Safotulafai is a traditional village at the east end of
Savai'i island with historical and political significance in
Samoa's history. It is the traditional center of the island of Savaii, now became the center of
Fa'asaleleaga political district.
Safotulafai is the original 'Pule', which is why Savaii is called 'Pule' of Samoa. Years later, Safotulafai chose to divide the 'Pule' into six while reserving the right to be the 'Matua' of 'Pule'. Today, Safotulafai remains to be one of the traditional 'Pule' (customary authority) ruling districts of Savai'i. Chief (
''matai'') council meetings are held at Fuifatu malae. Safotulafai is the village name with its sub-villages:
Tuasivi
Tuasivi is a village on the north east coast of Savai'i island in Samoa. The village is in the electoral district of Fa'asaleleaga and has a population of 193.
Tuasivi is the main centre for government administration on Savai'i. There is a smal ...
,
Fogapoa Fogapoa is a village on the north east coast of Savai'i island in Samoa. The village is part of the electoral constituency (''Faipule District'') Fa'asaleleaga 3 which is within the larger political district (''Itumalo'') of Fa'asaleleaga.
The po ...
,
Fatausi,
Fuifatu,
Fusi, and
Eveeve.
History
In the early 1900s, during the time when the country was called
German Samoa
German Samoa (german: Deutsch-Samoa) was a German protectorate from 1900 to 1920, consisting of the islands of Upolu, Savai'i, Apolima and Manono, now wholly within the independent state of Samoa, formerly ''Western Samoa''. Samoa was the la ...
(1900 - 1914), this is also the place which saw the beginnings of the
Mau, Samoa's independence movement. This initial resistance movement against German colonial rule was called the ''Mau a Pule''. It was led by well known orator
Lauaki Namulauulu Mamoe from Satotulafai. In 1909, Lauaki and other ''Mau a Pule'' supporters, including his younger brother who was also the holder of the 'Namulauulu' family chief title, bestowed by Namulauulu Lauaki at Falelatai, were trialed and exiled to
Saipan
Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...
by German Governor
Wilhelm Solf
Wilhelm Heinrich Solf (5 October 1862 – 6 February 1936) was a German scholar, diplomat, jurist and statesman.
Early life
Solf was born into a wealthy and liberal family in Berlin. He attended secondary schools in Anklam, western Pomerania, an ...
. Some of the ''Mau a Pule'' died in exile.
By the late 1920s, the Mau movement had gathered widespread national support under the
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
administration which followed from colonial rule by
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
.
In 1962, the country became the first Pacific nation to gain political independence, under its former name
Western Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...
which formally changed to
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...
in 1997.
''Matai'' chief titles
Safotulafai has strong traditional connections with
Saleaula on the central north coast, through the paramount chiefly title (
''matai'') of Letufuga. Safotulafai is always consulted by the village of Malie (
Tuamasaga
Tuamāsaga is a district of Samoa, with a population (2016 Census) of 95,907. The geographic area of Tuamasaga covers the central part of Upolu island.
History & Politics
Malie & the Malietoa
The paramount ''matai'' title of Tuamasaga is the ...
district) in conjunction with
Manono Island
Manono is an island of Samoa, situated in the Apolima Strait between the main islands of Savai'i and Upolu, 3.4 km west-northwest off Lefatu Cape, the westernmost point of Upolu.
There are four villages on the island with a total populat ...
(
Aiga-i-le-Tai district), in the election of
Malietoa
Mālietoa ( ''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 orig ...
title-holders.
See also
*
Samoan language
Samoan ( or ; ) is a Polynesian language spoken by Samoans of the Samoan Islands. Administratively, the islands are split between the sovereign country of Samoa and the United States territory of American Samoa. It is an official language, al ...
*
History of Samoa
*
Politics of Samoa
Politics of Samoa takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic state whereby the Prime Minister of Samoa is the head of government. Existing alongside the country's Western-styled political system is the '' fa'amatai'' ...
References
{{Fa'asaleleaga
Populated places in Fa'asaleleaga