Editing Pago Pago, American Samoa (section)

===Old Pago Pago===
Until 1722, Pago Pago, like several other villages in American Sāmoa such as [[Fagasā, American Samoa|Fagasā]] and [[Vatia, American Samoa|Vatia]], existed as a ridge-top settlement. This upland community, now part of the National Park of American Sāmoa, was strategically situated to provide safety during a period marked by inter-island conflicts involving [[Sāmoa]], [[Fiji]], [[Tahiti]], and [[Tonga]]. The elevated location offered protection from coastal raids, as attackers arriving by boat posed a significant threat to shoreline settlements. By 1772, the majority of families had relocated from the highlands to the coast, establishing new homes near the shoreline. However, oral histories indicate that a few households continued to reside or farm in the upland areas into the late 19th century. Archeological findings at the site of Old Pago Pago include ancient rock walls, building foundations, and graves. Some of these graves are believed to belong to chiefs or ceremonial figures, such as a ''taupou'' (a ceremonial maiden), with legends suggesting one may have been interred in a bonito boat. The remnants of Old Pago Pago are accessible via the [[Mount ‘Alava]] Trailhead at [[Fagasā Pass]], just west of [[Vaipito Valley]].<ref>Linnekin, Jocelyn, Hunt, Terry, Lang, Lang and McCormick, Timothy (November 2006). "Ethnographic Assessment and Overview: National Park of American Samoa". Technical Report 152. Pacific Cooperative Parks Study Unit. [[University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa]].</ref>

When Westerners first visited Tutuila, the Mauga was the leading matai (chief) of Pago Pago.<ref>Lutali, A.P. and William J. Stewart. The Chieftal System in Twentieth Century America: Legal Aspects of the Matai System in the Territory of American Samoa.  4 Ga. J. Int’l & Compar. L. 387 (1974). Page 390. Retrieved on January 20, 2024, from https://digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/gjicl/vol4/iss2/8/.</ref>