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Malaeloa/Ituau, American Samoa
Village in American Samoa, United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Itūʻau, together with Aitūlagi, make up the village of Malaeloa (long ceremonial-green).
Aitūlagi is the name of the famed family of high orator chiefs (tama matua)[1] from the Leāsina county.
Itūʻau along with the villages of Fūtiga, Taputimu and Vailoatai form the itūmalo (county/district) o Tuālātai.
Although Itūʻau and Aitūlagi align themselves with different counties, today they operate together in many respects as one village under the name of Malaeloa.
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Tutuila Deed of Cession
Amituanaʻi of Itūʻau was a signatory to the Tutuila Deed of Cession of 1900.[2]
Etymology
Itūʻau can literally be translated as "war side".[3] The itūʻau and the alātaua (war path) were roles assumed by allied villages or districts during times of conflict. This was a common practice throughout pre-contact Samoa,[4][5] with its roots in the first Mālietoa government.[6] The function of the itūʻau role can be described as a "controller of troops",[6] whereas the alātaua role can be described as a "director of wars".[6] These functions were carried out by the tulafale (talking chiefs) of the villages or districts designated with these respective roles.[3]
The name of the village, Malaeloa, is derived from the Samoan language and translates into English as “Long malae".[7]
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Historical Sites
The Malaeloa Itūʻau Olo Site (or defensive fortification), which was nominated for the National Register of Historic Places in 2015,[8] is supported by Samoan cultural histories and oral traditions relating to interregional conflicts and defenses against cannibalism during pre-contact periods. It was built to protect villagers from Tuifeʻai, the legendary cannibal king of Tutuila, and his aumaga (army).[9]
Demographics
References
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