By Lance Polu

APIA: 12 March 2010: Cabinet has established a Commission of Inquiry to look into ways to monitor and regulate the mass bestowal of matai titles that Government says has devalued the dignity of the Samoan matai system.

Talking on local television, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said that the mass bestowal of matai titles by some families, has belittled the dignity of the titles, where in many cases, hundred to two hundred people are bestowed the same paramount title in a single bestowal ceremony.
"This practice has devalued the importance of the matai system, and has eaten into the core of the Fa'a-Samoa," he said.

The Commission of Inquiry is to submit its recommendations to Cabinet by the end of April.
"The whole purpose is to recommend to Government ways we can restore the dignity of the matai system," said Tuilaepa.

Heart of Samoan culture
The Matai system is the heart of Samoan culture where family titles are headed by a family chief - the sa'o and together with other family title holders, form a local government in a village level that its linked by oral history. These matai titles are again liked on the national level to form a traditional hierarchy and an informal administrative structure.
Since political independence in 1962, this structure has been forced to sit uncomfortably on the modern democratic system and has caused a lot of friction especially in the area of human and individual rights versus the communal rights.  

Mass bestowals
The mass bestowal of matai titles began in the mid 1960's where some were named after trees. The root of the problem then was the voting system when only the matais were allowed to vote in the general elections. However, the mass bestowal of titles died out when universal suffrage was introduced in the early 1990's.

But a new development now sees the mass bestowal of head titles - suafa sa'o - for families.

Tuilaepa told TV viewers that this is due to personal greed. In villages such as Leauva'a, more than one hundred now hold the Sala title with similar numbers holding the comparative chiefly title Tuala.
In Iva village on Savai'i Island, the title held by the late Prime Minister, Tofilau (Eti Alesana) was split up to 120 holders in a single bestowal ceremony with others who did not come personally from overseas, being represented by their cousins and relatives at the ceremony. 

While all these title holders may have a valid claim and linkage to the title, the past practise of taking turns (average of a generation) between righful hiers to a title, has proven too long a wait for some with the material wealth and who see this as a way to expediting major developments utilizing land and property held by each title. 

Tuilaepa said that the option for government is to legislate against the current practices as it seems other families have been influenced by the practice set by others.

Through the matai titles, the holders and their children and extended families have the right to family lands. Multiple holders certainly will cause problems in the future.