Malietoa Tanu, King of Samoa

This is a portrait view of Malietoa Tanumafili I (1880-1939) who was the son of a leading title holder Malietoa Laupepa and his wife Sisavai'i. He was invested with the paramount Malietoa title in 1898 and went on to become one of the leaders in the Mau a Pule resistance movement by 1908.

Fautua

On the death of Mata'afa Iosefo in 1912 the position of Ali'i Sili was abolished and Tanumafili was appointed by the German governor Solf as joint Fautua (high advisor) with Tupua Tamasese Lealofi. Tanumafili was a supporter of the Toeai'na club which was "a commercial and political club composed of leading chiefs from every district"(1) and attended the meetings of the citizens committee which later became the Mau movement, but he sided with the New Zealand administration and did not support the Mau.

Last King of Samoa

In 1928, Malietoa was one of the two Samoans on the first Legistlative Council which included Samoan members. When he died in 1939 he had held a paramount Samoan title for 41 years and was the last proclaimed King of Samoa.

References

(1) Boyd, M. (1968). The military administration of Western Samoa, 1914–1919. The New Zealand Journal of History, 2, 148-164.

Last King of Samoa Death of High Chief Malietoa Tanumafili, O.B.E Pacific Islands Monthly Vol. X, No. 1 (Aug. 15, 1939) p.29