Laulii is a village on the eastern side of Tutuila Island in American Samoa. It is located in Sua County.Krämer, Augustin (2000). The Samoa Islands. University of Hawaii Press. Page 424. . Entering the village of Laulii, one has to climb a small hill where a lighthouse is located. The village's rugby club is named after the lighthouse — Moli ole Ava. It is one of the most successful and oldest clubs in the territory. Many well-known players have emerged from Laulii, such as Vui Eli Tagaloa, the current coach, Ropeti TaulaTJ Aulava, and others. The village is divided into two sections: Lauliituai (Old Town) and Lauliifou (New Laulii). As of Late 2020 there are 6 Christian Worship Churches in Laulii. The Methodist, The Catholic, The London Missionary Society, Church, Assembly of God, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Saint John's Episcopal Church. Breakers Point Naval Guns, which is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places is located at Tafananai near Lauliifou.
Laulii had a population of 892 residents as of the 2010 U.S. census, down from 937 residents recorded in 2000.
Etymology The name of the village, Lauliʻi, is derived from the Samoan language and translates into English as “Small beach-plain".Churchill, W. (1913). "Geographical Nomenclature of American Samoa". Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, 45(3), page 191. Retrieved on December 6, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.2307/199273.
History In 1901, a meeting was held at Laulii in the honor of Benjamin Franklin Tilley, where Mrs. Tilley had the distinction of turning the first sod of the road planned to connect Laulii with Fagaitua. The road received the name William McKinley Memorial Road.Gray, John Alexander Clinton (1980). Amerika Samoa. Arno Press. Page 139. .
On May 6, 2018, a new Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation was established in Laulii. Prior to its formation, LDS church members joined with fellow LDS members in Auto to worship. A new Assemblies of God (AOG) church was also dedicated at Lauli’i in 2018.Aitaoto, Fuimaono Fini (2021). Progress and Developments of the Churches in the Samoan Islands: Early 21St Century. LifeRich Publishing. Page 155. ISBN 9781489735867.
In 2019, the American Samoa Community College’s Agriculture, Community, and Natural Resources (ACNR) partnered with churches in Lauliʻi to clean up village streams.Aitaoto, Fuimaono Fini (2021). Progress and Developments of the Churches in the Samoan Islands: Early 21St Century. LifeRich Publishing. Page 73. ISBN 9781489735867.
Notable people Mulitauaopele Pele Tamotu, senator and member of the American Samoa House of Representatives.Sunia, Fofō Iosefa Fiti (2001). Puputoa: Host of Heroes - A record of the history makers in the First Century of American Samoa, 1900-2000. Suva, Fiji: Oceania Printers. Page 101. ISBN 9829036022.
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