Lepea
Encyclopedia
Lepea is a village on the island of Upolu
in Samoa
. The picturesque settlement of round Samoan houses built in a concentric pattern in large open grounds (malae) is situated 5mins drive west of the capital Apia on the north central coast of the island. It is part of the Tuamasaga
electoral district.
The village population is 721 (2006 Census).
A significant and high ranking matai
chief title from this village is Faumuina and the traditional residence for the title is in Lepea. The family title has been held by important national leaders in the country's history, including the first Prime Minister of Samoa, Fiame Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu’u II
(1921 - 1975) who lived in the village and whose state funeral was also held here. His father, also a paramount chief
and a previous holder of the title was Mata'afa Faumuina Fiame Mulinu'u I
, a leader of the country's pro-independence Mau movement
.Both leaders also held the paramount chief
titles Mata'afa
as well as Fiame from Lotofaga
.
The tiered stone tomb of another paramount chief and Mau leader, Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III
is beside the main road in the village.
Upolu
Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long, in area, and is the second largest in geographic area as well as the most populated of the Samoan Islands. Upolu is situated to the east of...
in Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
. The picturesque settlement of round Samoan houses built in a concentric pattern in large open grounds (malae) is situated 5mins drive west of the capital Apia on the north central coast of the island. It is part of the Tuamasaga
Tuamasaga
Tuamasaga is a district of Samoa, with a population of 83,191. The geographic area of Tuamasaga covers the central part of Upolu island....
electoral district.
The village population is 721 (2006 Census).
A significant and high ranking matai
Fa'amatai
Fa'amatai is the chiefly system of Samoa, central to the organization of Samoan society.It is the traditional indigenous form of governance in the Samoa Islands, comprising American Samoa and the Independent State of Samoa...
chief title from this village is Faumuina and the traditional residence for the title is in Lepea. The family title has been held by important national leaders in the country's history, including the first Prime Minister of Samoa, Fiame Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu’u II
Fiame Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu’u II
Fiame Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu’u II, C.B.E. was a paramount chief and the first Prime Minister of Samoa. He was Prime Minister from October 1, 1959 until February 1970 and again from March 1973 until his death in 1975...
(1921 - 1975) who lived in the village and whose state funeral was also held here. His father, also a paramount chief
Paramount chief
A paramount chief is the highest-level traditional chief or political leader in a regional or local polity or country typically administered politically with a chief-based system. This definition is used occasionally in anthropological and archaeological theory to refer to the rulers of multiple...
and a previous holder of the title was Mata'afa Faumuina Fiame Mulinu'u I
Mata'afa Faumuina Fiame Mulinu'u I
Mata'afa Faumuina Fiame Mulinu'u I was a high chief of Samoa and a leader of the country's pro-independence Mau movement during the early 1900s...
, a leader of the country's pro-independence Mau movement
Mau movement
The Mau was a non-violent movement for Samoan independence from colonial rule during the early 1900s. The word 'Mau' means 'opinion' or 'testimony' denoting 'firm strength' in Samoan...
.Both leaders also held the paramount chief
Paramount chief
A paramount chief is the highest-level traditional chief or political leader in a regional or local polity or country typically administered politically with a chief-based system. This definition is used occasionally in anthropological and archaeological theory to refer to the rulers of multiple...
titles Mata'afa
Mata'afa
Mata'afa is a high chief title in Samoa under the country's Matai system of socio-political governance where individuals are bestowed with family names...
as well as Fiame from Lotofaga
Lotofaga
Lotofaga is a village on the south coast of Upolu island in Samoa. Lotofaga is also the name of the larger Lotofaga Electoral Constituency which includes Lotofaga village and two other villages, Vavau and Matatufu....
.
The tiered stone tomb of another paramount chief and Mau leader, Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III
Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III
Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III was a high chief of Samoa who was a leader of the country's pro-independent Mau movement during the early 1900s...
is beside the main road in the village.