Poloa is a village in

American Samoa American Samoa is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States located in the Polynesia region of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. Centered on , it is southeast of the island count ...

. It is located at the west side of

Tutuila Tutuila is the largest and most populous island of American Samoa and is part of the archipelago of the Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands chain of the Central Pacific. It is located roughly northeast of Brisba ...

in the Alataua District. The village has 193 residents in 2010. The main denominations in the area are

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

and

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

. Poloa has one elementary school. It is located in Lealataua County. Poloa is at the western terminus of American Samoa Highway 001. It is situated on a narrow coastal plain on Tutuila Island's western tip, west of

Pago Pago Pago Pago ( or ; Samoan language, Samoan: )Harris, Ann G. and Esther Tuttle (2004). ''Geology of National Parks''. Kendall Hunt. Page 604. . is the capital of American Samoa. It is in Maoputasi County, American Samoa, Maoputasi County on Tutuila ...

. The village is made up of wood-frame homes and traditional fales. A school is located at the shoreline, approximately south of the village center. This elementary school has an enrollment of around 160 and also serves Poloa's neighboring villages. Due to the village's flatlands being ideal for development, the school was erected near the shore.

Etymology

The name ''Poloa'' denotes that once the sun sets over the horizon, it will immediately become dark, or Po-loa. The name originated from a premodern account of the travels of the legendary twins

Taema Taema is the name of a female figure referred to in different legends in Samoan mythology.
Samoa ...

and

Tilafaiga According to a legend in Samoan mythology Tilafaiga was one of the twin sisters who brought the art of ''tatau'' (Samoan tattoo) to Samoa from Fiji. Tilafaiga's twin sister's name is Taema. Tilafaiga and Taema can also be referred to as the Matria ...

, in their search for Fututalie, a Samoan prince who lived in a village at Tutuila Island's western tip. A unique characteristic of this village they looked for was that the darkness descends as soon as the sun sets.

History

World War II

Due to its strategic location on the western tip of

Tutuila Island Tutuila is the largest and most populous island of American Samoa and is part of the archipelago of the Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands chain of the Pacific Ocean, Central Pacific. It is located roughly north ...

, the land known as Sua in Poloa was utilized as a military station for about 2,000 U.S. Marines guarding the island against the Japanese fleets. World War II relics in town include pillbox forts and foot trails used by the Marines on the coastline. The military settlement brought about better roads and also a boost in the population of Alataua County. Three pillbox forts can be seen along the shore and an open tunnel can be seen at the entry to Poloa Village, known as ''Le Mafa''. The three pillbox forts were erected in order to protect the island from Japanese forces entering from the west. The Poloa Defensive Fortifications were listed on the

U.S. National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of sites, buildings, structures, districts, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 2012, under the

U.S. Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal lands and natural resources. It also administers programs relating t ...

. After World War II, the fortifications became social gathering sites for local residents.

2009 tsunami

Almost every building in town was severely damaged by the 2009 tsunami, including most houses and a church. Reconstruction work was carried out under the command of the

Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...

(FEMA). Two large tsunami waves struck the village. The first wave came from the north and the second wave from the northeast. The Matai saw the tsunami approaching and warned residents of the need to evacuate. Consequentially, almost all residents successfully escaped the tsunami. One victim was recorded in Poloa. Taputapu Elementary School and the Early Childhood Education Center were completely destroyed by the earthquake-triggered tsunami. Funding of $3 million from the Federal Emergency Management Administration was given the village to rebuild, but they refused to provide funding for the school to be rebuilt at its original site, due to the close proximity to the sea. The elementary school was, therefore, to be built to the north in Fagalii. It was the last to be rebuilt of five elementary schools in the territory destroyed by the tsunami.

Village relocation

In wake of the 2009 tsunami that claimed one life in the village, the government together with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) encouraged villagers to relocate and build their village on higher grounds within the village. Some families have complied, while others have stayed behind. With only the CCCAS church and a few houses left in Poloa-Lalo, most residents now live in Poloa-Luga.

Geography

Poloa is situated at the western end of

, around from

. It takes about 30 minutes by car to travel from

Fagatogo Fagatogo () is the downtown area of Pago Pago (the territorial capital of American Samoa).Grabowski, John F. (1992). ''U.S. Territories and Possessions (State Report Series)''. Chelsea House Pub. Page 51. . Located in the low grounds at the foot o ...

to Poloa. A half-moon bay outlines Poloa's coastline and sandy beaches. The steep forested mountains rise high on its northern boundaries. It is located on a mountain range and slopes of land that leads down to the coast. Villagers constructed their homes on mounds of land on the mountaintops and on the slopes and some flatlands. The public access road winds through Poloa from the open tunnel on the mountaintop and down to the low-lying lands of the village. The village is basically separated by mountain ridges and cliffs. The coastal-lying parts of town are known as Poloa-Lalo, while the sub-village situated on the mountaintop is known as Poloa-Luga.

Economy

The majority of employed villagers work with the

Government of American Samoa The government of American Samoa is defined under the Constitution of American Samoa. The United States Congress, in the Ratification Act of 1929, provided that until the Congress shall provide for the Government of the islands of American Samoa ...

, however, a small number of residents work for businesses in the private sector or at the ''

StarKist StarKist Tuna is a brand of tuna produced by StarKist Co., an American company formerly based in Pittsburgh's North Shore that is now wholly owned by Dongwon Industries of South Korea. It was purchased by Dongwon from the American food manufact ...

'' Tuna Canneries in Atu'u. Others stay in the village throughout the year as fishermen and/or farmers as their ancestors. Chickens are raised openly, not in pens. Small farms for everyday use often include Puka and Palagi bananas. Many residents depend on the soil and ocean for most of their diet.

Subsistence farming Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow crops on smallholdings to meet the needs of themselves and their families. Subsistence agriculturalists target farm output for survival and for mostly local requirements. Planting decisions occ ...

is very common and includes crops such as banana, taro, papaya, avocado, giant taro, yam, and vegetables. Raising pigs and chickens are common and is done through the traditional way of poultry farming.

Demographics

The population according to the 2010 U.S. census was 193, compared to 203 at the 2000 U.S. census. The reason for this recent drop was overseas migration to the mainland

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

Western Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabit ...

. The number of residents as of 2018 is 250. Elementary school children enrolled in public school previously attended Taputapu Elementary School in Poloa, but in the wake of the 2009 tsunami, children now attend Alataua Lua Elementary School in Nua. High school students attend Leone High School in Leone. There are two main churches in town:

Congregational Christian Church in American Samoa The Congregational Christian Church of American Samoa - CCCAS (Samoan: Ekalesia Faapotopotoga Kerisiano i Amerika Samoa - EFKAS) is a theologically Calvinist and Congregational denomination in American Samoa. The Congregational Christian Church ...

(CCCAS) and the Methodist church. A few residents worship at the

Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sa ...

in Leone.Fai’ivae, Alex Godinet (2018). ''Ole Manuō o Tala Tu’u Ma Fisaga o Tala Ave''. Amerika Samoa Humanities Council. Pages 188–189. .

References

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