Vaisala (Samoa)

Vaisala is a small village on the northwest coast of Savai'i island in Samoa. The village lies within the political district of Vaisigano.^[1]

It is located close to the coast in the northwestern corner of the island. To the west are the neighbouring villages of Auala and Asau.^[2]

A significant family from Vaisala is the Va'ai family. Va'ai Kolone, a matai, was a Member of Parliament of the Vaisala area who became a Prime Minister of Samoa twice in the 1980s. A progressive leader, he was also the founder the Human Rights Protection Party which has since been the dominant party in Samoan politics and currently in power. Va'ai Kolone's father, a government clerk in the German administration of Samoa during colonialism, foresaw the importance of education and sent his own sons to boarding schools in the capital Apia.^[3]

The Vaisala Hotel situated at a white sandy beach is one of the largest hotels at the west end of Savai'i.^[4]

In 2009, the village council of chiefs banished their Member of Parliament for the Vaisigano No. 1 district, Va’ai Solia Papu Va’ai, over a domestic dispute. He was allowed to return a few months later following a presentation of gifts and reconciliation with the chiefs.^[5] In 2007, the same Member of Parliament had survived being shot by a gunman while attending a meeting in the village of Falealupo.^[6]

See also

• Fa'amatai, chiefly system of governance in the Samoa Islands
• Politics of Samoa
• Legislative Assembly of Samoa
• History of Samoa

References

1. ^ "Coastal Infrastructure Management Plan, Vaisigano No.1 District". Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment, Government of Samoa. October 2001. http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:2Ecls2teiSoJ:www.mnre.gov.ws/projects/siam-2/documents/CIM/Vaisigano/Implementation%2520Guidelines%2520English/Implementation%2520Guidelines.pdf+Auala+village&hl=en&gl=nz&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShYYfehllOzpzMTY3-Aeytcx_Zu7SHmEOrdOyUkz57_zjh5uNPQMZvPC8QK0fXTGReK8ILXE2p-zVGCnF3_wFp2Uu6x7j3PkC6kQO7CbJIgjhY7MUzPey-zhW_51UJpufg471LV&sig=AHIEtbTxMYQkIv5f8PJYiNkbxNw8TBmWmQ. Retrieved 20 November 2009. 
2. ^ Stanley, David (2004). Moon Handbooks South Pacific. David Stanely. p. 549. ISBN 1566914116. http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=EDGapfBX-CAC&pg=PA549&dq=Vaisala+village&lr=#v=onepage&q=Vaisala%20village&f=false. 
3. ^ Davidson, Prof. J.W. (December 1957). Leadership in Western Samoa. Te Ao Hou quarterly. Maori Affairs Department, New Zealand Government. p. 17. http://teaohou.natlib.govt.nz/journals/teaohou/issue/Mao21TeA/c15.html. Retrieved 20 November 2009. 
4. ^ "Standard Accommodation, Vaisala Hotel". Samoa Tourism Authority. http://www.samoa.travel/accommodationView.aspx?ID=73. Retrieved 20 November 2009. 
5. ^ "Banished Samoan MP returns home after village reconciliation". Radio New Zealand. 2009-04-14. http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=45929. Retrieved 2009-11-20. 
6. ^ "Samoa court gives jail term to gunman for trying to kill MP on Savaii". Radio New Zealand. 2009-12-11. http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=36980. Retrieved 2009-11-20. 

External references

• Samoa population census Retrieved 18 December 2009