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History Of American Samoa
The islands of Samoa were originally inhabited by humans as early as 1000 BC. After being invaded by European explorers in the 18th century, by the 20th and 21st century, the islands were incorporated into Samoa (Western Samoa, Independent Samoa) and American Samoa (Eastern Samoa). Early history of the Polynesian people of Samoa The pre-colonial history of Eastern Samoa (now American Samoa) is inextricably bound with the history of Western Samoa (now independent Samoa). The Tui Manu'a is one of the oldest Samoan titles in Samoa. Traditional oral literature of Samoa and Manu'a talks of a widespread Polynesians, Polynesian network or Confederation, confederacy (or "empire") that was prehistorically ruled by the successive Tui Manu'a dynasties. Manuan genealogies and religious oral literature also suggest that the Tui Manu'a had long been one of the most prestigious and powerful paramounts Samoa. Legends suggest that the Tui Manu'a kings ruled a confederacy of far-flung islands whic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Olosega Native Village 1896
Ofu and Olosega are parts of a volcanic doublet in the Manuʻa Islands, which is a part of American Samoa in the Samoan Islands. These twin islands, formed from shield volcanoes, have a combined length of 6 km and a combined area of . Together, they have a population of about 500 people. Geographically, the islands are volcanic remnants separated by the narrow, ) Āsaga Strait, composed of shallow-water coral reef. Before 1970, people crossed between the two islands by waiting until low tide and then wading across the shallow water of the strait. Since 1970, there has been a bridge over the strait, providing a single-lane road that connects the two islands. The highest peak on Ofu Island is Mount Tumutumu (also called Tumu), at . The highest peak on Olosega is Mount Piumafua, at . The most recent volcanic eruption was in 1866, southeast of Olosega. Pre-historic artifacts discovered on Ofu by Archaeology, archaeological field work in the 1980s significantly furthered understan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tabua
A tabua () is a polished tooth of a sperm whale that is an important cultural item in Fijian society. They were traditionally given as gifts for atonement or esteem (called ''sevusevu''), and were important in negotiations between rival chiefs. The dead men would be buried with their tabua, along with war clubs and even their strangled wives, to help them in the afterlife. Originally they were very rare items, available only from beached whales and from trade from neighbouring Tonga (where the practice may have originated), but when the market became known in the early 19th century thousands of teeth, and fake teeth made from ivory and walrus tusks entered the market. This trade led to the development of the European art of scrimshaw. Today the tabua remains an important item in Fijian life. They are not sold but traded regularly as gifts in weddings, birthdays, and at funerals. The tabua is also increasingly used in advertising as a trusted symbol or brand, for example Fiji Air ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samoan Congregationalist Church
The Congregational Christian Church Samoa - CCCS (), is an Protestant and Congregationalist Christian denomination founded in Samoa by missionaries from the London Missionary Society. The ''Congregational Christian Church of Samoa (CCCS/EFKS)'' was the first Christian Denomination established in Samoa and American Samoa. Today, approximately 57% of the Samoan population belong to the CCCS/EFKS Church. It is one of the three main Christian denominations in Samoa, alongside the Catholic and Methodist Churches. While the church has experienced a decline in membership within Samoa due to migration, it maintains a strong presence abroad, with more than half of the Samoan diaspora affiliated with CCCS congregations overseas. Prior to 1980, the CCCS/EFKS Church functioned as a one unified Church across both Samoa and American Samoa. Today, it operates independently, while continuing to maintain a close affiliation with the '' Congregational Christian Church of American Samoa (EFKAS ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed tradition, Reformed in outlook, with Congregational church, Congregational missions in Oceania, Africa, and the Americas, although there were also Presbyterians (notable for their work in China), Methodists, Baptists, and various other Protestants involved. It now forms part of the Council for World Mission. Origins In 1793, Edward Williams (minister), Edward Williams, then minister at Carr's Lane, Birmingham, wrote a letter to the churches of the Midlands, expressing the need for interdenominational world evangelization and foreign missions.Wadsworth KW, ''Yorkshire United Independent College -Two Hundred Years of Training for Christian Ministry by the Congregational Churches of Yorkshire'' Independent Press, London, 1954 It was effective and Williams began to play an acti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Williams (missionary)
John Williams (29 June 1796 – 20 November 1839) was an English missionary, active in the South Pacific. Early life He was born in Tottenham, near London, to Welsh parents. In 1810 the family moved to north London and there he served as a clerk to an iron foundry. He also took some interest in smithing. There, his employer's wife first took him to church, and he was immediately drawn to this by a sermon, and the pastor, Reverend Matthew Wilks, enrolled him in a class to prepare for the ministry. However, his heart quickly became set on missionary work. In September 1816, the London Missionary Society (LMS) commissioned him as a missionary in a service held at Surrey Chapel, London. South Pacific missionary On 17 November 1816, John Williams and his wife, Mary Chawner Williams, set sail from London to voyage to the Society Islands, a group of islands that included Tahiti, accompanied by William Ellis and his wife. Travelling via Sydney in Australia they initially only rea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tutuila
Tutuila is the largest and most populous island of American Samoa and is part of the archipelago of the Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands chain of the Central Pacific. It is located roughly northeast of Brisbane, Australia and lies over to the northeast of Fiji. It contains a large, natural harbor, Pago Pago Harbor, where Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa, is situated. Pago Pago International Airport is also located on Tutuila. The island's land expanse is about 68% of the total land area of American Samoa. With 56,000 inhabitants, it is also home to 95% of the population of American Samoa. The island has six terrestrial and three marine ecosystems. Tutuila has mountainous regions, the highest point of which is . The island is attractive to tourists because of its beaches, coral reefs, and World War II relics, as well as its suitability for sporting activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, and hiking. Etymology It is said that t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Salamasina
Queen Salamāsina () was a powerful and high-ranking woman in Samoan social history. She held the four papā (district) titles which gave her the paramount status of Tafaʻifā ('one supported by four') on the western islands of Samoa. Contrary to popular belief she was not the first Tafaʻifā, as these titles were willed to her by their previous possessor, Nāfanua (Tonumaipe‘a Nāfanua). She is the titular ancestor of two of the four paramount titles of Samoa, Tupua Tamasese of Falefa and Salani and the Amaile Mataʻafa line. Family history Salamāsina descended from several powerful royal bloodlines. Her mother, Vaetoefaga, was an extremely highborn noblewoman who enjoyed a lofty position in both Samoan and Tongan societies. Vaetoefaga's father was the Tu‘i Tonga Kau‘ulufonua II (a son of Tu‘i Tonga Kau‘ulufonua I and the Samoan noblewoman Vainu‘ulasi) and her mother was Taupoimāsina (the daughter of high chief Lefono of Amoa, Savai‘i). As a teenager Vaetoe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nafanua
Nafanua was a historical ''aliʻi'' (Paramount Chief/Queen) and ''toa'' (warrior) of Samoa from the Sā Tonumaipeʻa clan, who took the four ''pāpā'' (district) titles, the leading ''aliʻi'' titles of Samoa. After her death she became a goddess in Polynesian religion. There are historical and mythological traditions about Nafanua's family and life. She reportedly played a crucial role in the civil wars between the districts of eastern and western Savaiʻi. Life Family According to Samoan mythology, she was the daughter of Saveasiʻuleo, also considered a demigod, the Aliʻi of Pulotu. Pulotu was both a historical place, and a place of the afterlife for the warriors of Samoa (comparable to the Viking concept of Valhalla). In one tradition, Nafanua's mother was Tilafaiga the sister of Taema, the legendary conjoined twins, whom brought the malu tattoo to Samoa. Adulthood Nafanua was bestowed the title of Toa/Toa Tamaʻitaʻi (or Warrior Princess) for avenging her uncle and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cowry
Cowrie or cowry () is the common name for a group of small to large sea snails in the family Cypraeidae. Cowrie shells have held cultural, economic, and ornamental significance in various cultures. The cowrie was the shell most widely used worldwide as shell money. It is most abundant in the Indian Ocean, and was collected in the Maldive Islands, in Sri Lanka, along the Indian Malabar coast, in Borneo and on other East Indian islands, in Maluku in the Pacific, and in various parts of the African coast from Ras Hafun, in Somalia, to Mozambique. Cowrie shell money was important in the trade networks of Africa, South Asia, and East Asia. In the United States and Mexico, cowrie species inhabit the waters off Central California to Baja California (the chestnut cowrie is the only cowrie species native to the eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of the United States; further south, off the coast of Mexico, Central America and Peru, Little Deer Cowrie habitat can be found; and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
