Luma, American Samoa

Lum? is a village on the northwest coast of Ta?? Island in American Samoa , south of the village of Ta?? and north of Si?ufaga. The last Tui Manu?a is buried in Lum?. It is also where anthropologist Margaret Mead researched and authored her classic Coming of Age in Samoa in 1925. ^[1] Lum? and neighboring Si?ufaga are subvillages of the Village of Ta??. ^[2]

The main settlement on Ta?? Island is based around the twin villages of Lum? and Si?ufaga . ^{[3] [4]} The Ta?? Motel is located near the small boat harbor in Lum?, known as Lum? Harbor. The harbor is mostly used by local fishing boats, and is not recommended for yachts. ^[5]

Demographics [ edit ]

Geography [ edit ]

It is located in Ta?? County in the Manu?a District on Ta?? . It is bounded by one side by the Pacific Ocean and a jungle hill known as Tunoa Ridge on the other. It mostly consists of clapboard and stucco bungalows roofed with corrugated iron. Lum? is home to two large churches and one shop. It is 70 miles (110 km) of ocean from the territorial capital of Pago Pago . ^[7]

Margaret Mead [ edit ]

Anthropologist Margaret Mead traveled from Pago Pago to Lum? in 1925. The 24 year-old Mead stayed in the village for half a year while doing fieldwork such as interviewing villagers. She complained of the heat that made it impossible for her to work several hours at midday. This is also where she wrote her classic anthropological work Coming of Age in Samoa (1925). Later, a devastating hurricane left just a few houses standing in the village, and prevented Mead from interviewing villagers for several weeks. ^{[7] [1]}

References [ edit ]

14°13′48″S 169°30′58″W  /  14.230°S 169.516°W  / -14.230; -169.516