Malietoa Tanumafili I
Malietoa Tanumafili I | |
---|---|
King of Samoa | |
Reign | 1898 – 2 December 1899 |
Coronation | 31 December, 1898 |
Predecessor | Malietoa Laupepa |
Successor | Monarchy abolished |
Malietoa | |
Reign | 1898 - 5 July 1939 |
Predecessor | Malietoa Laupepa |
Successor | Malietoa Tanumafili II |
Born | 1879 Samoa |
Died | 5 July 1939 Faatoialemanu, Samoa | (aged 59–60)
Spouse | Momoe Lupeuluiva Meleisea |
Issue | 5, Including Malietoa Tanumafili II |
Father | Malietoa Laupepa |
Mother | Sisavai'i Malupo Niuva'ai |
Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili I
Personal and political life
Tanumafili was born in 1880 to Malietoa Laupepa and Sisavai‘i Malupo Niuva‘ai. He attended the London Missionary College in Malua, before continuing his education in Fiji.[1]
He married Momoe Lupeuluiva Meleiseā and had five children: Sisavai‘i Lupeuluiva, Vaimo‘oi'a, Salamāsina, Tanumafili II, and Sāveaali‘i Ioane Viliamu.
When his father died in 1898, Tanumafili was declared "King of Samoa" (Tafa'ifa) by William Lea Chambers, and recognised by Germany, the United Kingdom and United States.[1] However, this led to the outbreak of the Second Samoan Civil War.[1]
The vast majority of Samoa rallied behind the Matā‘afa-Sā Talavou party, including the Germans, the Tumua of Ātua-A‘ana, the Pule of Savai‘i (Keesing 1934:73), ‘Aiga-i-le-Tai, and most of Tuamasaga. Once again socio-religious factors came into play as the Sā Mōlī’s support came from the L.M.S. Tanumafili's royal house was made up of four families: Matavai, Silliaumua, Tupuola and Fagafua, the last remaining dynasty in the western part of Samoa. They were
Foreign intervention and native opinion
The British and American consuls defied this declaration (as did Tanumafili I and Lealofi I) and their naval ships and
Tanumafili's high chiefs were allowed to return from Tutuila in March 1899 and war parties were reorganized. Tanumafili was able to defeat Matā‘afa with the ammunition and military aid of the Americans and British, and the foreign consuls once again named Tanumafili as King of Samoa on 23 March.
Foreign political influences by this time had become deeply ingrained in the Samoan struggle for leadership. A committee composed of the foreign consuls called together the leaders of both parties on 20 May 1899. Matā‘afa Iosefo, Malietoa Fa‘alata and Lauaki Namulau‘ulu Mamoe are mentioned as high-ranking spokesmen of the Matā‘afa-Sā Talavou bloc while Tupua Tamasese Titimaea and
Tanumafili I and German administration
The Kaiser sent Dr. Wilhelm Solf to govern German Samoa in March 1900. Solf seemed to be supportive (or at least cognizant) of the native political system that previous European consuls had blatantly disregarded. In 1901 he oversaw a massive distribution of 2,000 fine state-mats (‘ie o le mālō) which served to acknowledge the authority of traditional chiefs while demonstrating a level of cultural sensitivity on the part of the German Empire (Keesing 1934:84). The ceremonial distribution took several months to complete and not all Samoan parties were satisfied with the recognition they received and/or the fact that the German administration oversaw the distribution. Other Samoan chiefs were upset over a perceived "attitude" adjustment of their paramounts; in 1901, Matā‘afa announced:
- ... the old days of Tumua and Pule are past, whose regimes have been absolutely guided by the laws and customs of Samoa. But now at the present time I wish to openly proclaim throughout our islands, that the honourable position of Le Ali‘i Sili which I hold was received through His Majesty the Kaiser – the Great King (Tupu Sili).
Similarly, Malietoa Tanumafili disappointed many of his followers when he refused to accept the kingly
- let us all obey and honour His Excellency the Governor, with him is the pule atoa ("total power"). The respect and honour which Malietoa possessed in days gone by now belong to our Sovereign the Kaiser.... The words to which Samoa was accustomed ‘Let Samoa obey Malietoa’ has now ended....(86)
Solf and the German imperial officers came to confide in Matā‘afa Iosefo and endorsed him as the legitimate leader of the itū mālō. Matā‘afa's actions later in his term, however, reveal that his declared obeisance to Germany was probably a front for underlying motives and sentiments (the type of togafiti deception that Solf frequently condemned). In order to maintain the peace among "those who had not been recognised, but who had, in genealogical and recent historical terms, equal rank," Solf also allowed for the appointment of other paramount tama‘aiga to government offices (Meleiseā 1987b:50). This representation was accomplished by installing the acknowledged heads of the Sā Tupua and the Sā Malietoa as "Ta‘imua." The office of Ta‘imua was an executive and advisory position first held by Tupua Tamasese Lealofi I of the Sā Tupua and Malietoa Fa‘alataitaua of the Sā Malietoa Talavou.
Tanumafili I and the New Zealand Government
Tanumafili returned to Samoa and began reasserting his claim to the Malietoa title only after Malietoa Fa‘alataitaua had died (Tamasese 1995b:75). Hostilities arose between Tanumafili's Sā Mōlī, the Sā Talavou parties, and Matā‘afa Iosefo over rights to the Malietoa title. Tensions were so high that Malietoa Fa‘alata's sons needed to be safeguarded against rivals who wished to eliminate potential claimants. When Matā‘afa Iosefo died on 6 February 1912, he took the office of Ali‘i Sili to his grave and Malietoa Tanumafili regained support as Fautua and the sole Malietoa. It is probably in this year that Tanumafili also received the Tamasoāli‘i and Gato‘aitele supposedly carried by the Matā‘afa until 1912.
New Zealand’s Lieutenant-Colonel Logan elicited the German surrender of the western Samoan islands in 1914 and began reorganizing Samoa’s government. New Zealand assured the Samoan people that the new government would be for Samoa’s benefit, unlike the German regime which was instated at great cost to Samoan autonomy and traditional authority. After opening Samoa’s first banking institution and deporting most German citizens, the New Zealand administration appointed Malietoa Tanumafili and Tupua Tamasese Lealofi I as joint Fautua. After Tupua Tamasese Lealofi’s death on 13 October 1915, Tanumafili served as Fautua along with Tuimaleali‘ifano Si‘u.
Under New Zealand occupation many Samoans began acting on their desires for self-
On 17 December 1920 the
Tanumafili was appointed to the Legislative Council in 1929,
He died in 1939 after 41 years as Malietoa.[9]
References
- ^ a b c Last King of Samoa Pacific Islands Monthly, August 1939, p29
- ^ Gilson, Richard (1970). Samoa 1830-1900: The Politics of a Multi-Cultural Community. Oxford University Press.
- ^ a b Te'o Tuvale. An Account of Samoan History up to 1918 – via NZETC.
- ^ Charles Bevans (1968). Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States of America. Department of State.
- ISBN 0-7900-1103-4.
- ^ Lauofo Meti (2002) Samoa: The Making of the Constitution, National University of Samoa, p20
- ^ "No. 33675". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1931. p. 11.
- ^ "MALIETOA RESIGNS". Evening Post. 14 June 1937. p. 7. Retrieved 17 August 2021 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "LAST KING DIES". Auckland Star. 26 July 1939. p. 15. Retrieved 17 August 2021 – via Papers Past.