Itūau, together with Aitūlagi, make up the village of Malaeloa (long ceremonial-green).

Aitūlagi is the name of the famed family of high orator chiefs (tama matua)Sunia, Fofo I.F. (2009). A History of American Samoa. Amerika Samoa Humanities Council. Page 35. from the Leāsina county.

Itūau along with the villages of Fūtiga, Taputimu and Vailoatai form the itūmalo (county/district) o Tuālātai.

Although Itūau and Aitūlagi align themselves with different counties, today they operate together in many respects as one village under the name of Malaeloa.

Tutuila Deed of Cession

Amituanai of Itūau was a signatory to the Tutuila Deed of Cession of 1900.Sunia, Fofo I.F. (2009). A History of American Samoa. Amerika Samoa Humanities Council. Page 363.

Etymology

Itūau can literally be translated as "war side".Maliko, Tavita (2012), O le Soga'miti, PHD Thesis, Page 140 The itūau and the alātaua (war path) were roles assumed by allied villages or districts during times of conflict. This was a common practice throughout pre-contact Samoa,Williamson, R. W. (1967). The Social and Political Systems of Central Polynesia. Netherlands: Anthropological Publications, Page 82Turner, G. (1884). Samoa, a Hundred Years Ago and Long Before: Together with Notes on the Cults and Customs of Twenty-three Other Islands in the Pacific. United Kingdom: Macmillan, Page 189 with its roots in the first Mālietoa government. The function of the itūau role can be described as a "controller of troops", whereas the alātaua role can be described as a "director of wars". These functions were carried out by the tulafale (talking chiefs) of the villages or districts designated with these respective roles.

The name of the village, Malaeloa, is derived from the Samoan language and translates into English as “Long malae".Churchill, W. (1913). "Geographical Nomenclature of American Samoa". Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, 45(3), page 192. Retrieved on December 6, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.2307/199273.

Historical Sites

The Malaeloa Itūau Olo Site (or defensive fortification), which was nominated for the National Register of Historic Places in 2015, is supported by Samoan cultural histories and oral traditions relating to interregional conflicts and defenses against cannibalism during pre-contact periods. It was built to protect villagers from Tuifeai, the legendary cannibal king of Tutuila, and his aumaga (army).

Demographics YearPopulation 2020 424 2010 550 2000 627 1990 523 1980 467

References