Gagaʻemauga
Gagaʻemauga is a district on the island of Savaiʻi in Samoa. The district is situated on the central north side of Savaiʻi. The name 'Gagaʻemauga' literally means "near side of the mountain", meaning the eastern side of the mountain chain running through the centre of Savaiʻi Island.
Gagaʻemauga | |
|---|---|
District | |
Fale tele, meeting house, Lelepa village in Gagaʻemauga district. Architecture of Samoa dictate seating positions in cultural ceremony & ritual. | |
Map of Samoa showing Gagaʻemauga district | |
| Country | Samoa |
| Population (2016) | |
| • Total | 7,840 |
| Time zone | -11 |
The traditional centre of the district is Saleaula, where the district chiefs (matai) and orators meet at Vaituʻutuʻu malae.
Like most villages in Samoa, the villages in Gagaʻemauga are situated by the sea although there are some settlements inland, including Patamea and Samalaeʻulu.
Reverend George Pratt (1817–1894), a missionary with the London Missionary Society, lived in Matautu (1839–1879) and authored the first grammar and dictionary of the Samoan language, "A Grammar and Dictionary of the Samoan Language, with English and Samoan Vocabulary", which was first printed in 1862 at the Samoa Mission Press.
The village of Saleaula maintains strong traditional connections with Safotulafai to the east, through the paramount chiefly title of Letufuga. Safotulafai is the capital of the political district Fa'asaleleaga.