item details
Overview
This is a very precious 'ie tōga (cloth for tōga) from Samoa. The 'ie tōga are the highest-ranking item in the Samoan exchange system and greatly valued. For example, in Samoan marriage ceremonies, 'ie tōga are presented to the husband's family by the bride's family, and are viewed in much the same way as dowry property. They are also sometimes presented by the offending party in a ceremonial apology known as an ifoga.
Many 'ie tōga are exchanged frequently and pass through several generations, gaining value as their age and associations accumulate. They can be named, and the most important 'ie tōga can have a series of names. The presence or use of a particularly old and fine 'ie tōga brings great dignity to a ceremony or an event. Some 'ie tōga can have such significance that they can symbolise the state or nation.
Significance
This 'ie tōga is called Le Ageagea o Tumua (the substance of Tumua). Le Ageagea o Tumua was gifted to New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark after her public apology to the Samoan people, made in Samoa, in June 2002. Prime Minister Clark visited Samoa to take part in Samoa's celebrations of forty years of political independence. While there, she took the opportunity to apologise on behalf of the New Zealand Government for events that took place during New Zealand's administration of Samoa from 1914 to 1962.
The two most traumatic events that took place during the New Zealand administration were an influenza outbreak in 1918, from which thousands of Samoan people died when an infected ship was allowed to dock; and the fatal shooting in 1929 of eleven people during a peaceful march by the Mau independence movement.
What is the relevance of this gift?
The following is an account written by the Samoan Head of State Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi. He explains how the story of Le Ageagea o Tumua and the act of gifting it are both about love, death, remorse, and forgiveness between kin.
"In Samoan culture the gifting of Le Ageagea o Tumua is akin to parting with one's family, one's self. Le Ageagea o Tumua signifies and symbolises history and genealogy. It represents the legacies and inheritances of thirty-two generations, from Tui Atua Leutele Leiite to Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi. The gift is a message of love, remorse, and forgiveness. The gifting of Le Ageagea o Tumua to Helen Clark is a gifting to Aotearoa, and is akin to a gift of marriage where this marriage connects, reclaims and becomes the legacy of love between two nations, cultures and their children - the nations of Aotearoa and Samoa."‘
A marriage of true minds’
Here is part of the speech made by Faamatuainu Tala Mailei at the presentation of Le Ageagea o Tumua.
"Today, Prime Minister Helen Clark, you hear Lufilufi, Falefa, and Salani chanting the marriage chants. Why? Because we are not here to mourn, we are here to celebrate the marriage of true minds. For many, many years, Lufilufi [the political centre of the district of Atua, Samoa] waited for this gesture.‘The words “I am sorry” are simple and yet full of meaning … When we respond in love and forgiveness, there is a marriage of true minds which places the message of Tamasese amongst the gods and the angels … [We] present this fine mat to seal our marriage. The name of the fine mat is Le Ageagea o Tumua."
The story behind the name Le Ageagea o Tumua
The Tui Toga (ruler of Tonga) had two sons. The elder was named Tuitoga after his father, the younger, Lautivunia. Lautivunia had an affair with his brother’s wife. When the affair became known, the older brother was very angry.
As is the custom, the younger brother made a peace offering of cooked food wrapped in tolo (ordinary sugar cane) and fiso (wild sugar cane) leaves. These leaves underlined the message, ‘Please forgive me, for we are brothers.’
But Tuitoga was not placated and Lautivunia made another peace offering, which included the flesh of ordinary bananas and of the lei (wild banana). The two varieties of banana underlined the message, ‘We are flesh and blood – surely you can find it in your heart to forgive me?’ Tuitoga was still not placated. So Lautivunia decided that if his brother would not accept his food offerings he would offer his life. He dug a hole where his catamaran was housed, fixed spears with points upward at the bottom of the hole, and threw himself on the spears. The force of his action caused the surrounding earth and sand to cave in and cover him.
When Lautivunia’s disappearance was noticed, his father and brother sent out search parties to look for him. One party reached Tui Atua Leutele in Samoa. But Tui Atua Leutele said, ‘You need not have come so far. Lautivunia is in Tonga under his catamaran.’
So the search party returned to Tonga and found the body of Lautivunia. The Tui Toga felt obliged to reciprocate this favour from Tui Atua Leutele and instructed the search party to return to Samoa with the finest of his fine mats, which he named Le Ageagea o Tumua (the substance of Tumua). In addition, he recognised Tui Atua Leutele’s insight by naming him Leutele Leiite, that is, Leutele with the prophetic powers.
The title of Leiite survives today as one of the titles of the Leutele family in Falefa, Samoa.
Acquisition History: From Samoa to Aotearoa
Before its gifting to Aotearoa - New Zealand, Le Ageagea o Tumua was stored in Mulinuu ma Sepolata’emo, the residence of the Tui Atua in Lufilufi. It was gifted to Te Papa by the Office of the Prime Minister of New Zealand in 2002.