Village in American Samoa, United States
Fagas?
is a village in the
Eastern District
of
Tutuila Island
in
American Samoa
. The village lies by Fagasa Bay, on the north shore of the island. Its name is
Samoan
and translates to "Forbidden Bay."
[1]
The village borders the Tutuila-section of
National Park of American Samoa
.
[2]
The trailhead to
Mount ?Alava
is located near the village by Fagasa Pass (on
Route 5
).
[3]
Fagasa has two sub-villages:
Fagatele
(Big Bay) on the west side, where Le?atele School is located, and
Fagale?a
on the east side, by the chapel of the
Congregational Christian Church in American Samoa
(CCCAS).
[4]
: 32
Forbidden Bay
has been described as one of the most beautiful bays in the South Pacific Ocean.
[5]
It can be reached by boat or from Fagas? by foot.
[6]
A
porpoise
sanctuary is located in Fagasa Bay.
[7]
Etymology
[
edit
]
The name Fagasa translates to "Sacred Bay." The village's high chiefs, elders and orators all believe the name derived from the legend of Liava?a.
[4]
: 29
History
[
edit
]
The first European expedition to ever set foot on Tutuila was headed by Frenchman
Jean-Francois de Galaup, comte de Laperouse
, who landed at Fagasa in 1787. This encounter, however, ended tragically. A battle between the French and the Samoans found place in
A?asu
, where twelve sailors and 39 Samoans were killed.
[8]
On December 10, 1787, two French parties arrived at Tutuila. One under
Laperouse
landed at Fagasa, while the other, under M. DeLangle, landed at A?asu a few miles to the west. In Fagasa, Laperouse discovered a little bay and a sizable village, which was walled off from the rest of Tutuila Island by mountains. Laperouse and his party were welcomed in the village and also permitted to take water from the two streams flowing through the village.
[9]
: 5?6
In 1836, a group of five British
London Missionary Society
(LMS) missionaries, accompanied by their wives, anchored in Fagasa Bay. At Fagasa, reverend
Archibald Murray
went ashore and asked for the leading authority in the area. He was sent to the High Chief Mauga at
Pago Pago
. He returned on foot to Fagasa with Pomare, the chief's son, and rejoined his colleagues before setting sails for
Upolu Island
. The formal
Christianization
of Tutuila and
Manu?a Islands
is said to stem from this voyage.
[9]
: 37?38
In the early hours of January 11, 1942, a Japanese submarine surfaced near Fagasa and then sent more than a dozen shells over the mountain and onto the vicinity of the
Naval Station Tutuila
. There was only one direct hit, which was the only Japanese-owned structure in the archipelago (owned by Frank Shimasaki).
[9]
: 241
[10]
In March 1991, a prehistoric
adze quarry
was discovered at Fagasa and was recognized as a possible major stone tool production site for the region and islands as far away as the
Marquesas
.
[11]
Demographics
[
edit
]
Religion
[
edit
]
Fagasa's main church is the
Congregational Christian Church in American Samoa
(CCCAS). It was the first religion to be established in Fagasa. At the end of
World War II
, villagers decided to construct the first chapel in the village. Although transportation was difficult, the villagers carried materials and supplies over their shoulders from the Mafa Pass and down to Fagasa. The church is located right where the steep winding road ends and the flatland begins.
[4]
: 39
Geography
[
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]
Fagas? is situated on the north shore of
Tutuila
, 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of
Pago Pago
. A stream with
fales
beside it follows the steep valley down to Fagasa.
[13]
The buses to Fagasa go every hour from the bus station at
Fagatogo Market
in Pago Pago.
[14]
Fagas? is located in the
Nofoa
area of
It??au County
.
[15]
[16]
Fagasa lies northwest of
Pago Pago
and is separated from the populated southern shore of Tutuila by a range of high mountains. It is located within a half-moon bay and enclosed by rugged mountain ridges. The road leading to Fagasa is a cut-off to the left from the main road in Pago Pago proper. A 10-minute drive connects Fagasa to the capital. The drive's highest point is the Mafa Pass, an open tunnel where visitors will first see Sacred Bay in Fagasa.
[4]
Numerous monuments of historical sites have been put up by the
American Samoa National Park
here, and a walking trail to the Mount ?Alava Towers takes off from the Mafa.
[4]
: 27
The soil is rich for vegetation and forests. Families have developed the land near their homes for agricultural crops. Fagasa is surrounded by a mountain range from either end.
[4]
: 43
Surrounding mountains include the
Fuaau Ridge
,
Taumata Mountain
,
Leele Mountain
, and
Fatifati Mountain
. Leele Stream flows down from Leele Mountain and through the village before discharging into the Pacific Ocean. Another stream, Leua, flows from Fatifati Mountain and down through Fagasa. On clear days, one can see the mountains of
Upolu Island
over the horizon.
The shoreline from Fagas? Bay to
Vatia Bay
is within the
National Park of American Samoa
and contains the longest stretch of undisturbed and uninhabited coast on Tutuila Island. The forest along this coastline has never been disturbed, and steep cliffs are found here along with scenic coves such as
T?feu Cove
near Vatia. There are also waterfalls, streams, and forest-covered ridge tops.
[17]
Fagas? Pass
[
edit
]
At Fagas? Pass right outside of town is the primary trailhead for the
Mount ?Alava
Trail. This 7-mile roundtrip trail leads to a mountain summit with panoramic views of
Pago Pago Harbor
and surrounding areas of
Tutuila Island
. The trail goes through dense rainforest in the
National Park
, home to a variety of tropical bird species and
fruit bats
. Halfway up the mountain is a coconut- and banana plantation.
[18]
National park
[
edit
]
The Tutuila unit of the
National Park of American Samoa
is situated between the villages on Fagas? on the west and
?fono
on the east. The southern boundary follows along the crest of the Mount ?Alava-Maugaloa Ridge above
Pago Pago Harbor
from ?fono Pass to Fagas? Pass. Access to the Tutuila portion of the park is via the road which runs along the perimeter of the upper Pago Pago Harbor. Lateral roads lead to Fagasa Pass the park's western end. From the Fagas? Pass National Park entrance, there is an unpaved road leaving hikers to the top of Mount ?Alava. The road was originally constructed in order to service the television transmitters on the mountain. Road signs marking entry points to the National Park can be found near the trailhead at Fagas? Bay, and along the national park side of Fagas? Bay in order to mark the park's boundary from the ridge top down to Siufaga Point.
[19]
Jagged
Mount ?Alava
dominates the scenery on northern Tutuila Island. A 6-mile (9.7 km) roundtrip trail leads up to the 1,585 ft. peak. The view from atop Mount ?Alava contains both the south and north sides of the island's Pacific coasts as well as the deep inlet in
Pago Pago Harbor
.
[20]
Boat tours arranged by the government regularly sail around the north coast villages of Fagas?, ?fono, and
Vatia
.
[6]
Attractions
[
edit
]
World War II
relics can be seen on the mountain ridges and shorelines of Fagasa. The American Marines left Fagasa on August 15, 1945, after it was officially declared that the Japanese forces had surrendered to the United States. On the shorelines of
Fagafue
and
Sika
, one can still find the pillbox forts or gun turrets the Marines utilized as coastal lookouts during World War II.
[4]
: 37
There is a marine life sanctuary in Fagasa Bay. Tourists often hike from Mafa Pass to the Mount ?Alava Towers, which is the main transmitting antennas of the American Samoa Government's TV station.
[4]
: 44
Notable people
[
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]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Things to See in American Samoa | Frommer's"
.
- ^
Talbot, Dorinda; Swaney, Deanna (1998).
Samoa
. Lonely Planet. p. 166.
ISBN
9780864425553
.
- ^
Stanley, David (1999).
South Pacific Handbook
. Moon Travel Books. p. 437.
ISBN
978-1-56691-172-6
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Fai?ivae, Alex Godinet (2018).
Ole Manu? o Tala Tu?u Ma Fisaga o Tala Ave
(in Samoan). Amerika Samoa Humanities Council.
ISBN
9781546229070
.
- ^
"Things to see and do in American Samoa"
. World Travel Guide
. Retrieved
19 October
2022
.
- ^
a
b
Fidgeon, Tamsin (2004).
Columbus World Travel Guide 2004-2005
. Highbury Columbus Travel Pub. p. 9.
ISBN
9781902221847
.
- ^
Goodwin, Bill (2006).
Frommer's South Pacific
. Wiley. pp. 400?401.
ISBN
9780471769804
.
- ^
Talbot, Dorinda; Swaney, Deanna (1998).
Samoa
. Lonely Planet. p. 13.
ISBN
9780864425553
.
- ^
a
b
c
Gray, John Alexander Clinton (1980).
Amerika Samoa
. Arno Press.
ISBN
9780405130380
.
- ^
Kennedy, Joseph (2009).
The Tropical Frontier: America's South Sea Colony
. University of Hawaii Press. p. 207.
ISBN
9780980033151
.
- ^
Sunia, Fofo I.F. (2009).
A History of American Samoa
. Amerika Samoa Humanities Council. p. 357.
ISBN
9781573062992
.
- ^
"American Samoa Statistical Yearbook 2016"
(PDF)
.
American Samoa Department of Commerce
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 2019-02-14
. Retrieved
2019-07-25
.
- ^
Leib, Amos Patten (1972).
The Many Islands of Polynesia
. Scribner. p. 67.
ISBN
978-0-684-13010-1
.
- ^
Stanley, David (1999).
South Pacific Handbook
. Moon Travel Books. p. 446.
ISBN
978-1-56691-172-6
.
- ^
Kramer, Augustin (2000-01-01).
The Samoa Islands
. University of Hawaii Press. p. 424.
ISBN
978-0-8248-2219-4
.
- ^
U.S. Census Bureau (2000).
Census of population and housing (2000): American Samoa Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics
. DIANE Publishing. p. 210.
ISBN
9781428985490
.
- ^
"National Park Feasibility Study"
(PDF)
. National Park Service. July 1988. p. 61
. Retrieved
19 October
2022
.
- ^
"Day Hikes"
(PDF)
. National Park Service
. Retrieved
29 December
2021
.
- ^
National Park of American Samoa, General Management Plan (GP), Islands of Tutulla, Ta'u, and Ofu: Environmental Impact Statement
(PDF)
(Report). U.S. Department of the Interior/National Park Service. 1997. pp. 2, 21 and 31.
- ^
Hughes, Holly; Murphy, Sylvie; Flippin, Alexis Lipsitz; Duchaine, Julie (2010-02-02).
Frommer's 500 Extraordinary Islands
. Frommers. p. 86.
ISBN
978-0-470-50070-5
.