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30-451: The title was then passed on to Matāʻafa Faʻasuamaleaui Puʻela Patu. After his death in 1997, the title fell vacant until 2011, when it was granted to Matāʻafa Tupuola Lui Iosefo. Following his death in 2014, the title again became vacant and remains so to this day. The beginnings of the Matāʻafa lineage is traced through to Queen Salamāsina . Her granddaughter Taufau sired Tupuivao who founded

60-411: A male dominated society. Penelope Schoeffel and Gavan Daws point to Salamāsina's significance as the ancestor of many powerful Samoan rulers: Salamasina's historical significance was that she was the means of drawing together all the great aristocratic bloodlines and links to supernatural power in a period of political transformation, to create a basis of legitimacy for the new power-brokers of Samoa,

90-402: A political alliance with the influential Tonumaipe‘a faction of Savai‘i . However, Salamāsina eloped with the man of her choice, the untitled Alapepe. Their relationship brought forth a daughter named Lupefofoaivaoese, who grew to become Tui Ā‘ana and the ancestress of several prominent Samoan families, including the line that would rule Samoa until the death of Safeofafine. Alapepe was pursued by

120-598: A vacation home) near Vaialua in Nofoali‘i, A‘ana after being threatened by the families of Tamaalelagi's other wives. Vaetoefaga left Nu‘uausala (the Tui Ā‘ana's residence in Leulumoega) to seek refuge among her Tongan relatives who had settled in the villages allotted to her brother (Tamasese 2004:10). Her home was named Afeafe-o-Vaetoefaga ("refuge of Vaetoefaga") to commemorate this fearful time of persecution and conflict between

150-472: A ʻāiga title, Tupua Tamasese and the aloaliʻi title Luafalemana of Falefa . This has at times, resulted in Matāʻafa holders also holding the Tupua title concurrently, like Matāʻafa Iosefo , who became known as Tupua Matāʻafa Iosefo. By joining the daughter of Luafalemana with Tuimavave, the Tui Ātua line arrives at a harmonious junction between the two great families of Atua , ʻAiga Sā Levālasi (custodian of

180-460: Is no longer used except by historians. Commander James Cook , sailing the British vessel Resolution visited the island on October 2, 1773 by some accounts and by other accounts October 1774, returning again in 1777 , with Omai , whereupon they left some cattle for breeding . These were still flourishing in 1789 when Bounty , under Fletcher Christian visited. The earliest mention of

210-564: Is the titular ancestor of two of the four paramount titles of Samoa, Tupua Tamasese of Falefa and Salani and the Amaile Mataafa line. Salamāsina descended from several powerful royal bloodlines. Her mother, Vaetoefaga, was an extremely highborn noblewoman who enjoyed a lofty position in both Samoan and Tongan societies. Vaetoefaga's father was the Tu‘i Tonga Kau‘ulufonua II (a son of Tu'i Tonga Kau'ulufonua I and

240-718: The Heemskerck and the Zeehaen commissioned by the Dutch East India Company of Batavia (Jakarta). The expedition's goals were to chart the unknown southern and eastern seas and to find a possible passage through the South Pacific and Indian Ocean providing a faster route to Chile . The expedition set sail from Batavia on 14 August 1642. Tasman named the island "t’ Eijlandt Amsterdam" (Amsterdam Island), because of its abundance of supplies. This name

270-500: The mangroves growing around the lagoon 's shores. The lagoons were declared a Natural Reserve in 1974 by the government. Tongatapu has a rather cooler climate than the rest of Tonga as it is the southernmost group of islands in the country. Because of this, fruit production is lower in Tongatapu than it is in the warmer islands in the north. Tongatapu is known as having one of the highest concentration of archaeological remains in

300-529: The Matāʻafa title from the heirs at Anapapa, the Matāʻafa's appurtenant maota (seat of residence) in the village of Amaile. Once they have made their selection, the ʻAiga Sa Tago are informed. The ʻAiga's main branches are in Amaile and Lotofaga as well as the family Satago. The head of ʻAiga Sā Levālasi is the Fiamē titleholder of Lotofaga, currently held by Samoa's Prime Minister, Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa . Holders of

330-521: The Matāʻafa title include; Salamasina Queen Salamasina (floruit in the 1500s) was a powerful and high-ranking woman in Samoan social history. She held the four papā (district) titles which gave her the paramount status of Tafa‘ifā ('one supported by four') on the western islands of Samoa. Contrary to popular belief she was not the first Tafa'ifā, as these titles were willed to her by their previous possessor, Nafanua (Tonumaipe'a Nāfanua). She

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360-466: The Matāʻafa title) and ʻAiga Sā Fenunuivao (custodian of the Tupua Tamasese title). Family traditions differ as to who was the first Matāʻafa, but the majority of opinions favour either Filifilisounuʻu, son of Faʻasuamaleʻaui or Tafagamanu, son of Filifilisounuʻu. Either way, it is the line of Faʻasuamaleʻaui that began and carried the title from its inception until 1948, when the title passed to

390-807: The Pacific. The earliest traces of Lapita pottery found in Tonga was from around 900–850 BC, 300 years after the first settlements in Tonga were established. Archaeologist David Burley discovered the pottery around the Fanga'uta Lagoon, 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) away from the Lapita pottery found at Santa Cruz in the Solomon Islands . Tonga was always the seat of the Tuʻi Tonga Empire , but in an area of distances up to 1,000 kilometres (620 miles), it

420-518: The Samoan noblewoman Vainu'ulasi) and her mother was Taupoimāsina (the daughter of high chief Lefono of Amoa, Savai'i). As a teenager Vaetoefaga became the tenth and last wife of the Samoan paramount sovereign chief of Ā'ana, Tui Ā‘ana Tamaalelagi, with whom she conceived their daughter Salamāsina. One of Tamaalelagi's royal attendants named Utufanunutunutu traveled to the Tongan island of Tongatapu with

450-529: The Silupevailei line. After subsequent appeals before the Lands & Titles Court, the title returned to Faʻasuamaleʻaui's line upon the death of former Prime Minister Fiame Matāʻafa Faumuina Mulinuʻu II , when it was bestowed on Matāʻafa Puela Faʻasuamaleʻaui Patu who held it until his death in 1997. Matāʻafa Tupuola Lui Iosefo succeeded to the mantle until his death in 2014, leaving the title vacant. Like

480-412: The Tupua Tamasese title, the Matāʻafa titleholder is selected by its primary political family and heirs. The title is held in custodianship by the ʻAiga Sā Mataʻafa, among whom are the ʻAiga Sā Tago as well as the ʻAiga Sā Levalasi, named after Levalasi, Queen Salamāsina's adoptive mother. Ownership of the title was confirmed in 1939, where it was decided that ʻAiga Sā Levālasi would select who would hold

510-463: The assassinators of her Adoptive mothers husband. Soon This plot was discovered. Salamasina and her armies marched to Fagaloa Village to confront him. Before his armies could kidnap her she had already had reinforcements from each village coming in to defeat them. Warriors from the mountains came out calling with their conch shells and more came from the Sea in their War canoes, finally more Warriors came from

540-496: The budding Tongan community and the established Samoan factions. Salamāsina’s mother, Vaetoefaga, returned to Tonga and entrusted Salamāsina to the safe-keeping of Levalasi So‘oa‘emalelagi. So'oa'emalelagi was the principal wife of the paramount sovereign of the Atua district, Tui Ātua Māta‘utia, and Salamāsina was raised as their own daughter. She was betrothed as a youth to marry a chief named Tonumaipe‘a Tapumanaia in order to form

570-403: The first line of the Matāʻafa titleholders, Faʻasuamaleʻaui, in 1785. Tuimavave's other union with Letelesā issued another line of the title, Silupevailei. Both Faʻasuamaleʻaui and Silupevailei are the two lines of descent from whom the Matāʻafa is selected. Tuimavave's union with King Tupua's grand-daughter, Salainaʻoloa, has resulted in the Matāʻafa titles' close association with the other tama

600-558: The furious Tonumaipe‘a clan to Tongatapu, where he was killed for "defiling" the taupou. Salamāsina also had a son by Tapumanaia, who was named after his father. He later received the Sātele title of the Salani and Sālesātele villages in Falealili, Atua, ‘Upolu. Queen Salamāsina goes back to Lotofaga because her father is from Lotofaga and she stayed there until she died. She had attained

630-476: The intent of securing Vaetoefaga as Tamaalelagi's wife. He deceived her family with fantastical stories about the land and people of Samoa and succeeded in arranging the marriage and an impressive dowry. As part of the arrangement, Vaetoefaga's brother Ulualofaigā was given political concessions in Fagaloa (in Atua district ). Vaetoefaga prompted the construction of the Tui Ā‘ana's "unofficial" residence (akin to

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660-488: The jungle & bush. With Ulualofaiga Surrounded, he drops down to his knees and prostrates himself towards the Queen, begging for her mercy & his life whilst Admitting pathetic defeat. Salamasina granted him mercy only because he was the brother of her biological Mother, Tongan Princess Vaetoefaga. She granted him mercy but he was never allowed to leave Samoa and never to go back home to Tonga. All of his men took running for

690-480: The line which resides in Amaile. The lineage branches off in later years with the title's ancestor Luafalemana, the son of King Tupua Fuiavailili and Punipuao, daughter of Alaiʻasā of Falefa . Luafalemana married Gese and together had a daughter, Salainaʻoloa. Having been issued and raised by ʻAiga Sā Fenunuivao (descendants of Fenunuivao), she married Tuimavave (also known as Tauiliʻili) of ʻAiga Sā Levālasi (descendants of Levalasi). The union of these two lines issued

720-597: The lofty status of Tafa‘ifā during her lifetime and both her son (by Tapumanaia) and her daughter (by Alapepe) inherited high rank and prestige through her. Her reign is notable in Samoan history for its absence of warfare and many Samoans today feel pride in tracing their ancestry to Queen Salamasina. Scholars have been particularly interested in Salamāsina's life (and the fact that her supreme titles passed on to her chiefly descendants primarily through her daughter Lupefofoaivaoese) because ancient Samoa has often been portrayed as

750-471: The orator group Tumua of A'ana and Atua. For the next four centuries or so, they were to manipulate the new dynasty she gave birth to through control of the paramount titles which they were empowered to bestow. TONGAN INVASION/DEFEAT -A plot to invade Samoa & kidnap Queen Salamasina, was hatched bye her Maternal Uncle Ulualofaiga (of the Tu’itonga Dynasty) and his Samoan supporters, Who were also

780-405: The other islands of Tonga, and has thus attracted many internal migrants from them. The island is 257.03 square kilometres (99.24 square miles) (or 260.48 square kilometres (100.57 square miles) including neighbouring islands) and rather flat, as it is built of coral limestone. The island is covered with thick fertile soil consisting of volcanic ash from neighbouring volcanoes. At the steep coast of

810-399: The shores and got in their War Boats (Va’afusuaga) fleeing back to Tonga. The only 2 people that were not granted mercy were his two Samoan Advisers, And assassins of her late Adoptive father. She let her adoptive mother ‘Sooaemalelagi’ have her revenge on them. She would have both of them Burnt alive atop a hill for all to see. Tongatapu Tongatapu is the main island of Tonga and

840-403: The site of its capital, Nukuʻalofa . It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with 74,611 residents (2016), 70.5% of the national population, on 260 square kilometres (100 square miles). Tongatapu is Tonga's centre of government and the seat of its monarchy. Tongatapu has experienced more rapid economic development than

870-405: The south, heights reach an average of 35 metres (115 feet), and maximum 70 metres (230 feet), gradually decreasing towards the north. North of the island are many small isolated islands and coral reefs which extend up to 7 kilometres (4.3 miles) from Tongatapu's shores. The almost completely closed Fanga'uta and Fangakakau Lagoons are important breeding grounds for birds and fish as they live within

900-457: Was often only a symbolic rule. From the first capital at Toloa, around 1000 years ago, to the second capital at Heketā, at the site of the Haʻamonga ʻa Maui Trilithon , none boasts more traditional attractions than the third capital at Muʻa (from 1220–1851) with more than 20 royal grave mounds . Tongatapu was first sighted by Europeans on 20 January 1643 by Abel Tasman commanding two ships,

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