Vailoa (Vailoa i Palauli) is a village on the island of

Savaiʻi Savaii is the largest (area 1,694 km2) and highest ( Mt Silisili at 1,858 m) island both in Samoa and in the Samoan Islands chain. The island is also the sixth largest in Polynesia, behind the three main islands of New Zealand and ...

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 Island, Manono an ...

. Vailoa is the capital of

Palauli Palauli is a district and village of Samoa, with a population (2016 Census) of 9,300. It consists of two sections on the southern side of Savai'i. The capital is Vailoa which is also referred to as Vailoa i Palauli (Vailoa in Palauli district). ...

district on the south east of the island.
The Growth and Collapse of Pacific Island Societies by Patrick Vinton Kirch, Jean-Louis Rallu, p.222. Retrieved 6 November 2009 The population is 784. Vailoa attained the status of ''Pule'' (traditional political authority) sometime in the 19th century. The village is associated with the chiefly title of Lilomaiava. It is referred to as ''Vailoa i Palauli'' (Vailoa in Palau district). Like most villages in Samoa, the local economy is based on subsistence living. The people live off their land from crops grown in plantations behind the village or fishing.

Customary land claim

In recent years, village chiefs have been involved in a legal claim for customary land lost during the Germany, German era of Samoan

colonialism Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...

. The dispute dates back to 1886 when customary land was sold to the family of

Olaf Frederick Nelson Ta'isi Olaf Frederick Nelson (24 February 1883 – 28 February 1944) was a Samoan businessman and politician. He was one of the founding leaders of the anti-colonial Mau movement. Biography Nelson was born on 24 February 1883 in Safune on th ...

. The village claims that the land is custom held and was never lawfully alienated and couldn't therefore become freehold. In 2008, the Samoa Court of Appeal turned down the claim for the second time. The disputed land includes an area known in modern times as the Nelson Plantation where extensive prehistoric settlement remains and monuments have been surveyed and studied, including

Pulemelei Mound The Pulemelei mound (also known as Tia Seu Ancient Mound) is the largest and most ancient structure in the Samoan Islands. It is situated in Letolo Plantation in the Palauli district, at the east end of Savai'i island in Samoa. The stone mound i ...

Notable people

Uale Mai Uale Mai Vala (born 20 July 1978) is a retired rugby union player who played for the country's national teams, Manu Samoa and Samoa Sevens. He is a former captain of the Samoa Sevens team which represent Samoa internationally in the IRB Sevens Wo ...

, from Vailoa village, is a

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

player and a former captain of the Samoa Sevens team and one of the great players in the international sport. He is the only Samoan to be awarded the IRB International Sevens Player of the Year which he received for the

2005–06 World Sevens Series The 2005–06 World Sevens Series was the seventh edition of the global circuit for men's national rugby sevens teams, run by the International Rugby Board since 1999-2000. The series was won by Fiji in the last event of the competition, endin ...

. * Marina Alofagia McCartney, is the granddaughter of Sevai Leleisi'uao from Vailoa,

and Asiata Leaoa Lameko from

Pitonu'u Pitonu'u is a village on the island of Savai'i in Samoa. It is situated on the south coast of the island in the district of Satupa'itea and the electoral district of Satupa'itea. The population is 283. The word ''pito nu'u'' means "a smaller part ...

, Satupa'itea. Her Mother is Tavu'i Mapuni Leaoa from

, Satupa'itea and Stuart Stanley McCartney from

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. She was Miss New Zealand 1997 and placed 15th in

Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by a United States and Thailand based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stre ...

1997. She is now an award-winning writer and director (Vai, Milk & Honey) and academic.

References

{{Palauli Populated places in Palauli