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Tafuna, American Samoa

Coordinates: 14°20′09″S 170°43′12″W / 14.33583°S 170.72000°W / -14.33583; -170.72000
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Tafuna, American Samoa
Village
Tafuna
Tafuna Airport seen from A'oloau
Tafuna Airport seen from A'oloau
Tafuna, American Samoa is located in American Samoa
Tafuna, American Samoa
Tafuna, American Samoa
Tafuna, American Samoa is located in Pacific Ocean
Tafuna, American Samoa
Tafuna, American Samoa
Coordinates: 14°20′09″S 170°43′12″W / 14.33583°S 170.72000°W / -14.33583; -170.72000
Country United States of America
Territory American Samoa
CountyTuālāuta
Area
 • Total
2.53 sq mi (6.54 km2)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
7,988[1]
 • Density3,190.5/sq mi (1,231.9/km2)
ZIP code
96799
Map

Tafuna (Samoan: Tāfuna) is a village in Tualauta County, Western District, American Samoa. It is the most populous village in American Samoa,[2] with a population of 7,988 according to the 2020 U.S. Census.[3]

Tafuna is the principal area for the development of housing and industry in American Samoa. It is one of the few places in American Samoa where the most freehold land is found.[4] Public utilities, the international airport, and light industry are based on the Tafuna Plain.[5] Tafuna's commercial strip is lined with businesses, government offices, recreational facilities, school institutions, service industries, and shops. It encompasses the constituent villages of Petesa, Faga'ima, Kokoland, and Ottoville.[6]

Etymology

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The name Tāfuna connotes "rubbish dump" or "wasteland" in the Samoan language.[7]

History

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Evidence from archaeological studies indicates that the Tāfuna Plain experienced volcanic activity as recently as 1,500 years ago. Chronological analyses suggest that human settlement on the plain had already begun between 245 and 745 BCE, albeit on a limited scale.[8]

Tāfuna remained largely uninhabited for approximately 3,000 years. The area, characterized by a dense rainforest growing over an inhospitable lava shield, served primarily as a site for pigeon hunting and occasional warfare but was never home to a permanent village. This changed with the arrival of Western settlers (referred to locally as palangi), who used chainsaws and bulldozers to clear and level the land, transforming it for modern development.[9]

Geography

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The village of Tafuna compromises the eastern bulk of Tuālāuta County. Its defining geographical feature, the Tafuna Plain, is a Holocene era, 8.9 square miles (23 km2) volcanic plain on Tutuila Island. Besides the plateau at A’oloaufou, the Leone-Tafuna Plain is the only major flat land on Tutuila Island.[10] Late-stage volcanic eruptions formed the large flat plain. Near the Catholic church at Ottoville is an archeological park containing a well-preserved ancient Polynesian mound as well as a rainforest reserve.[11]

Economic activity

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A USAF Military Airlift Command C-141 at Pago Pago International Airport on 24 July 1968
Logistics personnel at Tafuna Airport prepare to unload generators.

Tafuna holds a large concentration of businesses on the island. Popular American fast-food franchises such as McDonald's opened in Tafuna in the year 2000.[12] The American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) is headquartered in Tafuna. Island's Choice Dairy Factory, which produces dairy products ranging from ice cream to juices, is headquartered in Ottoville.

Tafuna Industrial Park (TIP), also known as Senator Daniel K. Inouye Industrial Park, is operated through the Department of Commerce and its Tafuna Industrial Park Panel. TIP is located on a 100-acre (40 ha) lot near Tafuna Airport.[13]

International Airport

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Tafuna International Airport (Pago Pago Airport) is located in Tafuna.[14] Pago Pago International Airport has the headquarters of Inter Island Airways.[15] The construction of an airport at the Tafuna Plain was one of the major consequences of the military buildup in the early 1940s. Bulldozers were used to scrape away and clear a thick jungle, and explosives were later utilized to blast away obstructions and fill underwater areas. In March 1942, the main runway at Tafuna was constructed. It was 200 feet (61 m) wide and 3,600 feet (1,100 m) long and available to use for the first Marine Air Group's arrival.[16]

The first airplanes of Marine Air Group 13 landed at the nearly finished Tafuna Air Base on April 2, 1942. The area surrounding the airstrip was primitive and difficult, mostly consisting of dense jungle. Four days after the air group's arrival, the first runway at Tafuna was constructed by the Utah Construction Company with assistance from the Marine Corps. The Tafuna Airstrip was 2,500 feet (760 m) long and 250 feet (76 m) wide.[17]: 173–174  On July 18, 1962, the first jet-plane, Pan Am Boeing 707, arrived at Tafuna International Airport, carrying Stewart Udall, the Secretary of the Interior.[17]: 191–192  Tafuna International Airport was once a major stop for many airlines traveling the trans-pacific route until the extension of Faleolo International Airport.

Hospitality Industry & Service Industry

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Tradewinds Hotel on Main Ottoville Road in Ottoville has a day spa, resort pool, tour desk, and ATM. It is also the home of Equator Restaurant where shows such as fiafia performances are held Friday nights. The hotel was built in 2003.[18] Other hotels in Tafuna are Maliu Mai Beach Resort and Pago Airport Inn, which is a motel-style inn with a restaurant and swimming pool.[19] The Bowling Sports Club and Flames Night Club are the two main nightclubs on island.

Other

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A modern prison was built near the Tafuna Airport for 28 inmates in 1970.[20] In September 2016, a new Tafuna government prison opened. The prison was built for male prisoners at a cost of approximately $4 million.[21]

Demographics

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Year Population[22]
2020 7,988
2010 7,945
2000 8,409
1990 5,174
1980 1,086
1970 278
1960 126
1950 68
1940 68
1930 44
1920 28
1912[23] 25

The population in American Samoa doubled from 1978 to 1997. Most of this population growth took place on the Tafuna Plain and in the Pago Pago area. Nearly all of American Samoa's commercial development lies in the perimeter around Pago Pago and on the Tafuna Plain.[24]

As one of the few places in American Samoa that allow for the private purchase of land, Tafuna has become the largest village in American Samoa and a melting pot of residents with different nationalities.[25] A substantial number of residents who live in Tafuna have immigrated from near and distant villages and districts. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, Tafuna has more housing units than any other village in American Samoa, at 1,914 units.[26]

Culture

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Tafuna is notable for its diverse population, including immigrants from Western Samoa, Korea, Fiji, the Philippines, Tonga, China, Europe, and mainland United States. Unlike other villages in American Samoa, much of Tafuna's land is privately owned rather than controlled by extended family groups, or aiga. This allows for the purchase and development of individual plots, as well as the rental of homes. The shift in land ownership patterns has significantly altered Tafuna's social structure. The traditional aiga-based authority, central to Samoan culture, holds less sway in the community. Consequently, the village council has a diminished role, and many residents live outside the matai (chiefly) system. This lack of adherence to traditional social frameworks has led to reduced social oversight compared to other areas, such as the Eastern District.[27]

Religion

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The Cathedral of the Holy Family (1986) located in the village is the episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Samoa–Pago Pago.[28] The Christian Church of American Samoa (CCCAS) made plans to construct a church center in Tafuna in 1982. Near the vicinity of the church center, Kanana Fou Private School was built in the village in 1979 for the Congregational Christian Church in American Samoa. The first phase of the construction of the center, which was named Kanana Fou, was completed by 1984. In 1997 a multimillion-dollar gymnasium and athletic facility was completed. Kanama Fou had now become a large religious center for seminars, conferences, athletic- and youth activities, and many more community uses. Tafuna also became the center of American Samoa's Catholic Church. Construction began on the cathedral, church hall, dormitories, and other support buildings in the 1980s and 1990s. Construction of the new complex, known as Fatu O Aiga, was completed at the cost of $3 million.[17]: 71  The Holy Family Cathedral at Fatuoaiga has a display of wood-carvings by artist Sven Ortquist.[29]: 356 

Education

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Tafuna High School is the largest, most urban, and also the most cosmopolitan high school in American Samoa. It opened in 1982 with a total of 100 enrolled students. It is the newest of the five public high schools in American Samoa and had 1,200 enrolled students as of 2018. The high school's football team practices on a rippled grass expanse in the center of the high school campus.[30] The Tafuna Warriors football team experienced a championship streak from 2011 to 2013 in the American Samoa High School Athletics Association (ASHSAA) football.[31] The team also claimed both the 2018 Varsity and Junior Varsity championship titles, with undefeated records in both divisions.[32]

Currently, the only university with a campus in American Samoa, Wayland Baptist University, is located in Tafuna. It offers bachelor degrees in various fields.[33]

Attractions

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Tafuna is home to the most accessible of American Samoa's star mounds, known as Tia Seu Lupe. This can be seen right behind the statue of St. Mary near the large Catholic cathedral. The name literally translates to "earthen mound to catch pigeons."[34] The star mound is almost 10 feet (3.0 m) high and is one of the best-preserved mounds on the island. It is believed to have been used in rituals by tribal chiefs to capture pigeons for an unknown rite. Similar step-stone mounds can be found throughout Polynesia.[35]

The Holy Family Catholic Cathedral, built in 1994, is situated at the Ottoville district on the Tafuna Plain. It contains a picture of the Holy Family on a Samoan beach painted by Duffy Sheridan in 1991. Samoan artist Sven Ortquist did the fourteen deep-relief Stations of the Cross and other woodcarvings and also designed the stained glass windows. Adjacent to the Fatuoaiga Catholic Church Center is a historic park with restored tia seu lupe (a pigeon-catching mound) that resembles the later marae of Eastern Polynesia. The park is located next to the only part of low-land rainforest still found on Tutuila Island.[36][37][38]

Lions Park sits along the Pala Lagoon in Tafuna and is a public park under the jurisdiction of American Samoa Government Parks and Recreation.[39] Recreational use of Pala Lagoon is centered around Lions Park. The park is home to picnic tables, tennis courts, and a children's playground. Canoes, rafts, and kayaks are launched from the park.[40] The Pala Lagoon Swimming Center is a community swimming pool at Lions Park which was built in 2017.[41] Pala Lagoon Swim Center has three swimming pools, water slides, and a splash pad. Next to the swim center is Lion's Park, which consists of tennis courts, a playground, a basketball court, and volleyball nets. There are also several fales with grills and picnic tables.[42]

Landmarks

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Flora and fauna

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Due to population pressures, including the demands for housing and agriculture, the native coastal and lowland rainforest of the Tafuna Plain has been almost entirely cleared.[43]

The red-vented bulbul is believed to have been introduced to Tutuila in 1957, with the first recorded sighting in Pago Pago in 1961. The species is thought to have arrived via aircraft and initially established itself on the Tafuna Plain.[44]

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ "Table 2. 2020 Census" (PDF). Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  2. ^ "American Samoa census puts population at 55,500". RNZ. January 13, 2012. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  3. ^ "Table 2, 2020 Census" (PDF). Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  4. ^ Leonard, Barry (2009). Minimum Wage in American Samoa 2007: Economic Report. DIANE Publishing. Pages 12-13. ISBN 9781437914252.
  5. ^ Hotta, Kenji and Ian M. Dutton (1995). Coastal Management in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues and Approaches. Japan International Marine Science and Technology Federation. Page 362. ISBN 9781875855094.
  6. ^ "ASG-FEMA pre-registration begins today for Tafuna— and subdivisions". www.samoanews.com. March 7, 2018. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  7. ^ Enright, John (2023). Pago Pago Tango. Open Road Media. ISBN 9781504079075.
  8. ^ Fernandez, Carola Flores and Heather B. Thakar (2023). Human Behavioral Ecology and Coastal Environments. University Press of Florida. Page 244. ISBN 9780813070322.
  9. ^ Enright, John (2023). Pago Pago Tango. Open Road Media. ISBN 9781504079075.
  10. ^ Darwin, Steven P. (1979). A Synopsis of the Indigenous Genera of Pacific Rubiaceae. Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden. Page 55.
  11. ^ Swaney, Deanna (1994). Samoa: Western & American Samoa: a Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit. Lonely Planet Publications. Page 179. ISBN 9780864422255.
  12. ^ "Proposed purchase of McDonalds Apia has failed". RNZ. 2003-12-29. Archived from the original on 2023-04-16. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  13. ^ "Tafuna Industrial Park". American Samoa Department of Commerce. Archived from the original on 5 March 2019.
  14. ^ Carter, John (1984). Pacific Islands Yearbook 1981. Pacific Publications Pty, Limited. Page 49. ISBN 9780858070493.
  15. ^ "About / Contact Us Archived 2012-03-03 at the Wayback Machine." Inter Island Airways. Retrieved on February 25, 2012. "Inter Island Airways, Inc. Airport Road, Hangar 2 Pago Pago International Airport"
  16. ^ Kennedy, Joseph (2009). The Tropical Frontier: America’s South Sea Colony. University of Hawaii Press. Page 211. ISBN 9780980033151.
  17. ^ a b c Shaffer, Robert J. (2000). American Samoa: 100 Years Under the United States Flag. Island Heritage. ISBN 9780896103399.
  18. ^ "Tradewinds Hotel | American Samoa Hotels". Lonely Planet. Archived from the original on 2020-06-22. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  19. ^ Clayville, Melinda (2021). Explore American Samoa: The Complete Guide to Tutuila, Aunu'u, and Manu'a Islands. Page 61. ISBN 9798556052970.
  20. ^ Todd, Ian (1974). Island Realm: A Pacific Panorama. Angus & Robertson. Page 83. ISBN 9780207127618.
  21. ^ "Fuafua le tatalaina o le Falepuipui fou i le vaiaso fou". www.samoanews.com. September 22, 2016. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  22. ^ "American Samoa Statistical Yearbook 2016" (PDF). American Samoa Department of Commerce. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-02-14. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
  23. ^ https://usa.ipums.org/usa/resources/voliii/pubdocs/1930/Info/Territories/00476569ch7.pdf
  24. ^ U.S. Department of the Interior/National Park Service (1997). "National Park of American Samoa, General Management Plan (GP), Islands of Tutulla, Ta'u, and Ofu: Environmental Impact Statement.” Pages 148-149.
  25. ^ Clayville, Melinda (2021). Explore American Samoa: The Complete Guide to Tutuila, Aunu'u, and Manu'a Islands. Page 59. ISBN 9798556052970.
  26. ^ "Table 4. 2020 Census" (PDF). Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  27. ^ Ruck, Rob (2018). Tropic of Football: The Long and Perilous Journey of Samoans to the NFL. The New Press. ISBN 9781620973387.
  28. ^ "Cathedral of the Holy Family". GCatholic.org. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
  29. ^ Sunia, Fofo I.F. (2009). A History of American Samoa. Amerika Samoa Humanities Council. ISBN 9781573062992.
  30. ^ Ruck, Rob (2018). Tropic of Football: The Long and Perilous Journey of Samoans to the NFL. The New Press. ISBN 9781620973387.
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  32. ^ "Tafuna Warriors 'Dub Nation' are the 2018-19 ASHSAA Varsity Football Champions". www.samoanews.com. November 13, 2018. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  33. ^ "Another option for local degrees". www.samoanews.com. 2018-05-17. Archived from the original on 2023-08-10. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
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  39. ^ "Lions Park officially recognized with original name". www.samoanews.com. September 23, 2014. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  40. ^ https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/8414/Share Archived 2019-08-06 at the Wayback Machine (Page 56)
  41. ^ "Pala Lagoon Swimming Center". www.samoanews.com. October 24, 2017. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
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  43. ^ Goldin, Meryl Rose (2002). Field Guide to the Samoan Archipelago: Fish, Wildlife, and Protected Areas. Bess Press. Page 194. ISBN 9781573061117.
  44. ^ Downs, Colleen T. and Lorinda A. Hart (2020). Invasive Birds: Global Trends and Impacts. CABI. Page 42. ISBN 9781789242065.
  45. ^ "Jonathan Fanene". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  46. ^ "Frankie Luvu". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  47. ^ "Junior Siavii". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  48. ^ "Destiny Vaeao". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
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