Tuimalealiifano with Robert Louis Stevenson at Vailima, Samoa, between 1889 and 1894

Tuimaleali'ifano Fa'aoloi'i Si'ua'ana I (~1854[1] — 14 October 1937)[2] was a Samoan paramount chief, and the first holder of the Tuimaleali'ifano title. He was one of the leaders of the Mau movement.

Fa'aoloi'i was the youngest son of Tuiaana Sualauvi.[3]: 55  He was raised in Afega, but recalled to Falelatai on the death of his father to take up his chiefly title.[3]: 55  In 1889 he was made Kovana Aana (district governor) by the Samoan government.[2] In the 1890s he became a friend of the writer Robert Louis Stevenson.[2][4] He served as a ta'imua under the German colonial administration, and in 1915 was made a fautua (native advisor) under the New Zealand administration.[1][5]

Mau movement

In late 1926 Tuimaleali'ifano 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.[6]: 77  This led to the formation of the citizens committee, which became the Mau. When he attended a public meeting of the committee, he was suspended as fautua by New Zealand administrator George Spafford Richardson.[6]: 82  In August 1927 following the sitting of a commission of inquiry into Samoa he resigned as fautua due to dissatisfaction with the administration.[7] He subsequently became one of the Mau's principal leaders, alongside Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III.[8] He was one of the leaders of the procession on Black Saturday,[9][6]: 139  and attempted to hold back the crowd when the shooting started.[6]: 153–154  He was injured, with a slight wound to the arm,[10] and spent several weeks hiding in the hills with other members of the Mau.[1] He was subsequently arrested and was charged with wearing a Mau lavalava.[11] In March 1930 he was convicted of sedition and fined £3.[12] In April 1930 he was again arrested for wearing Mau uniform and jailed for three months.[13]

In January 1937 he celebrated his "100th birthday"[14] because "he may not live to see it".[3]: 57  He died later that year.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Fuimaono Lumepa Hald (27 May 2022). "As we count down to Independence, we remember Tuimaleali'ifano Si'u and Fonoti Ioane". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "LAST LINK WITH OLD SAMOA: Death of 90-years-old High Chief Tuimalealiifano". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. VIII, no. 4. 25 November 1937. p. 60-61. Retrieved 7 August 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. 1 2 3 Morgan Tuimaleali'ifano (2006). O Tama a ʻāiga: The Politics of Succession to Sāmoa's Paramount Titles. Fiji: University of the South Pacific. ISBN 9789820203778.
  4. ↑ "STEVENSON IN SAMOA". New Zealand Herald. 12 August 1899. p. 5. Retrieved 8 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  5. ↑ "The Native Petition". Samoanische Zeitung. Vol. 19, no. 14. 5 April 1919. p. 4. Retrieved 8 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Michael Field (2006). Black Saturday: New Zealand's Tragic Blunders in Samoa. Auckland: Reed. ISBN 0-7900-1103-4.
  7. ↑ "VERY SERIOUS". Stratford Evening Post. 4 August 1927. p. 6. Retrieved 8 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  8. ↑ "CONDITIONS IN SAMOA". New Zealand Herald. 17 August 1929. p. 14. Retrieved 8 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  9. ↑ "STORY IN DETAIL". Evening Post. 8 January 1930. p. 10. Retrieved 8 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  10. ↑ "TROUBLE IN SAMOA". Evening Star. 30 December 1929. p. 8. Retrieved 8 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  11. ↑ "ARRESTS IN SAMOA". Ashburton Guardian. 18 January 1930. p. 5. Retrieved 8 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  12. ↑ "SAMOA SITUATION". Evening Star. 14 March 1930. p. 8. Retrieved 8 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  13. ↑ "SAMOANS CHARGED". Evening Star. 10 April 1930. p. 11. Retrieved 8 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
  14. ↑ "OLD SAMOA". Auckland Star. 14 January 1937. p. 9. Retrieved 8 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
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