their original settlement to share the village folklore and tales with the children.
Geography
![Aoloau_village_pos](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Aoloau_village_pos.jpg)
A’oloau is a village on the top of
Mount Olotele. It is the highest village settlement on
Tutuila Island
Tutuila is the main island of American Samoa (and its largest), and is part of the archipelago of Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands chain of the Central Pacific. It is located roughly northeast of Brisbane, Au ...
. Its strategic location provides a view of the entire island, even as far as
Aunu'u Island on clear days. The village is twelve miles from
Pago Pago
Pago Pago ( ; Samoan: )Harris, Ann G. and Esther Tuttle (2004). ''Geology of National Parks''. Kendall Hunt. Page 604. . is the territorial capital of American Samoa. It is in Maoputasi County on Tutuila, which is American Samoa's main island. ...
. It is uniquely located on the opposite side of the main road from
Aasu village. Due to its high elevation, Aoloau's climate is cool throughout the year compared to most Tutuila communities. The village is covered by fog on cloudy days. The village icon is the Puaolele (flying cloud). Mount Olotele is the location of private and government antennas and satellite dishes. From the mountain, you can see as far as to south shore villages on Tutuila and
Aunu'u Island to the southeastern part of Tutuila. On top of the steep rise is panoramic 270-degree views of valleys,
Rainmaker Mountain
Rainmaker Mountain (also known as Mount Pioa) is the name of a mountain located near Pago Pago, American Samoa on Tutuila Island. Rainmaker Mountain traps rain clouds and gives Pago Pago the highest annual rainfall of any harbor. The average annu ...
,
Matafao Mountain,
Tafuna Plain, and as far as the Pacific Ocean.
Demographics
A'oloau was home to 615 people as of the 2010 U.S. Census. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the population was 778 and 53 percent of the village population were males. Both Censuses found more than fifty percent of the population to be at the age of fifty or younger.
Massacre Bay Trail
A’oloaufou is home to a hiking trail which leads to the village of
Aasu. Aasu is a historic village where, on December 11, 1787, twelve men from the
La Pérouse’ ships ''La Boussole'' and ''Astrolabe'' and 39 Samoans were killed in a battle. Aasu is a near-abandoned village which is home to just a few families. Aasu village has no road outlet, and can only be reached by hiking trails.
The trail from A’oloaufou takes off downhill just east of a colorful garden which was created by Department of Tourism. It is a 2.5-mile trail which leads to the beach and monument in Aasu. The trail down is mostly made of volcanic clay which may be muddy, waxy and treacherous when wet. It is possible to camp at Aasu village before returning to A’oloaufou. Other trails in A’oloaufou includes a trail to the abandoned village of A’oloautuai, as well as another trail leading down the ridge to the village of
Fagamalo
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 3 ...
.
Education
Village leaders have been successful in getting the American Samoa Government to construct an elementary school in the village, in order to serve the children of
Aasu and A'oloau villages. The school is situated on a hillside above the church. High school students attend
Leone High School
Leone High School is a senior high school in Vailoatai and Leone, in the Western District, American Samoa. It is operated by the American Samoa Department of Education. It is the second-largest high school on Tutuila Island.
It was opened in S ...
. Many of the village's youth and young adults serve in the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
and work in the American Samoa government.
[Fai’ivae, Alex Godinet (2018). ''Ole Manuō o Tala Tu’u Ma Fisaga o Tala Ave''. Amerika Samoa Humanities Council. Page 143. .]
References
{{American Samoa
Villages in American Samoa