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
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 ...
. According to the
2000 United States census
The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...
, Fitiuta had a population of 358, down from 454 in 1990. As of the
2010 United States Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
, it had a population of 153.
The village of Fitiuta is made up of two hamlets: Maia and Leusoali'i,
the latter of which is the most eastern area on the island. Historically, they were classified as villages.
The town has two shops, a hotel and a church, which was recently built.
Fitiuta Airport is located in the town.
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.
[Holmes, Lowell D. (1974). ''Samoan Village''. Holt McDougal. ]
Etymology
According to legends, the village was originally known as Aga'e. The village was home to the first Samoan chief,
Tagaloa Ui
In Samoan mythology, Tagaloa (also known as Tagaloa-Lagi or Tagaloa, Lagi of the Heavens/Skies) is generally accepted as the supreme ruler, , 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
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
, 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.”
Geography
The village is located on the northeast coast of Ta‘ū Island. 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.
It is directly north of the
National Park of American Samoa.
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."
Notable people
*
Galea'i Peni Poumele, former
Lieutenant Governor of American Samoa
The government of American Samoa consists of a locally elected governor, lieutenant governor and the American Samoa Fono, which consists of an 18-member Senate and a 21-member House of Representatives. The first popular election for Governor and ...
References
External links
National Park Service map of the Manu‘a Islandsshowing location of Fiti‘uta on the island of Ta‘ū.
Populated places in American Samoa
{{AmericanSamoa-geo-stub