Malietoa Tanumafili I
| Malietoa Tanumafili I | |
|---|---|
| Malietoa King (Tafa'ifa) of Samoa |
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| Reign | 1898– July 5 1939 |
| Predecessor | Malietoa Laupepa |
| Successor | Malietoa Tanumafili II |
| Born | Month? Day?, 1879 Samoa |
| Died | 5 July 1939 Faatoialemanu, Samoa |
| Spouse | Momoe Lupeuluiva Meleisea |
| Father | Malietoa Laupepa |
| Mother | Sisavai'i Malupo Niuva'ai |
Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili I (1879– 5 July 1939) was the Malietoa in Samoa from 1898 until his death in 1939.
He was born in 1879 to Malietoa Laupepa and Sisavai‘i Malupo Niuva‘ai. He married Momoe Lupeuluiva Meleiseā and had five children: Sisavai‘i Lupeuluiva (f), Vaimo‘oi'a, Salamāsina (f), Tanumafili II, and Sāveaali‘i Ioane Viliamu. Tanumafili was only 19 years old when he was declared "King of Samoa" (Tafa'ifa) by Great Britain and the U.S.A. The vast majority of Samoa rallied behind the Matā‘afa-Sā Talavou party, including the Germans, the Tumua of Ātua-A‘ana, the Pule of Savai‘i (Keesing 1934:73), ‘Aiga-i-le-Tai, and most of Tuamasaga. Once again socio-religious factors came into play as the Sā Mōlī’s support came from the L.M.S. Congregationalists while most other Samoan Christians backed the Sā Talavou-Sā Natūitasina-Matā‘afa parties. Perhaps the most adamant and well-known opponent of Tanumafili’s claim was Lauaki Namulau‘ulu Mamoe of Sāfotulafai, Savaii, a famed orator who carried the Tongan matapule title Lauaki (Gifford 149). He argued that not only was Tanumafili too young and inexperienced to rule, but that his installment as Malietoa was illegitimate and invalid according to Samoan custom. The vast majority of Samoans, including the leading orator bodies of Ātua-A‘ana (Tumua), Savai‘i (Pule), Manono, and Tuamasaga (Auimatagi) attested to the invalidity of Tanumafili’s claims to the kingship and the Malietoa title but the foreign powers continued in their endorsement of Malietoa Tanumafili I. A joint session of the Pule and Tumua assemblies held fono in Leulumoega, A‘ana and declared Matā‘afa Iosefo "King of Samoa" on 12 November 1898; this pronouncement was ratified at a national council held on 15 November at Mulinu‘u (Gilson 425, 426-427).
The British and American consuls defied this declaration (as did Tanumafili I and Lealofi I) and their naval ships and soldiers assisted in defeating Matā‘afa Iosefo as the year 1898 came to a close; Tanumafili I was declared King of Samoa on 31 December. The Tumua communities joined with the Sā Talavou and Matā‘afa parties in immediately protesting Tanumafili’s appointment, prompting the One Day War in which Tanumafili and Tamasese allies were defeated on 1 January 1899. Fearing for their lives, King Tanumafili I and Vice-King Tamasese Lealofi boarded a British ship where they lived for over two months to avoid assassination attempts. The Germans then declared Matā‘afa the "head of all chiefs" while the British and the American consuls nominated Tanumafili as the ruler of Samoa (Hart, Hart & Harris 105). Matā‘afa’s parties declared him king once again in January, while "all the High Chiefs of Malietoa" Laupepa were in exile in Tutuila and Malietoa Laupepa himself remained under the protection of the British; there was no military opposition to the coronation that day (Tuvale 67).
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