Vailoa
Encyclopedia
Vailoa is a village on the island of Savai'i
in Samoa
. Vailoa is the capital of Palauli
district on the south east of the island.
Vailoa attained the status of Pule (traditional political authority) sometime in the 19th century. The village is associated with the chiefly title of Lilomaiava. It is referred to as Vailoa i Palauli (Vailoa in Palau district).
Like most villages in Samoa, the local economy is based on subsistence living. The people live off their land from crops grown in plantations behind the village or fishing.
era of Samoan colonialism
. The dispute dates back to 1886 when customary land was sold to the family of Olaf Frederick Nelson
. The village claims that the land is custom held and was never lawfully alienated and couldn’t therefore become freehold. In 2008, the Samoa Court of Appeal turned down the claim for the second time.
The disputed land includes an area known in modern times as the Nelson Plantation where extensive prehistoric settlement remains and monuments have been surveyed and studied, including Pulemelei Mound
.
Savai'i
Savaii is the largest and highest island in Samoa and the Samoa Islands chain. It is also the biggest landmass in Polynesia outside Hawaii and New Zealand. The island of Savai'i is also referred to by Samoans as Salafai, a classical Samoan term used in oratory and prose...
in Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
. Vailoa is the capital of Palauli
Palauli
Palauli is a district and village of Samoa, with a population of 8,984. It consists of two sections on the southern side of Savai'i...
district on the south east of the island.
Vailoa attained the status of Pule (traditional political authority) sometime in the 19th century. The village is associated with the chiefly title of Lilomaiava. It is referred to as Vailoa i Palauli (Vailoa in Palau district).
Like most villages in Samoa, the local economy is based on subsistence living. The people live off their land from crops grown in plantations behind the village or fishing.
Customary land claim
In recent years, village chiefs have been involved in a legal claim for customary land lost during the GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
era of Samoan colonialism
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
. The dispute dates back to 1886 when customary land was sold to the family of Olaf Frederick Nelson
Olaf Frederick Nelson
Taisi Olaf Frederick Nelson, , also known as Taisi Olaf, was a successful businessman and one of the founding leaders of the Mau movement for Samoan independence from colonial rule....
. The village claims that the land is custom held and was never lawfully alienated and couldn’t therefore become freehold. In 2008, the Samoa Court of Appeal turned down the claim for the second time.
The disputed land includes an area known in modern times as the Nelson Plantation where extensive prehistoric settlement remains and monuments have been surveyed and studied, including Pulemelei Mound
Pulemelei Mound
The Pulemelei mound is the largest and most ancient structure in Polynesia.It is situated in Letolo Plantation in the Palauli district, at the east end of Savai'i island in Samoa....
.
Notable people
- Uale MaiUale MaiUale Mai Vala is a rugby union player and currently plays for the country's national teams, Manu Samoa and Samoa Sevens. He is a former captain of the Samoa Sevens team which represent Samoa internationally in the IRB Sevens World Series. He is Sevens rugby's most capped player and is considered...
, from Vailoa village, is a rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player and a former captain of the Samoa SevensSamoa national rugby union team (sevens)The Samoa national rugby union team represent Samoa internationally in rugby sevens, a competitive sports tournament titled the IRB Sevens World Series which takes place annually in seven countries; United Arab Emirates, South Africa, New Zealand, United States, Hong Kong, Australia, England and...
team and one of the great players in the international sport. He is the only Samoan to be awarded the IRB International Sevens Player of the YearIRB International Sevens Player of the YearThe IRB International Sevens Player of the Year is awarded by the International Rugby Board in the autumn each year. It was first awarded in 2004.-List of winners:* 2004: Simon Amor * 2005: Orene Ai’i * 2006: Uale Mai * 2007: Afeleke Pelenise...
which he received for the 2005–06 World Sevens Series.