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An Account of Samoan History up to 1918

Stories respecting Faleapuna, Safanua and Fagaloa

Stories respecting Faleapuna, Safanua and Fagaloa.

Li'u and Moemalo were the leading orators of Safanua and Molio'o was the chief orator of Faleapuna. Talamaivao was the chief orator of Fagaloa and he was also a high chief with the title Ulualofaiga.

The town of Safanua was formerly situated on the sandy strip of land where the village of Lufilufi now is. Lufilufi was a little further inland at the back of Safanua about where the main road now passes. The people of Safanua with their orators Li'u and Moemalo were able to directly communicate with the people of Faleapuna. Their decisions in matters of import were then transmitted to Talamaivao of Fagaloa by their orators. In dealing with food assigned to Vaa-o-fonoti it was the former custom that Faleapuna and Safanua had the right to divide the food equally between them but later on it became customary for Fagaloa to receive a portion of the share of Safanua. After the lapse of some hundreds of years the population of Safanua and Faleapuna grew less but Fagaloa increased and became more powerful and ultimately Safanua became of no consequence and. the few who were left in this village joined up with the people of Lufilufi and from this time the village of Safanua passed out of existence. This left only Faleapuna and Fagaloa and the latter assuned the rights and privileges that were held by Safanua. The action by Fagalca has been the cause of the contention between the two places. Faleapuna holds that Faleapuns and Fagaloa should be under the control of Molio'o. Fagaloa claimed, owing to the weakness of Faleapuna, that both Molio'o and Talamaivao should jointly discuss all matters effecting the district. Some years ago the people of Fagaloa attempted to supplant the authority of Molio'o and deprive him of the right to hold political speeches but they failed to bring this about despite the weaked state of Faleapuna.

E.R. 20th May, 1932.