Afoa Leulumoega Lutu

Afoafouvale Leulumoegafou Suesue Lutu (born February 24, 1947) is an American Samoan politician and attorney. Lutu has served as the former attorney general of American Samoa in two different administrations. He is also a former senator from the district of Maopūtasi, serving the villages of Fagatogo, Utulei and Fagaalu. He is the current holder of the high chief title, ''Afoafouvale''.

Biography

Early life

Afoa Moega Lutu was born on February 24, 1947, to Rev. Suesue Solofa Lutu and Vaituutuu Pātu Leota Leuluaialii Lutu. He is the fourth of twelve children in his family. Lutu's parents taught at the theological school of the Congregational Christian Church in Samoa in Leulumoegafou, Western Samoa, now the independent nation of Samoa. Lutu's family moved back to American Samoa when he was less than a year old and settled in the village of Amanave, where his parents worked as Christian ministers.

His siblings include six brothers and four sisters: Faalele Suesue (dec.)
Faatasiga
Suesue Pele (dec.), Faaauuga Field Suesue Achica (dec.), Taeletoto Sau Smith Lutu (dec.), Silautiti Suesue, Rev. Suesue Suesue (dec.), Matuaifaleese Suesue Lutu Ia
Omaha
Suesue (dec.), Tavita Suesue and Tiresa Suesue Paogofie.

Education

Lutu originally attended St. Theresa Elementary School in Leone, American Samoa. However, his parents moved again to the towns of Fagatogo and Utulei by the time he was six years old to live with extended family. He was selected to attend the Feleti Memorial Barstow Foundation Demonstration School for first to eighth grade.

He became salutatorian of his eighth grade class upon graduating from the school. Lutu next entered the High School of American Samoa. While in high school, his parents relocated to the village of Laulii, east of Pago Pago Harbor, to work as ministers in the village. He resided with his grandparents, Rev. Suesue and Sola, in Utulei during the school week, and traveled to see his parents on the weekend. Lutu graduated as student body president from high school in 1965. This was the last class of the original sole high school for the Territory before other high schools were formed elsewhere such as in the villages of Tau, Manua, Leone and Fagaitua. Following his graduation, Lutu was one of four American Samoa students chosen for a cultural exchange program in the United States. Lutu moved to Spirit Lake, Iowa, to attend an extra year of high school as part of the cultural exchange. While in Iowa, he stayed at the home of Berkley and Elinor Bedell and their family. Berkley Bedell, Iowan businessman, was later elected as a United States Congressman (1975–1987).

Lutu attended Northeast Missouri State University, now known as Truman State University, on a full American Samoa Government scholarship. Lutu met his future wife while at Northeast Missouri, Etenauga Alvina Lam Yuen. Etenauga, whose parents were Pastor Tini Inu Lam Yuen and Tululautu Fueainaula Tagaloa Lam Yuen, was also from a large Samoan family of 10 siblings.

He transferred to University of Hawaii at Mānoa after two years in Missouri to be closer to his parents, who were working as ministers for the First Samoan Congregational Church in Nānākuli, Hawaii, at the time. He graduated from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in political science and a minor in prelaw. His wife, Etenauga, received her bachelor's degree in nursing from Walla Walla College, now Walla Walla University. Lutu enrolled in the Valparaiso University School of Law with another American Samoa Government scholarship.

Lutu and Etenauga married in Lynwood, California, in 1972. The couple relocated to Valparaiso, Indiana, where Lutu completed his Juris Doctor degree from Valporaiso University School of Law. Their first child, Christinna Sola, was born in Indianapolis, IN. The couple moved to Hawaii following Lutu's completion of law school in 1974.

The couple had several more children, including Alvina Lore, Faauuga Hannacho, Elinor Matuaifaleese, Justin Fouvale, Kimberly Malaeimi, Florence-Emma Leala, Joshua Simanualii, Berkley LeAloalii and Bedell-Macready Tamaalemalo.

In 1989, the four ''Afoafouvale'' clans of American Samoa, namely ''Loi'', ''Puaa'', ''Taeletoto'', and ''Tualima'', bestowed the title of ''Afoafouvale'' to him. He was formally granted in a traditional ceremony in 1990 at the Afoa family land, ''Asila''. This marked the first time the title of ''Afoafouvale'' was held by anyone since the mid 1970s.

Career

The family returned to American Samoa in 1975 where Lutu worked as an attorney-at-law, until he retired from private practice in 2012. They eventually settled in Taputimu and Utulei, American Samoa.

Lutu was appointed Attorney General of American Samoa by the late Governor A. P. Lutali after he was elected governor in 1985. He represented American Samoa and the Lutali administration at the early South Pacific Tuna Treaty

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