Evidence from archaeological studies indicates that the
Tāfuna Plain experienced volcanic activity as recently as 1,500 years ago. Chronological analyses suggest that human settlement on the plain had already begun between 245 and 745 BCE, albeit on a limited scale. The area was primarily used for subsistence gardens cultivating
taro and
bananas, as well as for pigeon hunting. Tāfuna remained largely uninhabited for approximately 3,000 years. The area, characterized by a dense rainforest growing over an inhospitable
lava shield, served primarily as a site for pigeon hunting and occasional warfare. This changed with the arrival of Western settlers (referred to locally as
palangi), who used chainsaws and bulldozers to clear and level the land, transforming it for modern development. In 1900, at the time of the
Deed of Cession, Tafuna was and still is a traditional village of the Tualauta County with its own fa'alupega. It has since moved from its original location next to the Nu'uuli Pala Lagoon to areas further inland, now known as Tafunafou. The village was relocated during World War II to make way for the construction of
Tafuna Airport. In 1941, as the U.S. Navy prioritized the defense of American Samoa, Lt. Commander
C. H. Derby oversaw operations in the territory. He advocated for constructing an airstrip in Tāfuna, a proposal that was ultimately approved. The site he recommended later became Tafuna Airport. During World War II, Tafuna Air Base was the second-largest military installation on Tutuila Island, second only to the long-established
U.S. Naval Station Tutuila. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, residents of
Pavaʻiaʻi and
Nuʻuuli initiated a land rush in Tāfuna.
Otto Vincent Haleck, who lived in Pavaʻiaʻi at the time, participated by clearing forests and staking claims. By the end of the 1950s, Haleck had become the largest landowner on Tutuila Island. The
Congregational Christian Church in American Samoa purchased 15 acres from him for the Kanana Fou site, the Catholic Church purchased land that became
Fatuoaiga, the Assembly of God purchased four acres for their center, and in 1998, the Latter Day Saints purchased five acres to establish a new stake. By 2000, Haleck was the largest rental landlord in American Samoa. One of his notable development projects, the
Tradewinds Hotel, was launched in 2000. He also owned a small museum at his Aʻoloau-Tafeta estate, which featured the
nifo ‘oti used by High Orator
Olo Letuli to light the
Pacific Mini Games Torch at the
Veterans Memorial Stadium in Tāfuna in 1997. The subvillage of
Ottoville is named after him. By 1982, the
Congregational Christian Church in American Samoa (CCCAS) had developed into a financially stable and progressively managed church organization and began planning the construction of a church center in Tafuna, named Kanana Fou. By 1984, the first phase of the project was completed, which included church offices and housing for pastors. In 1997, the
Veterans Memorial Stadium was completed in Tafuna. Faced with hosting the
1997 South Pacific Mini Games without suitable facilities, Governor
A. P. Lutali enlisted territorial resources and secured federal support to reappropriate US$1.4 million in 1996 capital-improvement funds to construct a stadium and all-weather track. Work commenced late in 1996 and concluded in July 1997, a month ahead of the opening. The Games convened at Tafuna for two weeks, drawing athletes from sixteen South Pacific nations to compete across eleven sports. In 2016, visits by church ministries and NGOs led to the creation of a recording group at the
Tafuna Correctional Facility (TCF). This was the prison’s first initiative of its kind, and the inmates’ albums were subsequently sold to the public. In 2019, during the
COVID-19 pandemic, the Catholic Church’s Fatuoaiga Pastoral and Cultural Center provided housing for suspected cases in American Samoa. In 2019, the Catholic Church's Hazard Mitigation Project partnered with politician
Larry Sanitoa,
American Samoa Power Authority, and
Paramount Builders to carry out essential road resurfacing in
Fatuoaiga. In October 2021,
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) held an official ground breaking ceremony for the construction of a LDS temple at
Ottoville. == Geography ==