Gagaʻemauga

Coordinates: 13°30′S 172°15′W / 13.500°S 172.250°W / -13.500; -172.250
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Gaga'emauga
)
Gagaʻemauga
District
Country
 Samoa
Population
 (2016)
 • Total7,840
Time zone-11

Gagaʻemauga is a district on the island of Savaiʻi in Samoa. The district is situated on the central north side of Savaiʻi. The name 'Gagaʻemauga' literally means "near side of the mountain", meaning the eastern side of the mountain chain running through the centre of Savaiʻi Island.

The traditional centre of the district is

matai
) and orators meet at Vaituʻutuʻu malae.

Like most villages in Samoa, the villages in Gagaʻemauga are situated by the sea although there are some settlements inland, including Patamea and Samalaeʻulu.

Reverend George Pratt (1817–1894), a missionary with the London Missionary Society, lived in Matautu (1839–1879)[1] and authored the first grammar and dictionary of the Samoan language, "A Grammar and Dictionary of the Samoan Language, with English and Samoan Vocabulary", which was first printed in 1862 at the Samoa Mission Press.[2]

The village of Saleaula maintains strong traditional connections with

Fa'asaleleaga
.

Exclaves on Upolu

Mt Matavanu eruption, 1905. (photo by Alfred James Tattersall
)

Two small

Mt Matavanu in the early 1900s. These exclaves are Le'auva'a and Salamumu
villages which remain politically part of Savai'i despite their relocation.

Volcanic eruptions 1900s

Lava fields on Savai'i.

The relocated villages of Gaga'emauga district on the main island Upolu was a result of 1905 - 1911 volcanic eruptions of

Mt Matavanu,[3] situated about 11 km inland from Matautu on the central north coast. Lava flows from eruptions destroyed villages in its path, including Saleaula and Salago villages, transforming the northern half of this district into lava fields which are still visible today, especially at Saleaula. The people of the affected areas were evacuated to Upolu, where they established the villages of Le'auva'a and Salamumu
. Despite the move, they still retain their traditional links and fa'alupega (genealogy) affiliations to Gagaemauga. The names Leava'a and Salamumu denote the events of the 1905 Mt Matavanu eruption. In recent years, a few families have re-built houses on the lava fields where vegetation is still sparse.

Matautu, 1902, Gaga'emauga district

Itu o Tane

Gaga'emauga and the neighbouring political district

Gagaifomauga are together referred to as Itu-o-Tane, 'The Side of Men.'[4] The term Itu-o-Tane originates from the bravery of this north coast side in war, and in particular the 1830 war with A'ana.[5]
In contrast, part of the island's south coast is known as Itu-o-Fafine, 'The Side of Women.'

Government administration

During

Fa'asaleleaga
district, where there is a hospital, a police station, and judicial court offices.

Schools

See also

  • List of schools in Savai'i

References

  1. ISBN 982-02-0232-9
    .
  2. ^ "New Zealand Electronic Text Centre". Retrieved 2009-04-16.
  3. ^ "Samoa - Treasured islands of the South Pacific - Samoa.travel". Archived from the original on 2009-08-30. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
  4. ISBN 978-982-02-0029-6
    .
  5. ^ [1] O Samoa Anamua by Siaosi Tana, p.197, 1884. Retrieved 27 October 2009
  6. ISBN 978-0-313-31395-0
    .

External links

13°30′S 172°15′W / 13.500°S 172.250°W / -13.500; -172.250

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