Malietoa
Encyclopedia
State (polity)
A state is an organized political community, living under a government. States may be sovereign and may enjoy a monopoly on the legal initiation of force and are not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state. Many states are federated states which participate in a federal union...
dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
and chiefly title
Fa'amatai
Fa'amatai is the chiefly system of Samoa, central to the organization of Samoan society.It is the traditional indigenous form of governance in the Samoa Islands, comprising American Samoa and the Independent State of Samoa...
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...
. 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".. brave warrior, brave fight.
History
In early Polynesian history Tongan kings of the Tu'i TongaTu'i Tonga
The Tui Tonga is a line of Tongan kings, which originated in the 10th century with the mythical Ahoeitu; withdrew from political power in the 15th century by yielding to the Tui Haatakalaua; and died out with Laufilitonga in 1865...
dynasty ruled, at various times in prehistory, over several western Polynesian polities including Lau group of islands
Lau Islands
The Lau Islands of Fiji are situated in the southern Pacific Ocean, just east of the Koro Sea. Of this chain of about one hundred islands and islets, about thirty are inhabited...
(eastern 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...
), Niue
Niue
Niue , is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia", and inhabitants of the island call it "the Rock" for short. Niue is northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the southwest, the Samoas to the northwest, and the Cook Islands to...
, 'Uvea, Futuna, '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...
, and Savai'i
Savai'i
Savaii is the largest and highest island in Samoa and the Samoa Islands chain. It is also the biggest landmass in Polynesia outside Hawaii and New Zealand. The island of Savai'i is also referred to by Samoans as Salafai, a classical Samoan term used in oratory and prose...
). Tu'i Tonga Talakaifaiki established a long-termresidence at Safotu
Safotu
Safotu is a village on the central north coast of Savai'i island in Samoa. Safotu is in the district Gagaifomauga. Traditionally, it attained the status of 'Pule,' customary political authority, and has been the main centre of the Gagaifomauga district....
, Savai'i, Samoa and installed his brother, Lautivunia, as governor of Tutuila islands. Samoan lore suggests that Talakaifaiki's reign was one of tyranny and oppression that was highly resented by his Samoan subjects.
The seeds of rebellion were planted, according to legend, to the "sons" of Atiogie, namely Savea, Tuna, Fata and Ulumasui (who was actually a grandson of Atiogie). The three brothers and their nephew lead a wide-scale campaign of civil disobedience which ultimately escalated into the military overthrow of Talakaifaiki. Driven westward from Aleipata, 'Upolu (where the Tu'i Tonga's birthday festivities were underway) to the coast of Mulifanua, the king and his bodyguards were cornered against the sea.
There was fierce fighting all the way to the sea whereon the Tu'i Tonga reached his superior navy vessels and called out to those on the land. Upon his departure, the aged monarch delivered a short speech which praised the brave fighting qualities of the Samoan warriors and conceded victory to his once-subjects. The Malietoa title is taken from the opening phrase of that speech: "Mālie toa, mālie tau," meaning "great warriors, well fought."
It is said that the brothers Tuna and Fata both took a fancy to the honor spoken by the deposed Tu'i Tonga and a quarrel between the two ensued. Legend tells that one brother was struck dead by the other and chaos was averted by their eldest brother, Savea, who resuscitated and placated both contenders.
The political vacuum left by the ousting of Talakaifaiki was immediately filled by Savea, who was unanimously nominated as paramount ruler of 'Upolu, Savai'i, 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 Tutuila. Savea was bestowed the title Malietoa which his brothers had fought over and was hence honored in Samoan oratory as Malietoa Savea-ali'i (Lord Savea), Na-fa'alogo-iai-Samoa (He Who Samoa Listened To), Savea Tu-vae-lua (Savea Who Stands on Both Feet), and Savea-matua (Savea the Elder).
Succession List
The following is one of the common lists of the Malietoa paramounts. A handful of other versions are also recorded, however the overall consistency of chronology and nomenclature is impressive given the oral nature of Samoan genealogyGenealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
transmission.
1. Malietoa Savea - the first Malietoa and first central monarch of Samoa following the Tongan occupation of 'Upolu, Savai'i and Tutuila.
2. Malietoa Uilamatutu - also known as Malietoa Faiga or Malietoa Faisautele. Well-known in Samoan mythology as a tyrant cannibal who exacted human tribute from his subjects. He married Lealainuanua, a daughter of the Tu'i Tonga, and resided at Malie on 'Upolu island. His brothers Leupolusavea and Ganasavea may have also ruled as Malietoa either in succession or simultaneously (as rivals).
3. Malietoa Galoa'itofo
4. Malietoa Sona'ilepule
5. Malietoa Seali'itele
6. Malietoa Uilematutu
7. Malietoa Fetoloa'i
8. Malietoa 'Ula - also known as Malietoa Vaetui or Malietoa Valaletimu. Said to have been a cruel cannibal king who lived at Leoneuta, near the village of Amoa on 'Upolu island.
9. Malietoa Lepalealai - a "scholar chief" known for his wit and love of complicated riddles
10. Malietoa Uitualagi - his position in the genealogy is debatable; some believe he was the biological son of Uilamatutu, others call him an adopted son, and yet others assert that his position is seven generations removed from Uilamatutu (as he is listed here).
11. Malietoa La'auli - also known as Malietoa La'ailepouliuli. An adopted son of Uitualagi; thus, the bloodline of Malietoa Savea does not continue along the patrilineal succession
Order of succession
An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant.-Monarchies and nobility:...
of the Malietoa title from this point on.
12. Malietoa Fuaoleto'elau - the biological son of Uitualagi who opposed his adoptive brother La'auli by setting up a rival government at Si'umu, 'Upolu. Tohu'ia Limapo, the Samoan ancestress of the Tu'i Kanokupolu
Tu'i Kanokupolu
The Ha'a Tu'i Kanokupolu is the most junior of the Ha'a Tu'i in Tonga. They are generally refer to as the Kau Halalalo The Ha'a Tu'i Tonga, the most senior and Sacred Ha'a Tu'i in Tonga are generally refer to as the Kauhala'uta, The inland side of the roads...
dynasty of Tonga was a member of the 'Ama family of Safata which descends from Fuaoleto'elau.
13. Malietoa Falefatu - son of Malietoa La'auli (may have been adopted).
14. Malietoa Sagagaimuli - son of Falefatu. Also known as Malietoa Fe'ai (The Wild). Portrayed in oral tradition as a cannibal and bloodthirsty warrior who preferred the battlefield to the royal court.
15. Malietoa Taulapapa - confusion exists regarding this figure because at least two men with the same name laid claim to the title during this period. One Malietoa Taulapapa was a descendant of Malietoa Falefatu while another was a matrilineal descendant of Malietoa La'auli.
16. Malietoa Taia'opo - the only female Malietoa known to history. Her husband was a ranking Tongan chief named Anava'o who carried the Fale Fisi title of Tu'i Lakepa. Legend mentions her reign as one of benevolence and peace. Her brother Seiuli was probably also a Malietoa at one time, although an alternate explanation asserts that Malietoa Seiuli was a descendant of Malietoa Sagagaimuli who claimed the title during this time. A Malietoa Leafuitevaga is also mentioned at this point in some genealogies.
17. Malietoa Tuila'epa - apparently held the Fijian-derived Tongan title of Tu'i Lakepa (Tuila'epa) which his father held, as well as the Malietoa.
18. Malietoa To'oa Tuila'epa - may be the same person as Tuila'epa.
19. Malietoa 'Ae'o'ainu'u - son of either Tuila'epa or To'oa Tuila'epa. Named after 'Ae, the fierce war chief of Tutuila.
20. Malietoa Laulauafolasa
21. Malietoa Muagututi'a - also known as Malietoa Ti'a. Relocated the Malietoa political headquarters and royal household from Malie, 'Upolu to Sapapali'i, Savai'i.
22. Malietoa Fitisemanu I.
23. Malietoa Vaiinupo
24. Malietoa Moli
King Malietoa Moli
Malietoa Mōli [Semoanaifea] was a Samoan king who died in 1860.-Titular succession: Some speculate that both Mōlī and Malietoa Talavou Tonumaipe'a were both declared Malietoa following Malietoa Tinai "Natuitasina" Taimalelagi’s death; Malietoa Mōli [Semoanaifea] (“Lamp Oil” or “Illumination”) was...
25. Malietoa Talavou Tonumaipe'a
26. 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...
27. Malietoa Tanumafili I
Malietoa Tanumafili I
Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili I was the Malietoa in Samoa from 1898 until his death in 1939.-Personal and political life:He was born in 1879 to Malietoa Laupepa and Sisavai‘i Malupo Niuva‘ai...
28. Malietoa Tanumafili II (1913–2007), holder of the title from 1939 until 2007. Awarded the title through court decision of 1939. When Samoa become independent in 1962, he also becomes O le Ao o le Malo
O le Ao o le Malo
O le Ao o le Malo is the Samoan head of state, which is the title's rough translation....
(Head of State), jointly with Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole
Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole
Tupua Tamasese Mea'ole, CBE was the Tupua Tamasese from 1929 to 1963, a Samoan paramount chief. He held the post O le Ao o le Malo jointly with Malietoa Tanumafili II from 1962 until his death in the next year....
.
LANDS AND TITLE COURT DECISION 18 JUNE 2008
The Lands and Title Court ruled on the 18 June 2008, that the title bestowal conducted in 2007 on Fa'amausili Papali'i Moli was legally and traditionally invald and his title was therefore quashed. This means that he is no longer a suitable candidate for the Malietoa title as he has been proven to have broken the law of Samoa. The Court is now of the view that the next Malietoa should be a person that can best unite an obviously divided family and continue the tradition of leadership and service established by previous Malietoas.
LEADING CONTENDER TO THE MALIETOA TITLE MARRIES IN SAMOA
APIA, Samoa (Samoa Observer, July 19, 2010) - The eldest grandson of the late Malietoa Tanumafili II and likely successor to the Malietoa paramount title was married on Saturday.
Laauli Papali΄i Malietau Sapatu-motu-pa Laupepa Titimaea Malietoa said “I do” to his sweetheart, Soonaalofa ‘Sina’ Ah Poe in a ceremony at Papauta Girls College church complex. He is the only son of Malietoa Tanumafili II’s eldest Papalii Molio΄o Laupepa Malietoa who was a member of parliament and Minister of Justice in the 1980s and Aiono Sia.
The wedding, conducted by the EFKS Deputy Chair, Lale Ieremia was attended by the Head of State Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi and his masiofo (queen), Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai
Naioti Sailele Malielegaoi, cabinet ministers, guests, family and friends.
Known to his friends as ‘Tau,’ the full extension of that name - Malietau - is significant as he’s the first to be named as such since the Tui Toga were vanquished all those years ago. His late aunt, Tooa Salamasina bequeathed him the name and yesterday he paid homage with his wife’s first duty before meeting guests to place her bouquet of flowers on Tooa’s tomb at Papauta.
The wedding service was conducted by Rev Lale Ieremia in a beautifully decorated church. Laced with simple flowers, the mahogany furniture for the Head of State and his masiofo were contrasted by the orange and white colours tracing the church interior contours which Sina described to signify ‘earth and purity.’
The curator for Samoa’s National Museum, Soonaalofa has a masters degree in Fine Arts from England’s Newcastle University. Marrying Malietau, "Is a sign from above. Being career minded I had resigned myself to staying single but not long ago I dedicated myself to our Father in Heaven and told him, do with me what you will. And that’s when Tau entered my life – and I’m just so happy that he did."
http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2010/July/07-21-16.htm
Modern Branches of the Sa Malietoa
The descendants of the Malietoa lineage, both titular and biological, are referred to collectively as the Sa Malietoa. The Sa Malietoa of today is expansive and transcends geographical boundaries, religious persuasions, socio-economic class and even ethnicity (considering various chiefly families in Fiji and other Pacific societies are genealogically linked to the Malietoa family). The subject of descendants of the Malietoa title is a thorny one riddled with claim and counter claim present from the first Malietoa to the present day.In terms of relative history, the "oldest" branch of the modern Sa Malietoa is the Sa Natuitasina (also spelled Gatuitasina). Malietoa Natuitasina was the half-brother of Vai'inupo who allied with his own nephew Talavou against the London Missionary Society and the pacifist policy of Vai'inupo and the Christians in 1842. He is better known by his other chiefly title, Taimalelagi. The Sa Natuitasina considers the Maota Pouvi (Taimalelagi's former residential grounds) to be their familial "headquarters" and their council house is also located in Sapapali'i, Savai'i.[7] Although only the apical ancestor of this branch has held the Malietoa title, the 1939 ruling grants the Sa Natuitasina deliberating rights on the succession of the Malietoa title.
Perhaps the most well-known of the three modern branches, the Sa Moli has been highlighted as Samoa's royal family for over a century. The families of the Sa Moli trace their genealogies to Malietoa Moli. The Sa Moli maintains a family council house in Sapapali'i called Poutoa, which, since it was established by Malietoa Vaiinupo, is also held as the ancestral maota of the Sa Natuitasina and Sa Talavou.
The Sa Talavou branch includes all descendants of Malietoa Talavou Pe'a, a son of Malietoa Vai'inupo who was born around 1810. Prominent members of the Sa Talavou include Talavou's son, Malietoa Fa'alataitaua, who held the Ta'imua office and was named successor to Mata'afa Iosefo's office as Ali'i Sili while under German colonial rule.[10] Fa'alataitaua held the Malietoa title until his death in 1910.[11] Fa'alataitaua's son, Fitisemanu, was also installed as Malietoa, styled as Malietoa Fitisemanu II, but later conceded the title following a legal battle in 1939. The communal council house of the Sa Talavou in Sapapali'i is called Maota Pouesi,[12] the restored former residence of Malietoa Talavou.
While not legally recognized by the 1939 Malietoa edict (LC 853), there are technically many other family lineages that can claim genealogical connections as "branches" of the Sa Malietoa. Some of these descendants have come to light through media coverage of the ongoing titular dispute prompted by the death of Malietoa Tanumafili II, including families who claim descent from other Malietoas (besides Natuitasina, Moli and Talavou) and/or their descendants.
See also
- Fa'amataiFa'amataiFa'amatai is the chiefly system of Samoa, central to the organization of Samoan society.It is the traditional indigenous form of governance in the Samoa Islands, comprising American Samoa and the Independent State of Samoa...
, chieflty system of Samoa. - Mata'afaMata'afaMata'afa is a high chief title in Samoa under the country's Matai system of socio-political governance where individuals are bestowed with family names...
- Tu'imaleali'ifano
- Tupua TamaseseTupua TamaseseTupua Tamasese is the title of one of Samoa's four important paramount chiefs. Samoa's other three important paramount chiefs are the Malietoa, Mata'afa and Tu'imaleali'ifano....
- Tui Manu'aTui Manu'aAn ancient prodominant title of the Manu'a islands of the Samoa Islands , which are now part of the United States Territory of American Samoa...
- Tui Atua
- Tui A'ana
External links
- http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2010/July/07-21-16.htm
- http://www.samoaobserver.ws/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24634:samoan-prince&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50
- New Zealand Herald: Two men make history in Samoa
- News article on the history of the Malietoa Title: "Uncertain times ahead as Samoa deals with new order"