Transcript
The symposium was held as part of a Marsden funded research project to look at how Samoa's Fa'amatai system is evolving in the diaspora. The study is led by Lupematasila Misatauveve Dr Melani Anae from the University of Auckland's Centre of Pacific Studies. Often motivations differ as to why people take up a matai title but Lupematasila says it's good to see attitudinal change among youth.
"For our young people, fa'amatai is something to be feared and is always approached with foreboding and intrepidation. But since the symposium they have become empowered and emancipated by just merely knowledge sharing and listening to the experiences of some well known Samoan leaders now and their own understandings of fa'amatai and how they practise it."
Today, more women are being bestowed chiefly titles but a Samoan academic is urging for more village based women to put themselves forward. Professor of Pacific studies, Tagaloatele Peggy Dunlop says just a decade ago females made up only 5 percent of matai, or chiefs, based in Samoa but that figure has grown to 11 percent, but of those just over half are village based. She says because some villages still prohibit women entering the fa'amatai chiefly system, it is crucial to recognise the need for a wider representation on issues like domestic violence.
"When you look at how justice or order or protection is maintained in Samoa the majority of the villagers are under the authority and protection of the faamatai. And if there are only 5-point-5 percent of those being female then you can see it can be a wee bit skewed there with knowledge of issues and experience and as well, women are very much a minority group in the village faamatai or the village council systems."
Academic Lealiifano Albert Refiti says how matai living outside of Samoa operate is changing and he called the symposium 'revelationary'. Lealiifano says it was also fascination to hear about how chiefly systems outside of Samoa are adapting to different contexts and spaces.
"Because it shows how an important notion of identity that's connecting back to the faasamoa and faamatai system is still happening in these locations. But for me importantly they are starting to change the way that those systems articulating certain types of relationships in a way that connects us as Samoans that we no longer have to refer back to the village."
He says for example there is a desire to lessen the burden imposed on families with fa'alavelave, or giving of fine mats and monetary gifts for funerals or weddings. Visiting Hawaiian academic Fata Simanu Klutz said generally speaking Fa'amatai is more active in the church where faife'au or church ministers have become chiefs and that's the venue for family obligations and gift giving. While Samoa's chiefly fa'amatai system can still be threatened by allegations of overseas matai taking titles but shirking their duties, discussions indicated that more often now, people choose to take up a title more out of alofa or love, commitment and sense of responsibility for their families.
