Matautu is the name of different villages in

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); ...

. Places named Matautu are found on the two largest islands,

Upolu Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long and in area, making it the second largest of the Samoan Islands by area. With approximate ...

and

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 ...

Matautu, Upolu Island

island; *Matautu, a village located on the central north coast of the island to the east of the capital

Apia Apia () is the capital and largest city of Samoa, as well as the nation's only city. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district (''itūmālō'') of Tuamasaga. ...

. Apia Harbor, the country's main port is located in Matautu. The village has been subdivided into two parts. Matautu-tai (coastal) and Matautu-uta (inland). Matautu-tai is led by High Chief To'omalatai. Legend has it that wayfarers and travelers by sea must stop and give offerings to the To'omalatai before safe passage was allowed by Moaula the village guardian. Moaula is amongst the most revered spirits of Samoa. * Matautu village (Lefaga), a sub-village or ''pito-nu'u'' of Lefaga, situated south west coast. The film location of Return to Paradise (1953 film) starring

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, ...

Matautu, Savai'i Island

On the island of

, Matautu is a large village district on the central north coast in the electoral constituency of Gaga'emauga. Matautu is made up of smaller ''pito-nu'u'' villages including

Fagamalo Fagamalo is a village situated on the central north coast of Savai'i in Samoa. It is a sub-village or ''pito nu'u'' of the larger traditional village enclave of Matautu in the political district of Gaga'emauga. The population of the village is 3 ...

, Avao, Lelepa, Safa'i and Saleia. In more recent history Sato'alepai has become part of Matautu. Situated inland from Lelepa are Vaipouli College and Itu-o-Tane High School. Matautu share strong kinship and cultural ties as well as natural resources including water which is piped from an inland river at Vaipouli. During the late 1800s and the colonial era of Samoa, Fagamalo, which had a wharf and anchorage, became the main government administration centre on Savai'i. The centre included a hospital, school and court houses.

Tui Fiti Tui Fiti or Tuifiti is the name of a figure referred to in different legends in Samoan mythology and in other parts of Polynesia. In other stories, "Tui Fiti" means "high chief of Fiti." Savai'i On the island of Savai'i in Samoa, a spirit deity ca ...

a spirit deity in

Samoan mythology Samoan culture tells stories of many different deities. There were deities of the forest, the seas, rain, harvest, villages, and war. There were two types of deities, ''atua'', who had non-human origins, and ''aitu'', who were of human origin. Taga ...

resides in a sacred grove ''vao sa'' in Fagamalo. The Reverend George Pratt (1817–1894), a missionary of the

London Missionary Society The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed in outlook, with Congregational m ...

lived in Matautu for many years. Pratt authored the first Samoan English language dictionary ''A Grammar and Dictionary of the Samoan Language, with English and Samoan Vocabulary'', first printed in 1862. According to oral history, Matautu is the district which takes the lead in the attack during war. Matautu is also said to have been settled by

Fijians Fijians ( fj, iTaukei, lit=Owners (of the land)) are a nation and ethnic group native to Fiji, who speak Fijian and share a common history and culture. Fijians, or ''iTaukei'', are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live ...

Lagaga: a short history of Western Samoa By Malama Meleisea & Penelope Schoeffel Meleisea, p. 42 or people from a place called Fiti.

References

Populated places in Tuamasaga Gaga'emauga {{Samoa-geo-stub