Fiame Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu'u II
| Fiame Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu'u II | |
|---|---|
| 2nd Prime Minister of Samoa | |
|
In office 1 October 1959 – 25 February 1970 |
|
| Preceded by | Albert Barnes Steinberger |
| Succeeded by | Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV |
| 2nd (2nd term) Prime Minister of Samoa | |
|
In office 20 March 1973 – 20 May 1975 |
|
| Preceded by | Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV |
| Succeeded by | Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 August 1921 Samoa |
| Died | 20 May 1975 (aged 53) |
| Spouse(s) | Laulu Fetauimalemau Mata'afa |
| Occupation | Paramount chief & former prime minister of Samoa |
Fiame Mata'afa Faumuina Mulinu'u II, CBE (5 August 1921 – 20 May 1975) was a paramount chief and the second Prime Minister of Samoa. He was Prime Minister from 1 October 1959 until February 1970 and again from March 1973 until his death in 1975. He was bestowed the paramount matai chief title of Mata'afa in 1948, following the death of his father, Mata'afa Faumuina Fiame Mulinu'u I, a leader of Samoa's pro-independent Mau movement.
In 1957, he entered national politics in the general election from the electoral constituency of Lotofaga in the Atua district at the east end of Upolu island.
Mulinu'u II (first name) held a number of important chief titles in Samoa. His highest title was Mata'afa which made him one of the four most important Paramount Chiefs in the country. The title Mata'afa is part of the Tama-a-Aiga ('Sons of the Families') a quartet of chief titles, which were of national Paramount rank at the time. The other three Tama-a-Aiga Paramount Chief titles are Malietoa, Tupua and Tuimaleali'ifano.
His other names Fiame and Faumuina are also individual chief titles. As one individual can hold a number of different chief titles in Samoa, the exact order of an individual's 'names' can sometimes change. For example, he is referred to as Mata'afa Faumuina Fiame Mulinu'u II in Democracy and custom in Sāmoa: an uneasy alliance by Asofou Soʻo. Individual chief titles (i.e. Mata'afa, Fiame, Faumuina) are designated by consensus of extended families and kinship ties under Samoa's traditional 'matai' system, and in relation to a particular village or political district. A 'matai' title is collectively 'owned' by families through blood ties and kinship. The bestowal of a chief title upon an individual is done by traditional ceremony and ritual, marking the support and approval of an entire extended family and kin group for that person to take on the responsibilities of a leader of their family. Only 'matai,' those with chief titles can become a member of parliament in Samoan politics. This still exists today.
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