Sapapaliʻi Explained

Official Name:Sapapaliʻi
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:Samoa
Subdivision Name: Samoa
Subdivision Type1:District
Subdivision Name1:Faʻasaleleaga
Population As Of:2016
Population Total:896
Timezone:-11
Coordinates:-13.6892°N -172.1864°W

Sapapaliʻi is a village on the north east coast of Savaiʻi island in Samoa. It is the village where John Williams, the first missionary to bring Christianity to Samoa landed in 1830.[1] Sapapali'i is in the Fa'asaleleaga political district[2] and has a population of 896.[3]

Sapapaliʻi became the second Malietoa base in the district in 1750 when Malietoa Tiʻa married a woman from the village. Their son Malietoa Fitisemanu was the father of Malietoa Vaiinupo who received Williams in 1830.[4]

Sapapaliʻi is 8 km north of Salelologa ferry terminal and township.

Archaeology

See main article: Archaeology in Samoa. In the 1970s, Gregory Jackmond carried out archaeological surveys inland from Sapapali'i. Jackmond, a Peace Corps in Samoa, surveyed a 20 hectare area with extensive pre-historic settlements. Jackmond later carried out field work at Palauli on the south east coast where the Pulemelei Mound is situated.[5]

Notes and References

  1. https://books.google.com/books?id=Gt_RrCAkctwC&dq=Matautu+Fijian+Fagamalo&pg=PA42
  2. Web site: Electoral Constituencies Act 2019 . Parliament of Samoa . 31 January 2019 . 11 September 2021.
  3. Web site: Census 2016 Preliminary count . Samoa Bureau of Statistics . 11 September 2021.
  4. https://books.google.com/books?id=-OqP2ZOR8dkC&dq=Sapapali%27i&pg=PA32
  5. http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document/Volume_91_1982/Volume_91,_No._1/Samoan_village_patterns:_four_examples,_by_J._D._Jennings,_R._Holmer_and_G._Jackmond,_p_81-102/p1?page=0&action=searchresult&target=