Mata'afa is a high chief title 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...

 under the country's Matai

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...

 system of socio-political governance where individuals are bestowed with family names. The historical seat of the Mata'afa title is in Amaile in the Atua

Atua

Atua are the gods and spirits of the Polynesian peoples such as the Māori. The Polynesian word literally means power or strength and so the concept is similar to that of mana...

 district at the east end of 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...

 island.

The title was vacant from 1977 (with the death of Mata'afa Fa'asuamaleaui Pu'ela Patu) to May 2011, when it was bestowed upon Mata'afa Tupuola Lui, "an 83 year old village chief of Amaile village".

Title holders

Holders of the Mata'afa title include;

• Mata'afa Iosefo
  Mata'afa Iosefo
  Mata'afa Iosefo was a Paramount Chief of Samoa who was one of the three rival candidates for the kingship of Samoa during colonialism...
  
   (1832–1912), a rival for the 'kingship' of Samoa during the country's colonial era.
• Mata'afa Faumuina Fiame Mulinu'u I
  Mata'afa Faumuina Fiame Mulinu'u I
  Mata'afa Faumuina Fiame Mulinu'u I was a high chief of Samoa and a leader of the country's pro-independence Mau movement during the early 1900s...
  
   (died 1948), a leader of Samoa's pro-independence Mau movement
  Mau movement
  The Mau was a non-violent movement for Samoan independence from colonial rule during the early 1900s. The word 'Mau' means 'opinion' or 'testimony' denoting 'firm strength' in Samoan...
  
  .
  • Was married to a daughter of high chief 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...
    
    .
• Fiame Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu’u II
  Fiame Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu’u II
  Fiame Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu’u II, C.B.E. was a paramount chief and the first Prime Minister of Samoa. He was Prime Minister from October 1, 1959 until February 1970 and again from March 1973 until his death in 1975...
  
   (1921–1975), son of Mata'afa Faumuina Fiame Mulinu'u I. First Prime Minister of Samoa
  Prime Minister of Samoa
  This is a list of Prime Ministers of Samoa from the establishment of that office in 1875 until the present day.-List of Prime Ministers of Samoa :-See also:*Samoa**Politics of Samoa...
  
  .
  • Was married to Laulu Fetauimalemau Mata'afa
    Laulu Fetauimalemau Mata'afa
    Masiofo La'ulu Fetauimalemau Mata'afa also known as Fetaui Mata'afa was an ambassador and a Member of Parliament in Samoa. She was also the wife of Samoa's first Prime Minister Fiame Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu’u II. Their daughter, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa is a matai high chief and Cabinet Minister in...
    
     (1928–2007).
    • Their daughter Fiame Naomi Mata'afa
      Fiame Naomi Mata'afa
      Fiame Naomi Mata'afa is a Samoan high chief and a senior member of cabinet in Samoa. She is a Member of Parliament for the electoral constituency of Lotofaga in the political district of Atua. She is the current Minister of Women, Community & Social Development in Samoa...
      
      , a high chief and a senior cabinet minister in the Government of Samoa.

See also

• Fa'amatai
  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...
  
  , chieflty system of Samoa.
• Malietoa
  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"....
  
  
• Tu'imaleali'ifano
• Tupua Tamasese
  Tupua Tamasese
  Tupua 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'a
  Tui Manu'a
  An 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
• German Samoa
  German Samoa
  German Samoa was a German protectorate from 1900 to 1914, consisting of the islands of Upolu, Savai'i, Apolima and Manono, now wholly within the independent state Samoa, formerly Western Samoa...
  
  
• History of Samoa
  History of Samoa
  -Myths:According to legend, Samoa shares the common Polynesian ancestor of Tagaloa; according to many legends, Samoa was Tagaloa's first creation...
  
  
• Politics of Samoa
  Politics of Samoa
  Politics of Samoa takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic state whereby the Prime Minister of Samoa is the head of government...