Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Many residents of Manu‘a are only now learning that they are collectively entitled to benefit from lease payments generated by businesses operating on the trust land in Atu‘u — property formally placed under a 1911 indenture by Paramount Chief Mauga Moimoi of Pago Pago.

In a meeting held last Friday the Manu‘a community discussed what steps they will need to take to make sure the oversight of the Atu‘u trust land and future lease payments are handled transparently and in accordance with the 1911 indenture.

The parcel of land in question is located directly across from Samoa Packing and it belongs to the Paramount Chief Mauga of Pago Pago. Records from the Registrar’s Office confirm that an indenture — a formal, legally binding agreement — was executed in 1911 by PC Mauga Moimoi, his wife Faapio, and then Manu‘a District Governor Tufele of Si‘ufaga, Manu‘a.

The indenture designates Tufele "as Trustee for the People of Manu‘a, (receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged) do by those presents grant, bargain, sell, convey and confirm unto the said party of the second part, as Trustee for the People of Manua, and to his successors and assigns forever, all that part or parcel of land situated in the village of Pago Pago, Tutuila, and known as the land Atu‘u… To have and to hold, all and singular, the above‑mentioned and described premises, together with the appurtenances, unto the said party of the second part, his successors or assigns IN TRUST, for the USE and BENEFIT of the People of Manu‘a.”

According to Land Commission Chairman Taesali Matagi, the indenture was originally executed by PC Mauga Moimoi to ensure that people from Manu‘a had land to reside on in Tutuila while working and supporting their families back home.

Over time, however, some Manu‘a residents who were assigned parcels under the trust arrangement began leasing those lands to foreign‑owned businesses and receiving monetary payments as lessors directly. This is a practice that continues to raise questions about who is the lessor and who is the lessee, and whether such private leasing aligns with the original intent of the 1911 trust agreement.

Taesali, who also serves as the Eastern District Governor’s representative on the Zoning Board, told Samoa News that the matter surfaced during a recent ZB meeting, where members reviewed several applications for commercial land lease variances bearing signatures of individuals other than the designated Trust Administrator. According to Taesali, board members questioned whether such private leasing aligns with the 1911 indenture that placed the land “in trust, for the use and benefit of the People of Manu‘a.”

The disclosure prompted board members to question how long private lease arrangements have been occurring, who authorized them, and whether the revenue has been flowing to the rightful beneficiaries under the trust.

Taesali said the permit review quickly evolved into a broader inquiry into the administration of trust land, leading to last Friday’s meeting where Manu‘a District Governor Poumele Apisa Galea'i, matai and residents scrutinized the implications of the indenture and the responsibilities of those occupying or managing parcels today.

Taesali, who convened the discussion, said the revelations surrounding private lease arrangements on trust land have prompted a wave of questions from residents who were never informed of their collective entitlement. The meeting, he noted, marked the first time many Manu‘a families had been formally briefed on the indenture’s terms and the trustee structure that governs the land today.

“Several people thanked me for raising this important issue and enlightening them about their entitlement,” he revealed, noting that many did not know the specific terms of the 1911 indenture or the communal rights it established. “They told me they were completely unaware of the trust language and what it meant for them as beneficiaries.”

He added that the lack of awareness may not have been accidental. “I suspect the people who were benefitting from lease payments knew,” he said, “but didn’t want to disclose those details. Others may have known but didn't want to rock the boat because of family ties, or they were receiving some sort of compensation on the side.”

Taesali noted that it has now been 115 years since the indenture — a formal, legally binding agreement — was executed in 1911 and established a communal ownership structure intended to protect Manu‘a families working and residing in Tutuila.

Yet despite the clarity of the trust language, Taesali said the leasing of Atu‘u trust land to foreign businesses began in the 1970s, creating a half‑century pattern in which individuals — not the Manu‘a community as a whole — received lease payments.

“That’s fifty years of people benefiting privately from land that was supposed to be held in trust for everyone in Manu‘a,” he said, adding that the long‑standing practice has diverted revenue away from the beneficiaries the indenture was designed to protect.

The timeline, he emphasized, shows how far the administration of the trust has drifted from its original intent, and why a full review of the trust’s management is now urgently needed.

Taesali told participants at last Friday’s meeting that the Manu‘a community must take immediate steps to reclaim oversight of the Atu‘u trust land and ensure that future lease payments are handled transparently and in accordance with the 1911 indenture.

He advised the group to establish a committee dedicated to monitoring and managing a trust fund sourced from Atu‘u lease revenues. The committee, he said, should include representatives from every Manu‘a village and be chaired by the Manu‘a District Governor, who would serve as the Trustee — or Lessor — of the Atu‘u trust land.

Taesali explained that this structure is both practical and historically consistent, noting that the Tufele title has remained vacant since the passing of Tufele Li‘amatua Tufele, leaving the District Governor as the most appropriate figure to assume trustee responsibilities under the indenture.

Taesali said he also urged the group to retain an attorney to handle the legal aspects of reorganizing the trust’s administration. He reminded attendees that Manu‘a has sons and daughters who are certified lawyers and suggested former Lt. Governor La‘apui E.V. Ale, who is also a matai from Manu‘a. His recommendation, however, was met with resistance. Former Police Commissioner Ta‘aga Saite Moliga objected, arguing that La‘apui was currently at odds with their village council and was not officially recognized.

Taesali said he clarified the matter by reminding the group that the Atu‘u trust land does not belong to any single village — it belongs to all the people of Manu‘a. “This is not a village issue,” he told them. “This is a Manu‘a issue.”

(Of note, La‘apui arrived at the meeting only moments later — just as the discussion had shifted to the second major issue under scrutiny that morning: the potential impacts of deep‑sea mining on the islands and residents of Manu‘a.)

Regarding the Atu‘u land trust, Taesali reiterated that the issue is fundamentally a moral failure — one that has persisted for decades because no one was willing to confront it or expose what was happening. He said that during a recent Zoning Board review of an application to renew a commercial land‑lease variance, one of the applicants disclosed that the current lease rate was $3,000 a month.

“That’s $36,000 a year,” Taesali calculated. “And this has been going on for decades. It is clear the people of Manu‘a are missing out on a significant amount of money owed to them because of selfish individuals who are pocketing funds that do not belong to them, and spineless people who refuse to speak up because of personal connections.”

Taesali said that as a member of the Zoning Board, he will formally advise the board in writing to defer any decision on the commercial land‑leasing application involving the Atu‘u trust land until the matter is properly reviewed and the trust’s beneficiaries are protected.

Taesali, whose father is from Faleasao, said the issue carries personal weight for him. He told Samoa News that the people of Manu‘a have been denied benefits they are rightfully entitled to for far too long, and he intends to “do the right thing” by ensuring the trust is finally administered as intended.

“This land was set aside for our people,” he said, “and the benefits were meant to support all of Manu‘a, not just a few individuals.”

Manu‘a District Governor Poumele Apisa Galea‘i echoed Taesali’s sentiments, stressing that the Atu‘u trust arrangement is not simply a historical artifact but a legally binding agreement that continues to dictate how the land must be administered today.

 Poumele announced that the issue will be formally discussed — with hopes of reaching a consensus on the next plan of action — at a meeting scheduled for August 14, 2026.

He said the upcoming session will bring Manu‘a leadership together to determine how the Atu‘u trust should be administered moving forward and how lease revenues should be safeguarded for the rightful beneficiaries.

BACKGROUND

Samoa News should point out that a court case in 1988, concerning the scope of the authority vested in the Trustee as per the 1911 Warranty Deed, made several key findings:

1 — The deed from Mauga Moimoi to “Tufele and his successors or assigns” created a valid trust for the use and benefit of the people of Manu‘a; and,

2 — Trusteeship follows the matai title — The trusteeship automatically devolves to each successive holder of the Tufele matai title, not to the heirs or estate of any individual titleholder.

As noted, the Tufele title has remained vacant since the passing of Tufele Li‘amatua Tufele. Whether the Atu’u trusteeship can now be assigned to another ‘authority’ is in question.