‘A fa’apea ‘o Savai’i e leai ni ona ali’i maualuluga, ma ‘ā fa’apea e mai lava i le ‘āmataga sā la’itiiti ni nai ona lava ali’i tausa’afia,’e tatau ona tātou manatua sā fa’auiga 1ea tūlaga ‘i se vaitaimi i le vāsaga o le 15 ‘i le 20 tupulaga ‘i tua. Talu mai ai sā tele ni uiga sā suia, ‘e ui ‘ina
‘o se atunu’u taumamao (fale’esea) pei ‘o Sāmoa – sā fa’ato’ā maua i le 1722 ma ‘o lana fāiā māsani ma ‘Europa na fa’ato’ā fa ‘amaumauina i le ‘ogātotonu o le seneturi na se’i mavae atu nei – ‘o aganu’u e tāofiofia pea ma le fesuia’iga o le vāfealoa’i e telegese lava lona alualu ‘i luma.
‘E ui ‘ina ‘o lea, ‘o se meamoni i aso nei ina ‘ua mavae le nopia’i i tausaga e 700 ‘ua te’a, ‘ua iai nei i Savai’i e le gata i le tele o ni ali’i, ‘a e to’atele fo’i ‘ua sopo atu ‘i fafo o lātou mamalu mai o iStou lava nu’u ma itūmālō. ‘0 lea mamalu e pogai mai 1e_te1e o ni māfua’aga,
‘a e maise i maluali’i o ni isi e 1e matuā tāua i tūlaga o fa’afeagaiga,
ma ‘ā tonu ‘o 1e pogai moni fo’i lea i feusua’iga o gafa ma ali’i maualuluga o ‘Upolu ma isi fo’i motu.
‘0 talatu’u ma talafa’asolopito sā fa’amaumauina ai ni igoa ma ni gāoioiga totoa a ni isi o ta’ita’i iloga. ‘0 ni isi nei o latou, o Pulele’i’ite, LT’āva’a, Tuātō, ‘Aula ma lona uso o Tufuga, Tamafaiga
o Manono, ma le ali’i ta’uta’ua i aso na fa’ato’a se l ^vae atu, o Lauati-Namulau’ulu. ‘0 ni nai au’ili’iliga o m isi o ilatou e le tauma
ona logomālie i le faitau ‘i ai.
‘0 Tuātō ‘o se ali’i fa’avaipou o le itūmalo o SSlega sā ia fa’aolaina
lona nu’u mai le to’atāma’i o Mālietoa.
‘0 le tasi aso na malaga atu ai MāHetoa ma lana ‘1sp
«imu?KtsiPe:?e”nu”u^”iele’oJea?aumafaTM«na^mo^taliga
e^MGinale^nu’u?^0^10,se.vaegā’au;,poloa’iina ‘ia osofa’ia ma susunu 1e nu’u ma fafasi ilatou uma e maua atu.

Sa vave ona salalau le tala e uiga ‘i_lea poloa’iga sauā_ma fa’aoso
ai le fefefe o tagata o le nu’u, peitaH sa fa’atonu atu e Tuāto ‘ia
fTlemū pea ma e leai se mea e tupu. Sā ia fa’atonu atu ‘ia saunia ni . launiu se lua e pei ’ona faia pe ‘ā fa’aaogāina mo se mea-i-tuā’olō (pua’a). Ina ‘ua sāunia lea tūlaga, sā ia toe fa’atonu atu’ia filiina ia ‘i laupolapola ma tu’uina e fa’alava tonu i le ‘auala e ulu atu ai ‘i le nu’u.
‘Ina ‘ua malaga atu vaegā’au a Mālietoa, na lātou maua atu ma le ofo
le gāoioiga sā faia e Tuatō, ‘o le fili ‘o ia fa’ata’atia i le ala ma sāunia e fasia ma fa’avela e sāuni ai mo le taumafataga, pei ‘o se
tāulaga e fa’amaise ai le to’atama’i o le tupu *ina ‘ia māgalo ai ona tagata.
Sā lava lea togisala e fa’amalie ai Mālietoa. Sā fa’asaoina ai ia ‘Stoa ma lona nu’u ma ta’uta’ua ai lona igoa ‘o le fa’aola o ona tagata.

‘0 ‘Aula ma Tufuga e tupuga mai ā Lāfai. Sā mālolosi ma loto-tele lea to’alua. Sā lā ulua’i nonofo i_Sāfotulāfai, ‘a ‘o ‘Aula, na mulimuli- ane, sa nofo i Gāga’emauga, ‘o le ‘aiga o lona to’alua.
_I se taua na tupu i le va o Gaga’emauga ma Gagaifomauga, sā aliali
ai gāoioiga mālolosi a ‘Aula na fa’ai’ui’u ^i le taua ‘i le manumālō a o lona itūmālō. ‘0 le mea lea sā filifilia ai ia -e ona tagata e ‘avea na’o lātou ta’ita’i i aso o le filemu ma aso o taua. Sa talia lelei e ia ma na tā’ua ai Sāle’aula ‘o le laumua o Gāga’emauga.
‘0 Tufuga po ‘o Letufuga – le faufale – na ‘o se igoa i le ‘āmataga. ‘A e

O le tasi aso si osofa’ia ai e Tui Ā’ana Leuotele (Leutele) le laumua o Safotulafai, a o aso tonu fo’i ia ‘o seulupe ai Letufuga i lea vao. Sā
fa’ato’a logo ia i le tala ina ‘ua tūlia atu tagata o lona nu’u ‘i le vao ‘o lo ‘o seu ai ia.
Ina ‘ua logo ‘i le fa’alavelave, na ia tago loa gagau le ‘au o lona
‘upega seu, ma fa’aaogā_e fai ma ana uatogi, ma ia osofa’ia ai tagata Ā’ana. ‘A ‘o tau ‘o ia, sa fe’ālofa’i solo mai 1ea lā’au ‘i le isi, ma sā ia tūlia ai
lefili e o’o atu ‘i le’sami. ‘0 1ea taua na fa’amanuia atu ai Leuotele ‘i ā Letufuga ma fa’aigoaina ai ‘o Letufugama’alomaivao.
I lona ‘ino’ino i le pāla’a’ai o ona tagata, na fa’ae’e atu ai e Letufuga lana uatogi ‘i o lātou ua ma fa’atonu atu ‘ia ‘aua ne’i toe tuliloaina tagata Ā’ana. I lona silasila atu ‘i ia uiga, na tu’uina atu ai e le tupu lona afa- fine ‘.o Fa’alulumana e pei ‘o se togisala. ‘E le gata ‘i lea, na ia tu’uina atu fo’i ma ni isi suafa mamalu; ‘o Letufuga-Pul e, Letufuga-To ‘atāma’i, ma Letufuga-Alofa. Na ia maua le suafa muamua, taluai ana_gāoioig-a pei_’o se_pu1e i ona tagata (pule); ‘o le isi, taluai lona ita (to’atāma’i) i lo lātou pāla- ‘a’ai, ma lona tolu, na tu’uina atu taluai 16na tāofia loa o le taua ina ‘ua
ia va’ai-a le tama’ita’i e tau ’i tupu ‘o Fa’alulumana.
Sā soifua Tupu Leuotele i le 18 tupulaga pe tusa ma le 650 tausaga taluai. ‘A e ui’i le tele o nei tausaga ‘ua mavae, sa le’i fa]agaloina ai lava pei ‘ona fa’ailoa i fa’alupega o Sāfotu-1āfai,_’o lo ^ta ua ai pea ‘**•••«•— ma ona mamalu ‘uma pei ‘ona tā’ua i luga i lona aiga.

‘0 se tagatā-lautele, sā lauiloa tele Tufuga i lona faiva ‘o le tulimanu ma ‘o se toa e le fefe. Pe na fa’apefea ona ‘avea 1ona igoa ma suafa, ’e maua lea
i le talatu’u ‘o i lalo:

‘O Lauati-Namulau’ ulu ‘o se tulāfale o Sāfotulāfai .. ‘0 ia ma Tuilagi ‘o tulāfale pule ia o le itūmālō Fa’asālele’aga, ’e iloa i o lā fa’alupega, “‘Oulua-na-ta’i” (ta’ita’i). ‘E ui i le maualuga ma le mamalu o ia_tulāfale
i le Fa’asālele’aga, ‘e fa’aleai po ‘o le leai fo’i ni lā leo i matā’upu a isi itūmālō.
Peita’i, ‘e matuā ‘ese mai ai le tūlaga o le Lauati-Namulau’ulu o lo ‘o talanoaina nei i le talatu’u, ‘e lauiloa tele i le suafa Lauati. ‘Ona ‘o lona tomai i tūlaga fa’afailāuga fa’apea ma lona poto-māsani e fa’afoe
se fa’afitāuli tau-politiki na lauiloa ai ia ‘o se ta’ita’i agava’a.
Na mua’i iloa lona maualuga ‘ina ‘ua ia fa’atasi atu ‘i ā Matā’afa e tete’e atu ‘i ā Malietoa Laupega i le 1891. Na fa’amāonia ai le tāua tele o lona sapasapaia o le vāega sa ia ‘auai ma pipi’i atu pea ‘i ai ma le fa’amāoni ‘āto’atoa.
m I-‘T 1898’.ina -ua fa alauiloa Malietoa Tanumafili ‘o le tupu
nai o Mata’afa, ‘o vaega sa ta ita’n – fa’atasi ai ma Lauati sā m!tuā
gāl
lulue malosi. Sa manana’o ilatou e ‘avea Matā’afa Tupua ma tupu ‘auā
ia o se tagata poto-masani ma ‘o se ta’ita’i taualoaina, ‘a ‘o Māliet sa na ‘o se tama talavou e 18 ona tausaga ma sā ā’oga pea lava

I le aso na soso’o ai, Januari 1, 1899, na tupa ai ni fevesia’iga i Apia, ma ‘ona ‘o ‘au a Mata’afa sa Sili °na to’atele’ “a ^ve aTon 9 1
lofata a o au a Malietoa. Sa toe manumālō ai fo’i le vāeaa a Matā’afa ‘ona ‘o le malosi o le galulue-fa ‘atasi o Lauati — — •- 9 ma ana ‘au.
‘A ‘o puipui-maluina Mālietoa talavou i luga o le va’a, H H.S. Porpoise ma ‘a o pulea ‘atoa e Matā’afa taualumaga ‘uma, sa taualoaina ai e konesula e to atolu le tupu fa amāoni ma le mālō o Matā’afa.

Sa fa atuina fa’amāonia ai Matā’afa ‘o le Tupu (tafa’ifa) i Mulinu’u. Mo le fesoasoani atu ‘ i lana pūlega, sā filifilia ai se ‘Aufono e Sefulutolu ‘0 se tasi o lenei ‘aufono, ‘o Lauati fo’i, ‘o ona aso ia, sā ‘avea ai
ma ta’ita’i taualoa o Savai’i.
I aso o le pūlega a Siāmani, sā tupu ai se fa’alavelave i le vā o Lauati ma Dr. Solf,_sā Kōvana i aso ia i Sāmoa i Sisifo. Ma’ona sā le
mafai ona tu’ufilemū lo lā vā, na i’u ai ‘ina fa’aaunu’ua’ia fa’atasi ma ana ‘au ‘1 Saipani (Aperila 1909). ‘0 le ‘amataga o le Taua a le Lalolagi i le 1914, na toe ‘aumaia ai ia e se va’a Peretānia ‘i Sāmoa, ‘ae sā maliu ai i levasa. ‘0 se uiga lemanuia lea mo se tagatā-nu’u Sāmoa, ‘auā e leai se
mea e s1H 1 lona loto i lō le oti i le ‘āiga.

‘0 Dr. Schultz – Ewerth, le Kōvana Siāmani mulimuli o Sāmoa i lana tusitusiga “Reminiseenees” sā na tūsia ai e uiga_’i a Lauati e fa’apea, ‘”0letagataaupitosilileaonamaoa’eitagatānu’u’umasā’ouiloai Sāmoa, ma le leai o se taumate, ‘o Lauati, ‘o le failāuga sili o Sāfotulāfai. ‘0 ia i lo’u talltonuga mālosi, ‘o se tagata uiga’ese ‘ua ola mai Sāmoa.
I lona poto-māsani i le fa’afoega o ni taualumaga ma lona poto 1Sfa’afetauia 1_le failāuga, na maoa’ e ai e le gata’i Savai’i ‘a e fa’apea fo’i l le
vāega tele o ‘Upolul.

Tuato Confronts Malietoa: With the arrival of the Europeans, the chiefs and other leaders often formed allegiances and factions to achieve supremacy in leadership, and often allied themselves with the Europeans, especially as the two great personages- Mataafa and Malietoa- gained ascendence and struggled for supreme leadership. Here, Brother Fred highlights two such leaders- Tuato and Luati of Savai’i.

Brother Fred Henry writes:

Granted that Savai’i has no chiefs of the highest rank, and further that from the start it had but a few preponderant chiefs of its own, we must not forget that this refers to a period which lies between 15 to 20 generations back. Since then many things have changed, though in an isolated place like Samoa (which was only discovered in 1772) and its regular intercourse with Europeans dates only from the middle of the last century, customs are tenacious and social evolution progresses very slowly.

Yet, it is a fact that now, after a lapse of some 700 years, there are in Savai’i not only a great number of chiefs, but also very many whose influence extends far beyond their own town and districts. This influence is due to several causes, but especially to the outstanding personality of certain chiefs, otherwise of less importance in the accepted social order or, and this is mostly the case, to intermarriages with high born chiefs of Upolu and elsewhere.

Tradition and history record the names and daring deeds of quite a number of such conspicuous leaders. Amongst these are Puleleiite, Liavaa, Tuato, Aula, and his brother Tufuga, as well as Tamafaiga of Manono, and of recent times, the famous Lauati-Namulauulu. A few details about some of them may not be without some interest.

Here is the story of Tuato.

One day Malietoa and his retinue called at Tuato’s village, and, as usual, had a day’s entertainment. Some of the people complained at the huge quantity of food needed for the royal visitors. When Malietoa heard this, he decided to punish the village. An armed party was selected and ordered to plunder and burn the settlement, and to kill all those who fell into their hands. The news of this cruel order spread panic among the villagers, but Tauto told them to keep quiet and all would end well. He ordered them to plait two coconut leaves as they use for the baking of a pig. When this was done, he asked his people to wrap him up in the leaves and to put rum across the road at the entrance to the village.

When the Malietoa troops came up they found, to their astonishment, the chief Tuato was done up in leaves and lying across the road all ready to be killed, cooked, and eaten as a sacrifice to avert the anger of the king, and to obtain pardon for his people. This was sufficient to make amends to Malietoa. Both Tuato and his people were spared, and his name handed down to prosperity as the savior of his people.”

In this same section, Brother Fred writes of the experience of another “minor” Savaii personage, Lauati-Namualuulu, who again confronted Malietoa on behalf of Mataafa. By now, however, the Europeans had arrived and adhered to political alliances that contrasted with Samoan custom and history. We offer Brother Fred Henry’s concluding discussion of a contemporary leader under the influence of the Europeans, in contrast to the former. Here is his discussion.

“Lauati-Namulauulu was a tulafale (orator) of Safotulafai who, in history, is better known only by his first name Luati. It was due to his convincing and artful oratory, as well as to his skill handling any complex political situation that he owed his renown as masterful leader.

Lauti was first brought into prominence when he joined Mataafa against Malietoa Laupepa in 1891. He proved to be a most valuable supporter of the party he adopted, and to which he remained loyal, as long as he enjoyed his freedom.

In December 1898 Malietoa Tanumafili was declared king in preference to Mataafa, the party leaders – and Lauati was the most ardent of them who got busy. They wanted Mataafa Tupua for king, for he was an experienced man and a recognized leader, while Malietoa was then only 18 years old and still attending school.

The following day, January 1 1899, hostilities began in Apia. As the supporters of Mataafa were by far in the majority, Malietoa’s men were soon beaten. Again, the success of Mataafa’s party was greatly due to the energetic co-operation of Lauati and his followers.

As Malietoa had sought refuge on board HMS Porpoise, and as Mataafa was entirely master of the situation, the three consuls recognised the de facto government of Mataafa.

Mataafa was then officially installed as King (tafaifa) in Mulinuu to assist him in the administration, a Council of Thirteen was chosen. Among these counsellors was, again, Lauati who, by this time, had become the virtual leader of Savai’i.

During the German administration, Lauati got into trouble with Dr.Solf, who was the then Governor of Western Samoa. As their differences could not be settled in an amicable way, he was finally deported with some of his followers to Saipan (April 1909). In 1914, at the beginning of WWI, a British ship took him back to Samoa, but he died on the way home. Dr.Schults-Ewerth, the last Governor of German Samoa, writes in “Reminiscences,” of Lauti, ‘The most predominant of all the natives I learnt to know while in Samoa was without doubt Lauti, the greatest talking chief of Safotulafai. He was, so I firmly believe, the greatest man Samoa has ever produced.”(History or Samoa, p. 151)”