Sailele is a village on the north shore in the Eastern District 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 ...

Island 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 reached from a cross-island road which leads north from the village of Fagaitua. On a track east of the village is a burial ground where some alii (high chiefs) were buried. Sailele was home to the only pre-Christian temple ever documented on Tutuila Island: Sailele Mālumālu. The temple consisted of a small fale about ten feet in length, covered by a low roof. The structure was set in a thick and sacred grove of coconut trees. Rocks discovered inside the temple were referred to as The Immovable Rock, The Enduring Power and The Rock Fixed in the Kingdom. In 2002, Sailele's highest chief, Matua, Togiola Talalelei A. Tulafono, became Governor of American Samoa.Faiivae, Alex Godinet (2018). ''Ole Manuō o Tala Tuu Ma Fisaga o Tala Ave''. Amerika Samoa Humanities Council. .

Etymology

According to a high chief of the village, the word Sailele derived from the presence of the god Tuliatua, and the goddesses

Nafanua Nafanua was a historical ''aliʻi'' (Paramount Chief/Queen) and ''toa'' (warrior) of Samoa from the Sā Tonumaipeʻa clan, who took the four ''pāpā'' (district) titles, the leading ''aliʻi'' titles of Samoa. After her death she became a goddes ...

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 ...

and

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

. HTC's Vaesau Talauega Letumu explained in an interview: Sailele was a village full of ghosts and supernatural spirits in the past, hence the name Sa-i-le-eleele (meaning forbidden grounds). Tualiatua's dwelling place was known as the heathen temple, malumalu faapaupau, which was located in the center of the village with a sacred coconut grove next to it. The temple was around six feet tall and ten feet wide. Inside the temple were three stones: the immovable stone, the constant government, and the stone fixed in the kingdom. These stones were buried by the village when missionaries arrived.

History

In the 19th century, missionaries Murray and Barnden journeyed to Saʻilele, where they encountered a Samoan temple. This modest fale measured roughly 10 feet by 6 feet and featured a very low roof, nestled within a sacred palm grove and accessible solely through a priest. Inside the temple, they discovered three revered stones named The Immovable Rock, The Enduring Power, and The Rock Fixed in the Kingdom. Murray was upset when a member of his group carelessly broke one of the stones and was moved to learn that the villagers had subsequently hidden the stones to safeguard them from further desecration.

Demographics

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the village population was 75, down from 100 residents recorded in the 2000 U.S. Census. The majority of residents are in the age range of 35–44. Working-class residents of Sailele hold jobs in the American Samoa Government and 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 ...

'' Samoa Tuna Factory. Its main denominations are the Roman Catholic Church and the

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).

Geography

Due to its natural beauty, the village of Sailele attracts numerous visitors that drive through the terrain and look over the mountains and landscape. Sailele is approximately 12 miles northeast 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 ...

, which is about a 20-minute car ride. To get to Sailele, one goes through the villages on the eastern south shore of Tutuila until reaching Fagaitua, where a left turn takes you up the winding hilly road to Masausi and Sailele. The village of Sailele has some of American Samoa's most beautiful sandy beaches. Sailele is tucked behind the mountain. It has a beach with tropical pine trees, palm trees, and a secluded bay. Towards the end of the beach is a line of lava rock that stretches into the ocean, remnants of the ancient lava flow.Clayville, Melinda (2021). ''Explore American Samoa: The Complete Guide to Tutuila, Aunuu, and Manua Islands''. Page 55. ISBN 9798556052970.

Economy

Many Sailele residents are fishermen and seafood is a mainstay of the local diet. The land is fertile for both subsistence and commercial farming. All families have at least one small plantation in their backyard for daily consumption. Commercial agriculture include taro, yams, bananas, papayas, and vegetables. For tourists, the village is known for having some of Tutuila's best swimming beaches. The sandy area below the rock outcrops at the western end of the beach is also a popular site for picnics.

References

Villages in American Samoa Tutuila {{AmericanSamoa-geo-stub