Tu'i Manu'a Elisala

The title Tui Manuokinaa is considered the oldest chiefly title of the Samoa Islands and Polynesia. Tuimanuokinaa Elisala (c. 1899) was the last Tuimanuokinaa titleholder. He was the grandson of Tuimanuokinaa Alalamua whose genealogy descended from the Sa Tagaloa.

The Tu'i Manua was the first of the Great Polynesian Titles to gain respect throughout the pacific islands.The first Tu`i Manua was believed to be a descendant of the Polynesian God (Tagaloa). Long before the Tu'i Tonga Empire, Tu'i Manu'a from Samoa ruled mostly all of the pacific including Tonga. During the Tu'i Manu'a reign over the pacific, Tonga and many other islands of the Pacific brought Tu'i Manu'a gifts and many other items to pay tribute. The external influences in Tonga came in the form of imperial activities beginning with the Tu’i Pulotu empire in Fiji and followed by the Tu’i Manu’a empire in Samoa. In other words, Tonga was under considerable influence from the imperialism of both Fiji and Samoa. However, Tonga was able to free herself through bitter and bloody wars from the imperial domination of the Tu’i Manu’a -- which eventually led to the formation of the Tu’i Tonga empire around AD 950 in the person of ‘Aho’eitu, the first Tu’i Tonga -- whose father was a deified Samoan high chief, Tangaloa ‘Eitumâtupu’a, and mother a Tongan woman, Va’epopua, of great noble birth. This double origin entitled the Tu’i Tonga to hold both divine and secular offices. In principle, the close cultural and historical interlinkages between Fiji, Samoa and Tonga were essentially elitist, involving the intermarriage between regional aristocratic families. Tu'i Manu'a was said to be the most powerful King out of all Polynesian Kings during his time being that he was a descendant of the Polynesian God (Tagaloa).

The title Tu'i Manu'a is derived from the Manuokinaa Islands, three islands in the eastern part of the US Territory of American Samoa, which according to the oral traditions of Samoa and archaeological evidence were the first islands settled in Polynesia. Although by the 19th century, the influence of Manua was mostly a memory, the chant "Tuimanuokinaa e, Lou aliokinai e" ("Tuimanua my Lord"), is still chanted throughout Samoa on great occasions.

Last titleholder

Tuimanuokinaa Elisara was the last Tuimanuokinaa titleholder. He was the grandson of Tuimanuokinaa Alalamua, a descendant of the "Sa Tagaloa". Elisara attended the London Missionary Society seminary in Malua on Upolu and became the Congregationalist minister in Fitiuta. When the Faletolu (fono or meetinghouse of Taokinau) came to Elisara asking him to become the next Tuimanuokinaa, he refused because of his ministry, until the U.S. and Germany divided Samoa in 1899.

Subsequently, President William McKinley appointed a Naval Governor for American Samoa. The first US Navy Commandant hired an Australian lawyer to serve as administrator over American Samoa. The Australian Judge became Secretary of Native Affairs, Judge of the High Court, Secretary to the Governor, Tax Collector, and the government in Pago Pago.

Cession of Manu'a

The Commandant and Naval Judge obtained a Deed of Cession of Tutuila almost immediately from Mauga and the other high chiefs of Tutuila. However the Faletolu (fono of Manu'a) and the Tuimanu'a refused to sign a Deed of Cession of Manu'a. Monopolizing the copra industry, the American Samoa Naval Secretary (who later was convicted by the US Navy of stealing the profits involved) eventually forced Tui Manu'a Elisara to sign the Deed of Cession so that he could have access to its copra income. During this time a series of trials, called "The Trial of the Ipu", took place in Pago Pago, Taokinau, and onboard a US gunboat, the USS "Abarenda". By subjecting Manuokinaa and Samoan ceremonial law to a US Naval court, these trials effectively asserted U.S. sovereignty of the Tui Manu'a.Fact|date=February 2007

Arguably a myth about the Tui Manu'a Elisara is that he said there should be no Tui Manu'a after him (Office of the Governor, 2004), although this is certainly not the tradition in Samoa. He died a few years after signing the Deed of Cession.

Sources

*Barker, Joanne. 2005. "The Passive Resistance of Samoans to US and Other Colonialisms", article in "Sovereignty Matters" [http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/bookinfo/4883.html] , University of Nebraska Press.
* Office of the Governor. 2004. "Manu‘a ma Amerika". A brief historical documentary. Manu‘a Centennial. 16 July 1904. 16 July 2004. Office of the Governor, American Samoa Government. 20 p.

http://planet-tonga.com/language_journal/Emancipation_in_Tonga/index.shtml