Manuʻa Islands
Native name: Manuʻa tele | |
---|---|
Geography | |
Location | Pacific Ocean |
Coordinates | 14°12′31″S 169°33′10″W / 14.20861°S 169.55278°W |
Archipelago | Samoan Islands |
Area | 56 km2 (22 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 931 m (3054 ft) |
Administration | |
United States | |
Territory | American Samoa |
Demographics | |
Population | 1,400 |
The Manuʻa Islands,
Manu'a was the political centre of the region for many centuries, until the rise of the Tu'i Tonga maritime empire, which led to a shift in power from the eastern islands of Samoa to its western islands.
Geography
All three islands are volcanic islands: volcanic remnants rising out of the sea 14° south of the equator. The islands are elevated and mountainous.[7] In contrast to most places in the world, the population of these islands has been decreasing steadily for decades. In the 1930s some 20% of the population of American Samoa lived in the Manuʻa Islands. By the 1980s, only 6% were located there. Emigration is the consequence of a lack of economic opportunities and a desire of young people to participate in the more modern lifestyle offered on Tutuila (Office of Tourism, 2005). All the land of Manuʻa is owned communally by Samoan families of Manuʻa. This includes the National Parks lands which are only leased to the US National Parks system for 50 years.
History
According to historical Samoan oral tradition, Manu'a was formerly the ruling center of a large Polynesian empire that included the entire Samoan archipelago, as well as other nearby islands, including
The Tui Manu'a
The sovereign of Manuʻa was traditionally called “Tui Manuʻa,” This title was the progenitor of many of the high titles used in other parts of the Samoan Islands. Manuʻa was the only part of Samoa that was never subjected to Tongan rule, because both the Tongans and the Samoans regarded Manuʻa as having sacred status. The last Tui Manuʻa was Tuimanuʻa Elisara (sometimes written
Below is a list of the names of the known Tui Manu'a: 41 successive generations of title holders, spanning over 2,000 years. Note: these aren't all the title holders.
01) Tui Manu’a Satiailemoa
02) Tui Manu’a Tele or Fitiaumua
03) Tui Manu’a Maugaotele
04) Tui Manu’a Tae O Tagaloa or Folasa
05) Tui Manu’a Fa’aeanu’u or Fa’atutupunu’u
06) Tui Manu’a Saoioiomanu
07) Tui Manu’a Saopu’u
08) Tui Manu’a Saoloa
09) Tui Manu’a Tu’ufesoa
10) Tui Manu’a Letupua
11) Tui Manu’a Saofolau
12) Tui Manu’a Saoluaga
13) Tui Manu’a Lelologatele
14) Tui Manu’a Alia Matua
15) Tui Manu’a Alia Tama
16) Tui Manu’a Ti’aligo
17) Tui Manu’a Fa’aeanu’u II
18) Tui Manu’a Puipuipo
19) Tui Manu’a Siliaivao
20) Tui Manu’a Manufili
21) Tui Manu’a Fa’atoalia Manu-O-Le-Fale-Tolu
22) Tui Manu’a Segisegi
23) Tui Manu’a Siliave
24) Tui Manu’a Pomelea
25) Tui Manu’a Lite or Tui Aitu
26) Tui Manu’a Toalepa’i
27) Tui Manu’a Seuea
28) Tui Manu’a Salofi
29) Tui Manu’a Levaomana or Lemamana
30) Tui Manu’a Taliutafa Pule
31) Tui Manu’a Ta’alolomanu Moaatoa
32) Tui Manu’a Tupalo
33) Tui Manu’a Seiuli
34) Tui Manu’a U’uolelaoa
35) Tui Manu’a Fagaese
36) Tui Manu’a Tauveve
37) Tui Manu’a Tauilima
38) Tui Manu’a Alalamua
39) Tui Manu’a Makerita
40) Tui Manu’a Elisala – Officially the last Tui Manu’a; died in 1909
41) Tui Manu’a Kilisi Taliutafa – Revived the Tui Manu’a title in 1924, but never fully took office.
US Cession
The
In 1901, Tutuila's leaders agreed to this arrangement. As a result, Manu'a was eventually forced to accept U.S. rule, and they formalized their acceptance in a Deed of Succession, signed by the
Since that time, the Manuʻa Island Group has officially been part of the US Protectorate of American Samoa.
In 1915, in response to the destruction caused to Manu'a that year by a hurricane, both the
Society and culture
The history of Manuʻa is said in
Economy
Today, many families of Manuʻa rely on income from family members working in Tutuila and in the United States. The local diet was generally healthier than in Tutuila, with less reliance on imported tinned foods. However, with the declining population, fewer and fewer locals are fishing and farming, and the dependence on imported food has been exasperated by the lack of local produce, flailing plantations, and diminishing livestock. A few mom-and-pop stores are open, and some private rental homes contribute to the local economy. Yet, the American Samoa Government (ASG) is the largest employer in the islands, with branch offices of each government department: Agriculture, Education, Department of Health, Public Safety & Fire, Port Administration, ASPA, ASTCA, Marine Wildlife Resources, and M&O.
Language
Traditionally, the people of Manuʻa spoke the Samoan language with a unique "t" sound. The ancient sound was between a light spoken "t" with a puff of air and a gentle "d" sound. By the 1830s, missionaries transcribed the Holy Bible into the native tongue, adding the letters h, k, and r to accommodate the new sounds from the scriptures. The spoken language has since adopted a heavy "k" sound that is usually reserved for non-biblical traditional oratory and everyday conversation.
Education
There are three elementary schools in Manu'a: Faleasao Elementary, Fitiuta Elementary, and 'Olosega Elementary. The high school is on Taʻū Island, called Manuʻa High School, and was designed to serve all of Manuʻa in 1966. Students seeking higher education go to
References
- ^ https://www.britannica.com/place/Manua-Islands Britannica.com. Manua Islands. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
- ^ https://www.nps.gov/npsa/learn/historyculture/nameeson-land.htm U.S. National Park Service. National Park of American Samoa. Names Upon the Land. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
- ^ https://www.lonelyplanet.com/american-samoa/manua-islands Lonely Planet. Manu'a Islands. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
- ISBN 9781147952896.
- ISBN 9788170237846.
- ISBN 9780896103399.
- ISBN 9781147952896.
- ^ E. E. V. Collocott. "Journal of the Polynesian Society: An Experiment In Tongan History, By E. E. V. Collocott, P 166-184". jps.auckland.ac.nz.
- ISBN 9781147952896.
- ISBN 9780896103399.
- McMullin, Dan. 2005. "The Passive Resistance of Samoans to US and Other Colonialisms", article in Sovereignty Matters [1], University of Nebraska Press.
- Office of the Governor. 2004. Manuʻa ma Amerika. A brief historical documentary. Manuʻa Centennial. 16 July 1904. 16 July 2004. Office of the Governor, American Samoa Government. 20 p.
- Office of Tourism. 2005. The Manuʻa Islands. Office of Tourism, Dept. of Commerce, Government of American Samoa (pamphlet).