Living Heritage -Marcellin College - Matai: An interview with Chanel Alataua
Marcellin College
Fa’a Samoa: The Samoan Way
Matai: An interview with Chanel Alataua (Marcellin College Campus Minister)
by Angeline
Could you please answer the folllowing questions for us Chanel?
What is a Matai?
It is a Samoan term for a chief.
What role does a Matai play?
A Matai makes the decisions within the family during times of faalalave, such as weddings, birthdays, and funerals, appointing of new chiefs, tattooing, church events and community issues.
Where does the Matai originate?
The role of the Matai is very important in Samoan history. From the early days they controlled the life style within the family and cultural values because Samoa had not as yet developed a government.
Who is eligible for this role?
It is usually the eldest member in a family. However, nowadays the Matai role has been influenced by Christian teaching (e.g. David who was the younger brother was appointed the chosen king instead of his older brother). These days both males and females are eligible for the role of the Matai.
Christianity
How does Christianity shape the Samoan lifestyle?
When Christianity was introduced in Samoa, cultural values, traditions and perspectives started to change. Christianity is now a vital aspect of Samoan culture. Church every Sunday is considered a "must" for every Samoan family.
Daily prayer is done every day in all families throughout all villages in Samoa. This is called a ‘Sa’, meaning ‘sacred time’. Samoan singing is also a big part of Christianity. Singing to God is also a form of prayer. One of the popular Samoan church songs is ‘Ia Pepese’:
Le na tatou tupu ai
Ina ua na alofa fua
Ia te I tatou uma nei
Ia Pepese
Ia Pepese
Aleluia, Faafetai
Ia Pepese
Ia Pepese
Aleluia, Faafetai
Who do you know about who has influenced Christianity in Samoa?
Mataafa Iosefa, who is my great grandfather, was one of the rulers of Samoa. He was the first to accept Catholic Christianity in Samoa. When Mataafa saw white people in Samoa, his first impression was that they were people from the heavens. The Samoan term for white people is ‘palagi’. But because he thought that they were people from the heavens, he called them ‘papalagi’, meaning ‘white cloud’.
