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2018 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

7. Individually Owned Lands and Communal Land Tenure

Author : Line-Noue Memea Kruse

Published in: The Pacific Insular Case of American Sāmoa

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

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Abstract

Kruse conducts an original qualitative examination of early land cases under the Naval Administration from 1900 to 1980s that established the legal pathway to alienate land via the court-established classification of individually owned land. The chapter shows that while the US Congress and the Department of Interior successfully maintained their commitment to protections against alienation of communal lands to foreigners, individual Sāmoans have been participants in the splitting and apportioning of communal lands in American Sāmoan vis-à-vis individually owned rights and ownership. Kruse traces the Naval Court’s evolving court decisions from 1901 to 1980s, detailing that adverse land possession rights were only accepted from evidence of exclusive possession and control to exclusive possession and cultivation, then first occupancy and claim of right, resulting in the laws of convenience. These rights, Kruse argues, apportions communal lands and disempower the fa’amātai system.

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previous chapter American Sāmoan Legal History: 1900–1941
next chapter Retention of Communal Lands
Footnotes
1
“There is, however, no written evidence of the ownership of forest lands, and the court bases its decisions of ownership of such lands largely on their use. That is to say, if a piece of forest land has been cleared and used for four or five years and is then surveyed and registered, the registration is likely to be uncontested. If it is contested, the asserted historical circumstances of family ownership will count for something, but actual use of the land by another family is a weightier consideration.”
 
2
Fee tail is an estate that is inheritable only by specified descendants of the original grantee, and that endures until its current holder dies without issue.
 
3
Life estate is an estate held only for the duration of a specified person’s life, usually the possessor’s.
 
4
In Levale et al. v. Toaga, No. 26A-1945, Justice Cyril Wyche stated, “The question of title to real estate in American Samoa is always a difficult one to solve for the reason that in most cases there is no recorded title to, nor description of property. Title to real estate is generally proved by family tradition.”
 
5
Justice Morrow referenced in this case, Talo v. Tavai, 2 A.S.R. 63 (1938); Letuli v. Faaea, No. 8-1941 in which title to land cannot be evidenced by hearsay. There is no such exception to the hearsay rule, also referencing Howland v. Crocker, 7 Allen (MASS.), 153; South School District v. Blakeslee, 13 CONN. 227, 235.
 
6
Ten years became the precedent to adversely claim land, see Tiumalu v. Fuimaono, 1 ASR 17 (1901); Laapui v. Taua, 1 ASR 25 (1901), Mauga v. Gaogao, H.C. LT 2-1905, Pafuti v. Logo, 1 ASR 166 (1907).
 
7
Tamaāiga is the equivalent of a “royal” title.
 
8
Sā when used in this context means forbidden or out of bounds.
 
9
Pulu first testified that he was familiar with the land since he was a mātai title holder in the Mauga āiga, and he was 70 years of age and had a very long history to the lands in general, and then he stated that the Vaipito belonged to Mauga Moimoi as an individual. However, after a court recess he changed his testimony that Mauga Moimoi did not own the land as an individual. However, Judge Morrow refused to rescind his original testimony and believed his original testimony was more accurate in that Mauga Moimoi owned the land as an individual.
 
10
Act of April 7, 1962, Pub.L.7-19, codified IX Code American Samoa, section 9.0103 (1961). According to Article I, Section 3 and Article II, Section 9, Rev. Const. Am. Samoa, this legislative bill must pass two successive legislatures for it to be enacted into law.
 
11
S.107, 15th Fono, 3d Sess. (1978); H.157, 15th Fono, 3d Sess. (1978); H.220, 15th Fono, 4th Sess. (1978); S.2, 16th Fono, 1st Sess. (1979); S.59, 16th Fono, 2nd Sess. (1979); H.119, 16th Fono, 2nd Sess. (1979); S.97, 16th Fono, 3d Sess. (1980).
 
12
Leiato v Howden, 1 A.S.R. 149 (1906).
 
Literature
Craddick v. Territorial Registrar of American Samoa, CA 61-78, slip op. (Trial Div. May 10, 1979) (Order Denying Motion for New Trial or Rehearing Civil Action No. 61-78).
Fanene v. Talio, LT 64-77, slip op. (Trial Div. April 22, 1980).
Government v. Letuli, LT No. 016-63 (1963).
Leuma v. Willis, LT 047-79, Slip op. at 4 (Land and Titles Div. Dec. 16, 1980).
South School District v. Blakeslee, 13 CONN. 227, 235.
Tuimalo v. Mailo, 1 A.S.R. 434 at 26 (1931).
Vili Siopitu Faatoa v. Faiivae, 1 A.S.R. 38 (1906).
Ancient Statute of Merton 1811; ch. 4, vol. 143, 262.
Coulter, John W. 1957. The Pacific Dependencies of the United States. New York: Macmillan Company.
Metadata
Title
Individually Owned Lands and Communal Land Tenure
Author
Line-Noue Memea Kruse
Copyright Year
2018
Book
The Pacific Insular Case of American Sāmoa

Print ISBN: 978-3-319-69970-7

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-319-69971-4

Copyright Year: 2018

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69971-4_7

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