Satupaʻitea

Satupaʻitea is a large village district with four sub-villages on the south east coast of Savaiʻi Island in Samoa.

Satupaʻitea
District
Stone Methodist church, Satupa'itea c. 1908
Map of Samoa showing Satupaʻitea district
Country	Samoa
Population  (2016)
• Total	5,261
Time zone	-11

Mission house, Satupaʻitea, c. 1908

In the country's modern political divisions, Satupaʻitea is also a Political District (Itumalo), one of 11 in the country, which now includes the traditional area of Salega.

Satupaʻitea village enclave

The four villages in Satupaʻ'itea village enclave are Moasula, Pitonuʻu, Satufia and Vaega. The total population of Satupa'itea village enclave is 1799 (2006 Census).[1]

Satupaʻitea Political District

In modern politics, Satupaʻitea district incorporates the larger traditional area of Salega (population 3,461).[2]

Geographically, the district consists of two divisions separated by Palauli district.

The paramount chiefly title of the district is Tonumaipeʻa, with special relevance in the Alataua sub-district (the western half of the district).

19th century Methodist mission

During the 19th century, Satupaʻitea was an important stronghold for the early Methodist mission in Samoa. The English Methodist missionary George Brown (1835–1917) arrived in Samoa in 1860 and lived with his wife Lydia in Satupa'itea.[3] They lived in a bamboo hut for the first two years and later constructed a mission house. In 1863, Brown began to train teachers at Satupa'itea for the ministry.[4] The 'training' for the Methodist ministry was later established, in 1868, at Lufilufi on the north coast of Upolu island as the Piula Theological College.

South west of Savaiʻi including Salega and parts of Satupaitea and Palauli. (NASA photo)

See also

• List of schools in Savaiʻi

References

1. "Population and Housing Census Report 2006" (PDF). Samoa Bureau of Statistics. July 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
2. "Samoa Territorial Constituencies Act 1963". Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
3. "Pacific Island Culture and Society, Publisher's Note". Adam Matthew Publications. Archived from the original on 18 October 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
4. Garrett, John (1982). To Live Among the Stars: Christian origins in Oceania. University of the South Pacific. p. 128. ISBN 2-8254-0692-9. Retrieved 6 February 2010.