Mata'afa Faumuina Fiame Mulinu'u I (centre, facing camera), 1930

Mata'afa Faumuina Fiame Mulinu'u I (1889 — 27 March 1948)[1][2] was a high chief of Samoa and a leader of the country's pro-independence Mau movement during the 1920's and 1930's. He was the holder of high-ranking ali'i chiefly titles: the Tama-a-'aiga Mata'afa, Fiame from Lotofaga and Faumuina from Lepea.

Mau Movement

Mau carrying the coffin of Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III. Standing to the right wearing a single white stripe on his lava-lava, the Mau uniform, is Mata'afa Faumuina Fiame Mulinu'u I.

Faumuina initially cooperated with the New Zealand colonial administration, remodelling his village of Lepea along the "model village" lines demanded by Administrator George Spafford Richardson.[3]: 73 [4] In late 1926 he attended a meeting with Olaf Frederick Nelson and other independence activists at the home of Samuel Meredith to plan the response to an inquiry into Samoan grievances.[3]: 77  This led to the formation of the citizens committee, which became the Mau. Faumuina suggested that the committee hold public meetings to discuss their grievances, and was a prominent speaker at the first two, calling for lawful change.[3]: 79 & 81 [5] When he assisted in raising funds for the Mau to send a delegation to New Zealand, he was confined to his village for three months.[3]: 82  He was subsequently banished to Apolima.[6] He was later sent to Lotofaga on Upolu.[7] In October 1927 he was allowed to return to Apia to give evidence before the royal commission.[8][9]

Following the exile of Olaf Frederick Nelson and arrest of Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III Faumuina became the effective leader of the Mau.[10] He was one of the leaders of the procession on Black Saturday,[3]: 139  and attempted to hold back the crowd when the shooting started.[11] He was lightly injured, with a bullet grazing his back.[12] The death of Tamasese left Faumuina as the undisputed leader of the movement, and he was put on a wanted list[13] for a speech he had given months before.[14] He went into hiding with other Mau members, but emerged in March 1930 for peace talks with the colonial administration.[15] Following the negotiations, he led 300 members of the Mau to Apia to surrender.[16] Over the next five years Faumuina continued to lead the Mau and keep the peace.[17][18]

Reconciliation

Following the election of the First Labour Government of New Zealand in the 1935 New Zealand general election New Zealand policy towards Samoa changed, and the ban on the Mau was lifted.[3]: 188 [19] Faumuina negotiated with the new government,[20] and gained concessions towards self-government.[21] In October 1936 he was appointed senior sergeant in the newly-formed native police force.[22] later that month the newly elected Fono recommended that he be appointed to the Legislative Council.[23] In January 1937 he was appointed supervisor of native police.[24] Eventually he rose to the rank of inspector.[25]

In March 1939, he succeeded Mata'afa Salanoa Muliufi as Mata'afa following a hearing by the Samoan Land and Titles Commission.[25] This was the first time the Mata'afa title passed from the elder line of Faasuamale'aui to the younger line of Silupevailei, which held the title until it was passed back following the death of his son and successor in 1975.[26]

In February 1944 he was appointed to the position of Fautua, one of three advisors to the Administrator.[2][27]

He died at Apia Hospital on 27 March 1948 at the age of 58,[1] and was subsequently given a state funeral.[2][28]

Legacy

His wife Fa'amusami, was the daughter of paramount chief Malietoa Laupepa.[7] His son, Fiame Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu'u II (1921–1975) became the first Prime Minister of Western Samoa at the country's independence from New Zealand colonial administration.[26] His granddaughter, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa is a high-ranking chief Lotofaga, the head of Aiga Sā Levalasi and is the current Prime Minister of Samoa.[29]

References

  1. 1 2 "DEATH IN SAMOA". Otago Daily Times. 29 March 1948. p. 5. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  2. 1 2 3 Mataafa Dead: Leading Samoan Chief Pacific Islands Monthly, April 1948, p18
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Michael Field (2006). Black Saturday: New Zealand's Tragic Blunders in Samoa. Auckland: Reed. ISBN 0-7900-1103-4.
  4. ↑ "SAMOAN IDEALS. Division of Land". Auckland Star. 15 July 1926. p. 8. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  5. ↑ "SAMOAN PROBLEM". Evening Post. 16 December 1926. p. 10. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  6. ↑ "REBUKE TO AGITATORS". New Zealand Herald. 12 July 1927. p. 13. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  7. 1 2 "THE SAMOAN UNREST". New Zealand Herald. 5 September 1927. p. 11. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  8. ↑ "SAMOAN INQUIRY". Auckland Star. 6 October 1927. p. 7. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  9. ↑ "Royal Commission on Samoa". Samoanische Zeitung. Vol. 27, no. 41. 14 October 1927. p. 2. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  10. ↑ "BATONS WIELDED". Auckland Star. 9 July 1929. p. 5. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  11. ↑ "STORY IN DETAIL". Evening Post. 8 January 1930. p. 10. Retrieved 8 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  12. ↑ "EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FORMED". Auckland Star. 8 January 1930. p. 8. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  13. ↑ "Notice". Samoanische Zeitung. Vol. 30, no. 2. 10 January 1930. p. 7. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  14. ↑ "THE SAMOAN TROUBLE". Manawatu Standard. 13 January 1930. p. 2. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  15. ↑ "OPTIMISM IN SAMOA". Stratford Evening Post. 5 March 1930. p. 6. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  16. ↑ "THE MAU DETERMINED". Stratford Evening Post. 10 March 1930. p. 6. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  17. ↑ "Many Samoans Gather at Apia". Manawatu Times. 27 November 1933. p. 7. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  18. ↑ "NELSON TRIAL". Gisborne Times. 6 March 1934. p. 4. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  19. ↑ "SAMOA'S FUTURE". Auckland Star. 26 June 1936. p. 9. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  20. ↑ "MISSION TO SAMOA". Otago Daily Times. 14 July 1936. p. 4. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  21. ↑ "SAMOA'S FUTURE". New Zealand Herald. 17 July 1936. p. 11. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  22. ↑ "QUIET IN SAMOA". Auckland Star. 9 October 1936. p. 15. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  23. ↑ "IN SAMOA". Auckland Star. 29 October 1936. p. 11. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  24. ↑ "SAMOAN JOTTINGS". Auckland Star. 4 January 1937. p. 9. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  25. 1 2 "Faumuina". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. IX, no. 9. 17 April 1939. p. 16. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  26. 1 2 Tuimalealiʻifano, Morgan A. (2006). O tama a ʻāiga: the politics of succession to Sāmoa's paramount titles. University of the South Pacific. p. 23. ISBN 982-02-0377-5.
  27. ↑ "SAMOAN YOUTHS". Evening Post. 17 February 1944. p. 3. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  28. ↑ "State Funeral for Mataafa: Thousands Pay Last Homage to High Chief". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. XVIII, no. 10. 20 May 1948. p. 58. Retrieved 12 August 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  29. ↑ "Government of Samoa". Government of Samoa. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
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