Malietoa Tanumafili I
Encyclopedia
Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili I (1879–1939) was the Malietoa
in Samoa
from 1898 until his death in 1939.
and Sisavai‘i Malupo Niuva‘ai. He married Momoe Lupeuluiva Meleiseā and had five children: Sisavai‘i Lupeuluiva (f), Vaimo‘oi'a, Salamāsina (f), Tanumafili II, and Sāveaali‘i Ioane Viliamu.
Tanumafili was only 19 years old when he was declared King of Samoa by Great Britain and the U.S.A. The vast majority of Samoa rallied behind the Matā‘afa-Sā Talavou party, including the Germans, the Tumua of Ātua-A‘ana, the Pule of Savai‘i (Keesing 1934:73), ‘Aiga-i-le-Tai, and most of Tuamasaga. Once again socio-religious factors came into play as the Sā Mōlī’s support came from the L.M.S. Congregationalists while most other Samoan
Christian
s backed the Sā Talavou-Sā Natūitasina-Matā‘afa parties. Perhaps the most adamant and well-known opponent of Tanumafili’s claim was Lauaki Namulau‘ulu Mamoe of Sāfotulafai, Savaii, a famed orator who carried the Tonga
n matapule title Lauaki (Gifford 149). He argued that not only was Tanumafili too young and inexperienced to rule, but that his installment as Malietoa was illegitimate and invalid according to Samoan custom. The vast majority of Samoans, including the leading orator bodies of Ātua-A‘ana (Tumua), Savai‘i (Pule), Manono, and Tuamasaga (Auimatagi) attested to the invalidity of Tanumafili’s claims to the kingship and the Malietoa title but the foreign powers continued in their endorsement of Malietoa Tanumafili I. A joint session of the Pule and Tumua assemblies held fono in Leulumoega, A‘ana and declared Matā‘afa Iosefo “King of Samoa” on November 12, 1898; this pronouncement was ratified at a national council held on November 15 at Mulinu‘u (Gilson 425, 426-427).
ship where they lived for over two months to avoid assassination
attempts. The Germans
then declared Matā‘afa the “head of all chiefs” while the British and the American
consul
s nominated Tanumafili as the ruler of Samoa (Hart, Hart & Harris 105). Matā‘afa’s parties declared him king once again in January, while “all the High Chiefs of Malietoa” Laupepa were in exile in Tutuila
and Malietoa Laupepa
himself remained under the protection of the British; there was no military opposition to the coronation that day (Tuvale 67). Tanumafili’s high chiefs were allowed to return from Tutuila in March 1899 and war parties were reorganized. Tanumafili was able to defeat Matā‘afa with the ammunition and military aid of the Americans and British, and the foreign consuls once again named Tanumafili as King of Samoa on March 23.
Foreign political influences by this time had become deeply ingrained in the Samoan struggle for leadership. A committee composed of the foreign consuls called together the leaders of both parties on May 20, 1899. Matā‘afa Iosefo, Malietoa Fa‘alata and Lauaki Namulau‘ulu Mamoe are mentioned as high-ranking spokesmen of the Matā‘afa-Sā Talavou bloc while Tupua Tamasese Titimaea and Malietoa Laupepa
headed the Tamasese-Sā Mōlī delegation (Tuvale 75-76). The joint commission of Germany, the United States
and Great Britain
abolished the Samoan kingship in June 1899 and placed Manu'a and Tutuila under American control while Germany received ‘Upolu
, Savaii, Manono
, and Apolima
. The official tri-nation “adjustment of jurisdiction
” was signed in Washington, D.C.
on November 7 without any mention of Samoan consent or opinion (Bevans 276); no Samoan chiefs signed the convention nor is there explicit indication that the Samoans were even aware of the impending dissection of their island group. Under this new government Matā‘afa Iosefo was named Ali‘i Sili (“Paramount Chief”) of Samoa while the German Kaiser
was declared Tupu Sili (“Paramount King”) of Samoa. The young Tanumafili – no longer King of Samoa – then left for the British
Fiji
an islands to further his university education.
an consuls had blatantly disregarded. In 1901 he oversaw a massive distribution of 2,000 fine state-mats (‘ie o le mālō) which served to acknowledge the authority of traditional chiefs while demonstrating a level of cultural sensitivity on the part of the German Empire (Keesing 1934:84). The ceremonial distribution took several months to complete and not all Samoan parties were satisfied with the recognition they received and/or the fact that the German administration oversaw the distribution. Other Samoan chiefs were upset over a perceived “attitude” adjustment of their paramounts; in 1901, Matā‘afa announced:
Similarly, Malietoa Tanumafili disappointed many of his followers when he refused to accept the kingly 'ava
(also known as kava
) and instead passed on his “rights and privileges” to the German government. In January 1903, having arrived from Fiji, he declared:
Solf and the German imperial officers came to confide in Matā‘afa Iosefo and endorsed him as the legitimate leader of the itū mālō. Matā‘afa’s actions later in his term, however, reveal that his declared obeisance to Germany was probably a front for underlying motives and sentiments (the type of togafiti deception that Solf frequently condemned). In order to maintain the peace among “those who had not been recognised, but who had, in genealogical and recent historical terms, equal rank,” Solf also allowed for the appointment of other paramount tama‘aiga to government offices (Meleiseā 1987b:50). This representation was accomplished by installing the acknowledged heads of the Sā Tupua and the Sā Malietoa as “Ta‘imua.” The office of Ta‘imua was an executive and advisory position first held by Tupua Tamasese Lealofi I of the Sā Tupua and Malietoa Fa‘alataitaua of the Sā Malietoa Talavou.
New Zealand
’s Lieutenant-Colonel Logan elicited the German surrender of the western Samoan islands in 1914 and began reorganizing Samoa’s government. New Zealand assured the Samoan people that the new government would be for Samoa’s benefit, unlike the German regime which was instated at great cost to Samoan autonomy and traditional authority. After opening Samoa’s first banking institution and deporting most German citizens, the New Zealand administration appointed Malietoa Tanumafili and Tupua Tamasese Lealofi II as joint Fautua. After Tupua Tamasese Lealofi’s death on October 13, 1915, Tanumafili served as Fautua along with Tuimaleali‘ifano Si‘u.
Under New Zealand occupation many Samoans began acting on their desires for self-autonomy
. Many Samoan customs which had been suppressed under German rule, such as ceremonial ‘ie toga
exchanges and kilikiti matches, returned to normal function. Local chiefs were also at liberty “to make rules in the best interests of the village” and village fono began retaking administrative powers lost to the Germans (Meleiseā 1987a:112). Tanumafili had been a founding member of Apia’s so-called Toe‘aina Club which provided high-ranking Samoan chiefs a venue for socialization and collaboration. The club also gave Samoans a place to resolve conflicts involving titles or property without requiring New Zealand
’s interference.
On December 17, 1920 the League of Nations
granted British-New Zealand mandate over “German Samoa” and King George V
of the United Kingdom
became the titular King of Samoa (Field 54). Sir George Richardson’s administration was widely opposed and by 1927 the leaders of the four Samoan royal families, or tama‘āiga, were divided in their opinions about New Zealand rule. Matā‘afa Salanoa and Malietoa Tanumafili appeared to be loyal – “at least in public” – to the New Zealand administration (Meleiseā 1987b:142) while Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III and Tuimaleali‘ifano Si‘u supported the Samoan independence movement known as the Mau. The Mau grew out of discontent with Richardson’s policies and growing distrust of foreign intervention in Samoan affairs. The Mau was a nonviolent movement devoted to civil disobedience but it was opposed by some Samoans, specifically those allied to the Malietoa families and villages, among them Vaimauga (Tuamasaga), Aleipata (Ātua) and Falealili (Ātua). In March 1928, Malietoa supporters around Apia took offense to the anti-government rallies conducted by a particular Mau group from Savaii and had it not been for Tanumafili’s intervention a tragic massacre probably would have taken place. The Malietoa factions did not oppose the Mau because they desired to be ruled by New Zealand. Like all Samoans they longed for independence too, but the “non-Mau Samoans” (Meleiseā 1987b:145) were convinced that the Mau’s opposition of New Zealand was a direct challenge to Malietoa authority since Tanumafili was Fautua of the foreign government.
Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III was shot by New Zealand police on December 28, 1929 during the notorious “Black Saturday Massacre” and died the next day (Field 157). Tupua Tamasese Mea‘ole succeeded Lealofi III. Matā‘afa Salanoa [Lealaisalanoa Muliufi] died in 1936 and Fiamē Faumuinā Mulinu‘u became the new Matā‘afa that same year. These tama‘āiga joined Tanumafili in support of the New Zealand Labour Party
in 1935. When Tuimaleali‘ifano Si‘u died in 1938, Tanumafili was joined as Fautua by Tupua Tamasese Mea‘ole. Malietoa Tanumafili I – the last tama‘āiga to be declared King of Samoa by foreign powers – died in 1939 after 41 years in office.
Malietoa
Malietoa is a state dynasty and chiefly title in Samoa. Literally translated as "great warrior," the title's origin comes from the final words of the Tongan warriors as they were fleeing on the beach to their boats, "Malie To`a, Malie tau"....
in Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
from 1898 until his death in 1939.
Personal and political life
He was born in 1879 to Malietoa LaupepaMalietoa Laupepa
Susuga Malietoa Laupepa was the ruler of Samoa in the late 19th century.-Personal life: Laupepa was born in 1841 in Sapapali'i, Savaii, Samoa. His father was King Malietoa Moli and mother was Fa’alaituio Fuatino Su’a. He was raised in Malie, received a religious education at Malua Seminary and...
and Sisavai‘i Malupo Niuva‘ai. He married Momoe Lupeuluiva Meleiseā and had five children: Sisavai‘i Lupeuluiva (f), Vaimo‘oi'a, Salamāsina (f), Tanumafili II, and Sāveaali‘i Ioane Viliamu.
Tanumafili was only 19 years old when he was declared King of Samoa by Great Britain and the U.S.A. The vast majority of Samoa rallied behind the Matā‘afa-Sā Talavou party, including the Germans, the Tumua of Ātua-A‘ana, the Pule of Savai‘i (Keesing 1934:73), ‘Aiga-i-le-Tai, and most of Tuamasaga. Once again socio-religious factors came into play as the Sā Mōlī’s support came from the L.M.S. Congregationalists while most other Samoan
Samoans
The Samoan people are a Polynesian ethnic group of the Samoan Islands, sharing genetics, language, history and culture. Due to colonialism, the home islands are politically and geographically divided between the country of Samoa, official name Independent State of Samoa ; and American Samoa, an...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s backed the Sā Talavou-Sā Natūitasina-Matā‘afa parties. Perhaps the most adamant and well-known opponent of Tanumafili’s claim was Lauaki Namulau‘ulu Mamoe of Sāfotulafai, Savaii, a famed orator who carried the Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
n matapule title Lauaki (Gifford 149). He argued that not only was Tanumafili too young and inexperienced to rule, but that his installment as Malietoa was illegitimate and invalid according to Samoan custom. The vast majority of Samoans, including the leading orator bodies of Ātua-A‘ana (Tumua), Savai‘i (Pule), Manono, and Tuamasaga (Auimatagi) attested to the invalidity of Tanumafili’s claims to the kingship and the Malietoa title but the foreign powers continued in their endorsement of Malietoa Tanumafili I. A joint session of the Pule and Tumua assemblies held fono in Leulumoega, A‘ana and declared Matā‘afa Iosefo “King of Samoa” on November 12, 1898; this pronouncement was ratified at a national council held on November 15 at Mulinu‘u (Gilson 425, 426-427).
Foreign intervention and native opinion
The British and American consuls defied this declaration (as did Tanumafili I and Lealofi I) and their naval ships and soldiers assisted in defeating Matā‘afa Iosefo as the year 1898 came to a close; Tanumafili I was declared King of Samoa on December 31. The Tumua communities joined with the Sā Talavou and Matā‘afa parties in immediately protesting Tanumafili’s appointment, prompting the One Day War in which Tanumafili and Tamasese allies were defeated on January 1, 1899. Fearing for their lives, King Tanumafili I and Vice-King Tamasese Lealofi boarded a BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
ship where they lived for over two months to avoid assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
attempts. The Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
then declared Matā‘afa the “head of all chiefs” while the British and the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
s nominated Tanumafili as the ruler of Samoa (Hart, Hart & Harris 105). Matā‘afa’s parties declared him king once again in January, while “all the High Chiefs of Malietoa” Laupepa were in exile in Tutuila
Tutuila
Tutuila is the largest and the main island of American Samoa in the archipelago of Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands chain of the Central Pacific located roughly northeast of Brisbane, Australia and over northeast of Fiji. It contains a large, natural harbor,...
and Malietoa Laupepa
Malietoa Laupepa
Susuga Malietoa Laupepa was the ruler of Samoa in the late 19th century.-Personal life: Laupepa was born in 1841 in Sapapali'i, Savaii, Samoa. His father was King Malietoa Moli and mother was Fa’alaituio Fuatino Su’a. He was raised in Malie, received a religious education at Malua Seminary and...
himself remained under the protection of the British; there was no military opposition to the coronation that day (Tuvale 67). Tanumafili’s high chiefs were allowed to return from Tutuila in March 1899 and war parties were reorganized. Tanumafili was able to defeat Matā‘afa with the ammunition and military aid of the Americans and British, and the foreign consuls once again named Tanumafili as King of Samoa on March 23.
Foreign political influences by this time had become deeply ingrained in the Samoan struggle for leadership. A committee composed of the foreign consuls called together the leaders of both parties on May 20, 1899. Matā‘afa Iosefo, Malietoa Fa‘alata and Lauaki Namulau‘ulu Mamoe are mentioned as high-ranking spokesmen of the Matā‘afa-Sā Talavou bloc while Tupua Tamasese Titimaea and Malietoa Laupepa
Malietoa Laupepa
Susuga Malietoa Laupepa was the ruler of Samoa in the late 19th century.-Personal life: Laupepa was born in 1841 in Sapapali'i, Savaii, Samoa. His father was King Malietoa Moli and mother was Fa’alaituio Fuatino Su’a. He was raised in Malie, received a religious education at Malua Seminary and...
headed the Tamasese-Sā Mōlī delegation (Tuvale 75-76). The joint commission of Germany, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
abolished the Samoan kingship in June 1899 and placed Manu'a and Tutuila under American control while Germany received ‘Upolu
Upolu
Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long, in area, and is the second largest in geographic area as well as the most populated of the Samoan Islands. Upolu is situated to the east of...
, Savaii, Manono
Manono
Manono may refer to:* Manono Island, Samoa* Manono, Democratic Republic of the Congo * Manono, the Māori name given to plants of the Coprosma species Coprosma grandifolia, found in New Zealand....
, and Apolima
Apolima
Apolima is the smallest of the four inhabited islands of Samoa and situated in the Apolima Strait, between the country's two largest islands Upolu to the east and Savai'i to the west....
. The official tri-nation “adjustment of jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
” was signed in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on November 7 without any mention of Samoan consent or opinion (Bevans 276); no Samoan chiefs signed the convention nor is there explicit indication that the Samoans were even aware of the impending dissection of their island group. Under this new government Matā‘afa Iosefo was named Ali‘i Sili (“Paramount Chief”) of Samoa while the German Kaiser
Kaiser
Kaiser is the German title meaning "Emperor", with Kaiserin being the female equivalent, "Empress". Like the Russian Czar it is directly derived from the Latin Emperors' title of Caesar, which in turn is derived from the personal name of a branch of the gens Julia, to which Gaius Julius Caesar,...
was declared Tupu Sili (“Paramount King”) of Samoa. The young Tanumafili – no longer King of Samoa – then left for the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an islands to further his university education.
Tanumafili I and German administration
The Kaiser sent Dr. Heinrich Solf to govern German Samoa in March 1900. Solf seemed to be supportive (or at least cognizant) of the native political system that previous EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an consuls had blatantly disregarded. In 1901 he oversaw a massive distribution of 2,000 fine state-mats (‘ie o le mālō) which served to acknowledge the authority of traditional chiefs while demonstrating a level of cultural sensitivity on the part of the German Empire (Keesing 1934:84). The ceremonial distribution took several months to complete and not all Samoan parties were satisfied with the recognition they received and/or the fact that the German administration oversaw the distribution. Other Samoan chiefs were upset over a perceived “attitude” adjustment of their paramounts; in 1901, Matā‘afa announced:
- ... the old days of Tumua and Pule are past, whose regimes have been absolutely guided by the laws and customs of Samoa. But now at the present time I wish to openly proclaim throughout our islands, that the honourable position of Le Ali‘i Sili which I hold was received through His Majesty the Kaiser – the Great King (Tupu Sili).
Similarly, Malietoa Tanumafili disappointed many of his followers when he refused to accept the kingly 'ava
Samoa 'ava ceremony
The Ava Ceremony is one of the most important customs of the Samoa Islands involving a solemn ritual where a ceremonial beverage is shared to mark most important occasions in Samoan society. The Samoan word ava is a cognate of the Polynesian word kava associated with the kava cultures in Oceania...
(also known as kava
Kava
Kava or kava-kava is a crop of the western Pacific....
) and instead passed on his “rights and privileges” to the German government. In January 1903, having arrived from Fiji, he declared:
- let us all obey and honour His Excellency the Governor, with him is the pule atoa (“total power”). The respect and honour which Malietoa possessed in days gone by now belong to our Sovereign the Kaiser.... The words to which Samoa was accustomed ‘Let Samoa obey Malietoa’ has now ended....(86)
Solf and the German imperial officers came to confide in Matā‘afa Iosefo and endorsed him as the legitimate leader of the itū mālō. Matā‘afa’s actions later in his term, however, reveal that his declared obeisance to Germany was probably a front for underlying motives and sentiments (the type of togafiti deception that Solf frequently condemned). In order to maintain the peace among “those who had not been recognised, but who had, in genealogical and recent historical terms, equal rank,” Solf also allowed for the appointment of other paramount tama‘aiga to government offices (Meleiseā 1987b:50). This representation was accomplished by installing the acknowledged heads of the Sā Tupua and the Sā Malietoa as “Ta‘imua.” The office of Ta‘imua was an executive and advisory position first held by Tupua Tamasese Lealofi I of the Sā Tupua and Malietoa Fa‘alataitaua of the Sā Malietoa Talavou.
Tanumafili I and the New Zealand Government
Tanumafili returned to Samoa and began reasserting his claim to the Malietoa title only after Malietoa Fa‘alataitaua had died (Tamasese 1995b:75). Hostilities arose between Tanumafili’s Sā Mōlī, the Sā Talavou parties, and Matā‘afa Iosefo over rights to the Malietoa title. Tensions were so high that Malietoa Fa‘alata’s sons needed to be safeguarded against rivals who wished to eliminate potential claimants. When Matā‘afa Iosefo died on February 6, 1912, he took the office of Ali‘i Sili to his grave and Malietoa Tanumafili regained support as Fautua and the sole Malietoa. It is probably in this year that Tanumafili also received the Tamasoāli‘i and Gato‘aitele supposedly carried by the Matā‘afa until 1912.New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
’s Lieutenant-Colonel Logan elicited the German surrender of the western Samoan islands in 1914 and began reorganizing Samoa’s government. New Zealand assured the Samoan people that the new government would be for Samoa’s benefit, unlike the German regime which was instated at great cost to Samoan autonomy and traditional authority. After opening Samoa’s first banking institution and deporting most German citizens, the New Zealand administration appointed Malietoa Tanumafili and Tupua Tamasese Lealofi II as joint Fautua. After Tupua Tamasese Lealofi’s death on October 13, 1915, Tanumafili served as Fautua along with Tuimaleali‘ifano Si‘u.
Under New Zealand occupation many Samoans began acting on their desires for self-autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
. Many Samoan customs which had been suppressed under German rule, such as ceremonial ‘ie toga
‘ie toga
A ʻie tōga is a special finely woven mat that is the most important item of cultural value in Sāmoa. They are commonly referred to in English as "fine mats" although they are never used as 'mats' as they only have a purely cultural value. ʻIe tōga are valued by the quality of the weave and the...
exchanges and kilikiti matches, returned to normal function. Local chiefs were also at liberty “to make rules in the best interests of the village” and village fono began retaking administrative powers lost to the Germans (Meleiseā 1987a:112). Tanumafili had been a founding member of Apia’s so-called Toe‘aina Club which provided high-ranking Samoan chiefs a venue for socialization and collaboration. The club also gave Samoans a place to resolve conflicts involving titles or property without requiring New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
’s interference.
On December 17, 1920 the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
granted British-New Zealand mandate over “German Samoa” and King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
became the titular King of Samoa (Field 54). Sir George Richardson’s administration was widely opposed and by 1927 the leaders of the four Samoan royal families, or tama‘āiga, were divided in their opinions about New Zealand rule. Matā‘afa Salanoa and Malietoa Tanumafili appeared to be loyal – “at least in public” – to the New Zealand administration (Meleiseā 1987b:142) while Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III and Tuimaleali‘ifano Si‘u supported the Samoan independence movement known as the Mau. The Mau grew out of discontent with Richardson’s policies and growing distrust of foreign intervention in Samoan affairs. The Mau was a nonviolent movement devoted to civil disobedience but it was opposed by some Samoans, specifically those allied to the Malietoa families and villages, among them Vaimauga (Tuamasaga), Aleipata (Ātua) and Falealili (Ātua). In March 1928, Malietoa supporters around Apia took offense to the anti-government rallies conducted by a particular Mau group from Savaii and had it not been for Tanumafili’s intervention a tragic massacre probably would have taken place. The Malietoa factions did not oppose the Mau because they desired to be ruled by New Zealand. Like all Samoans they longed for independence too, but the “non-Mau Samoans” (Meleiseā 1987b:145) were convinced that the Mau’s opposition of New Zealand was a direct challenge to Malietoa authority since Tanumafili was Fautua of the foreign government.
Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III was shot by New Zealand police on December 28, 1929 during the notorious “Black Saturday Massacre” and died the next day (Field 157). Tupua Tamasese Mea‘ole succeeded Lealofi III. Matā‘afa Salanoa [Lealaisalanoa Muliufi] died in 1936 and Fiamē Faumuinā Mulinu‘u became the new Matā‘afa that same year. These tama‘āiga joined Tanumafili in support of the New Zealand Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
in 1935. When Tuimaleali‘ifano Si‘u died in 1938, Tanumafili was joined as Fautua by Tupua Tamasese Mea‘ole. Malietoa Tanumafili I – the last tama‘āiga to be declared King of Samoa by foreign powers – died in 1939 after 41 years in office.