matai (titled chiefs)

E818140

Samoan chiefly title customary authority traditional leadership role

Matai are Samoan titled chiefs who hold authority and responsibility over extended families and villages within the traditional fa‘a Samoa social and political system.

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Observed surface forms (2)

Surface form	Occurrences
matai	0
Iroij (chiefs)	1

Statements (76)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	Samoan chiefly title ⓘ customary authority ⓘ traditional leadership role ⓘ
appliesTo	Samoan people NERFINISHED ⓘ
basedOn	consensus ⓘ customary law ⓘ kinship ⓘ reciprocity ⓘ respect (fa‘aaloalo) ⓘ service (tautua) ⓘ
canBeHeldBy	Samoan men ⓘ Samoan women ⓘ
ceremony	saofa‘i (title bestowal) ⓘ
ceremonyInvolves	ava ceremony ⓘ church blessing ⓘ exchange of gifts ⓘ public speeches ⓘ
country	Samoa NERFINISHED ⓘ
etymology	Samoan word for titled chief ⓘ
exercisesAuthorityOver	aiga (extended family) ⓘ customary land ⓘ family obligations ⓘ family resources ⓘ family titles ⓘ
gender	male or female ⓘ
hasCollectiveBody	fono (council of chiefs) NERFINISHED ⓘ
hasObligation	maintain peace and order ⓘ participate in village decision-making ⓘ protect family interests ⓘ support church and village projects ⓘ transmit cultural knowledge ⓘ
hasRole	cultural guardian ⓘ dispute mediator ⓘ family head ⓘ land custodian ⓘ political representative ⓘ religious patron ⓘ spokesperson ⓘ titled chief ⓘ village leader ⓘ
hasType	ali‘i (high chief) ⓘ ali‘i pa‘ia (sacred high chief) ⓘ tulāfale (orator chief) NERFINISHED ⓘ tulāfale ali‘i (orator-chief hybrid) ⓘ
historicalOrigin	pre-colonial Samoa ⓘ
influencedBy	Christianity NERFINISHED ⓘ colonial administration ⓘ
influences	Samoan land tenure ⓘ Samoan political system ⓘ Samoan social structure ⓘ
isSelectedBy	aiga consensus ⓘ family council ⓘ
language	Samoan ⓘ
operatesIn	Samoan diaspora communities ⓘ Samoan villages ⓘ
partOf	Samoan chiefly system NERFINISHED ⓘ fa‘a Samoa social system ⓘ
playsRoleIn	Samoan national politics ⓘ church governance ⓘ customary dispute resolution ⓘ village councils (fono a ali‘i ma faipule) ⓘ
recognizedBy	Samoan Constitution NERFINISHED ⓘ
regulatedBy	Samoan Land and Titles Court NERFINISHED ⓘ Samoan customary law ⓘ
responsibleFor	allocation of family land ⓘ maintaining family honor ⓘ organizing fa‘alavelave (family obligations) ⓘ representing family in village council ⓘ upholding fa‘a Samoa values ⓘ welfare of family members ⓘ
selectionRequires	genealogical connection ⓘ knowledge of custom ⓘ leadership qualities ⓘ oratory skill ⓘ service to family ⓘ
termUsedIn	Samoan language ⓘ

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

customary Samoan law (faʻa Samoa) → recognizesRoleOf → matai (titled chiefs) ⓘ

Constitution of the Marshall Islands → recognizesTraditionalLeaders → matai (titled chiefs) ⓘ

this entity surface form: Iroij (chiefs)