Faʻamatai
Faʻamatai is the indigenous political system of Samoa, central to the organization of Samoan society. It is the traditional indigenous form of governance in both Samoas, comprising American Samoa and the Independent State of Samoa. The term comprises the prefix faʻa and the word matai.
Of central importance in the system are the matai, the holders of family chief titles, and their role in looking after their family. Faʻamatai is the key socio-political system of governance and way of life in Samoan culture. Inherent in the faʻamatai system is the welfare and well-being of the extended family and the protection of family property, consisting most importantly of customary land. About 81%, is under customary ownership, with the rest under the national government as public lands with another 4% freehold.
In the Independent State of Samoa, the apex of this system are the four major title holders – Tupua Tamasese, Malietoa, Mataʻafa and Tuimalealiʻifano - known as the tamaʻāiga that afford them leadership over the royal families of the Independent State of Samoa. All heads of state of the Independent State of Samoa to date have been drawn from the tamaʻāiga. However, there is no constitutional requirement that heads of state must be a tama'aiga. In addition, these four paramount chiefs are often accorded pāpā titles - titles that indicate sovereignty or leadership over a designated territory or kinship network. These titles are Tui Ātua, Tui Aʻana, Gatoaitele and Vaetamasoalii. The Tui Ātua is currently held by Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi, former prime minister and head of state of the Independent State of Samoa. The Gatoaitele title is currently held by Savea Sano Malifa, a respected journalist and owner of the Samoa Observer newspaper. There are no official holders of the other two pāpā titles.
American Samoa have its own paramount titles known as Fa'asuaga, who are the titular heads of their families and districts—Le'iato, Faumuina, Mauga, Tuitele, Fuimaono, Satele, Letuli, and Tui Manu'a.
Tama'aiga of Upolu have the same rank as Fa'asuaga of Tutuila and Manu'a in traditional protocols.
The bicameral legislature of American Samoa, also known as the American Samoa Fono, consists of the 21-member House of Representatives and the 18-member Senate. Senators are selected according to Samoan customs by district councils and must be a matai. In the 49-seat of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa, all 51 Samoan members are also matai, performing dual roles as chiefs and modern politicians.
The 2006 census of Samoa identified 15,783 matai out of a total population of 180,741 ; 12,589 were male and 3,194 were female.
Former system of government
Two great families comprise what may be termed the aristocracy of Samoa: Sa Malietoa, and Sa Tupua. For a great length of time, the title of Tupu was confined to members of the latter since the reign of Queen Salamasina.On the death of the Safe-o-fafine, the last king in the Sa Tupua line, the title remained in abeyance for a long time, as the line of succession was broken after Atua's defeat in war and the seat of power moved briefly from Lufilufi to Manono.
The new malo was led by the Manono high chief Leiʻataua Lelologa, His son Tamafaiga, succeeded him and assumed the attributes of a god as well as those of a king. He was actually worshipped as a god and developed into a tyrant. In the hope of escaping from his tyranny, the people of Aʻana conferred their title of Tui Aʻana upon him, but only to further smart under his oppressive rule. Whereas the Tonumaipeʻa clan had earlier taken all the royal titles and left the districts to run their own affairs, the reverse happened in Manono's case. The Manono/Tonumaipeʻa party ignored the royal titles but took the malo. This was a political move, as claiming the Tafaʻifa was irrelevant to the substance of power and would only validate his defeated foes' traditional authority to distribute patronage.
And so for the first time for many generations, the dignity passed from the family of Fonoti and thus from the line of the ancient Queen Salamasina. Aʻana not only lost the prestige it had so long held in this connection but the royal residence no longer was situated in the province, the new king continuing to reside on Manono. As his tyranny increased, in like proportion increased the hatred of the people of Aʻana, and at length they rose against him and he was killed in 1829. This was just before the missionary John Williams visited Samoa for the first time. A bloody war ensued and Aʻana's power was broken and the district laid waste.
Governance
Samoa's chiefly system revolves around family and extended clans of kinship, based on the culture's communal and extended family relationships. The term ʻaiga includes not only the immediate family, but also the whole union of families of a clan and even those who although not related are subject to the family control.At the local level, much of the country's civil and criminal matters are dealt with by some 360 village chief councils, Fono o Matai, according to traditional law, a practice further strengthened by the 1990 Village Fono Law.
Most Samoans live in villages consisting of groups of families with close ties and history. The influence of the matai is felt not only in the village but also in the district and even beyond. The active factor in the life of the village is the village council or fono o matai and its members are the matai. The fono of matai is the executive and judicial authority of every village in Samoa. If a matter is of importance the assembly is held on the malae, the open space in front of the village.
The speakers address the assembly and stand to do so. The listeners are comfortably seated on mats. Those not taking part in these assemblies are described as tagatanuʻu and include untitled men, women and children. Democratic ideas do not prevail at these fonos and decisions are independent of majority or minority rule. The decision of one or more matai sili is decisive. The remainder who are merely at the fono to listen, agree with the decisions given. It is permissible for the minor matai to discuss the matter with and endeavour to try to influence the matai sili before the fono commences.
Before the fono commences preliminary councils are held by the different groups and at these councils the single family heads exchange opinions and endeavour to convince each other and to create harmony in order that when the actual fono eventuates everything will move smoothly. Some matai are permitted to speak at these fono without having any right to make a decision.
The 2006 census of Samoa also revealed that 96% of the country's matai were actively involved in village activities as part of their matai responsibilities. The 4% 'not active' was explained as possibly due to the matai holding more than one title or living away from the village where their title belonged.
Authority
The authority of the matai has some limits. They are called upon to discuss all important matters with everyone of significance belonging to the family union. If the matter is of minor importance and only of interest to the immediate village family, more distant relations may be omitted from discussion. Matai subject to a senior matai are independent in family matters concerning their own single family unless they have a tuaigoa shared title name only, in which case they are not referred to at all in family matters and may be deprived of their names at the will of their superior at any time.Modern politics
The faʻamatai system is entrenched in Samoan politics. From the country's independence in 1962, only matai could vote and stand as candidates in elections to parliament. In 1990, the voting system was changed by the Electoral Amendment Act which introduced universal suffrage and the right to vote for adults aged 21-years and over. However, the right to stand for elections remains with matai, who are themselves selected by consensus of their families, including non-matai family members. Therefore, every Samoan Member of Parliament is also a matai, performing dual roles as a 'chief' as well as duties in the Samoan parliament. This applies to most Samoans in positions of public responsibility from the Prime Minister of Samoa to the country's Head of State, who is referred to as O le Ao o le Malo.Colonial influences
As matai head their families and represent their villages, communities and districts, important high-ranking title-holders came to play significant roles in colonial politics with the advent of western powers and rivalry in the 19th century.The colonial era saw Britain, Germany and the United States supporting different matai in order to gain political influence in Samoa. This led to the colonial powers bestowing the European title of king upon their own candidate during the tumultuous years of the late 19th century, leading to warring among competing high-ranking matai in different districts.
The Samoan term tupu, referring to paramount status over a particular region or the entire island group, has sometimes been translated incorrectly to the English language as "king" in the European sense. The relatively brief usage of the term "king" died out with the end of colonialism.
In the early 20th century, matai leadership played a pivotal role in the pro-independence Mau movement which eventually led to Western Samoa's independence in 1962.
''Matai'' title
Each matai has a name by and through which they exercise their rights in the family over which they preside. Matai names are for the most part very old ones and are handed down from generation to generation. Matai titles can be bestowed on one person or numerous family members who are distinguished from each other by their Christian name.It is common for each ʻaiga to have a number of matai titles, but one particular title will be the most important and serve as the main matai title. The title of a family matai which is peculiar and particular to that family is the subject of tradition and is faithfully recorded by the family and passed on from generation to generation.
It sometimes happens that new names are for some reason taken and the old ones discarded or passed on to lesser or junior chiefs.
In Samoan culture, the concept of serving and taking on the responsibility for the welfare of the family is integral to the faʻamatai system. Various members of the family are called upon in turn to support their matai in carrying out their role and responsibilities according to Samoan tradition, cultural obligations and duty. This often involves the family contributing money and important cultural items such as ʻie toga as well as food which the matai presents on behalf of the ʻaiga to ensure the family's obligations are met in their village or wider community.
Men and women have equal rights to matai titles in Samoa, although the role of women in Samoan society means female matai comprise a relatively small percentage.
Before the advent of European contact and influence, the authority of the matai extended to life and limb but this power has been altered and absorbed by a Western-style modern government where the matai's authority is confined and balanced against the national governance.