Neiafu, Samoa

Neiafu is a village on the island of Savai'i in Samoa. It is in the Alataua Sisifo electoral district[1] and located at the south west corner of the island. The population of Neiafu Uta is 598 and Neiafu Tai is 313 (2006 Census).[2]

Satellite image of western end of Savai'i island. (NASA photo, 2002)

Like many villages in Samoa, Neiafu has two settlements Neiafu Tai (coastal) and Neiafu Uta (inland).[1] The settlement was previously situated by the sea, but with the advent of the modern island road, many families have moved several kilometers inland for convenience. The inland settlement, Neiafu Uta, is relatively recent.[3] The village has close kinship ties to Satupa'itea village.[3]

Neiafu-Tai is also famous in Samoan history, this is where the last Tongan warriors got on their ships and left Samoa at the end of Tongan domination of the archipelago. As they left, Tu'i Tonga said: Mālie toa, mālie tau - "brave warriors, bravely fought". The Samoan chiefly family Malietoa takes it name from this event.

Notable people from Neiafu are Opeta Palepoi who was a member of the Manu Samoa rugby team.

Notes
  1. "Preliminary Population Count 2006". Statistics Department, Government of Samoa. 2006. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  2. "Population and Housing Census Report 2006" (PDF). Samoa Bureau of Statistics. July 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  3. R. G. Crocombe, Selwyn Arutangai (1987). Land tenure in the Pacific. University of the South Pacific. p. 99. ISBN 92-5-102119-8.

References

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