Fitiuta (American Samoa)

Fitiuta, also known as Fiti'uta or Maia, is a village on the northeast coast of Taʻū island, one of the Manuʻa Islands in American Samoa. As of the 2010 United States census, it had a population of 153. The village of Fitiuta is made up of two hamlets: Maia and Leusoali'i, the latter of which is the most eastern area on the island. Historically, they were classified as villages. The town has two shops, a hotel and a church, which was recently built. Fitiuta Airport is located in the town. The area is famed for its myths and legends. According to Samoan mythology, it was in a place called Saua in Fitiuta that the god Tagaloa decided to make the first human being and crown the first human king, the Tuimanu'a. It was also near this village that the first kava ceremony was performed. Fitiuta is recognized as the most ancient village in the Samoan Islands. It is the oldest settlement in the Manu’a Islands. The Fagā Village Site, located in Fitiuta, is among the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in American Samoa. It features foundation ruins, stone terraces, and other archaeological structures dating back to approximately 1000 CE.