Thomas Andrew

1890

About the object

This photograph shows a group of armed Sāmoan men in European style uniforms preparing for battle. To the left stands Mata’afa Iosefo, high chief and one of the three contenders for the tata’ifa / king title. The photograph was taken by Thomas Andrew in the 1890s when Malietoa Laupepa was appointed paramount chief of Sāmoa by the tripartite forces of Germany, Britain and the United States, causing conflict among Sāmoan titleholders who disputed the European imposed one-ruler arrangement.
Author: Charlotte Klinge, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

The Sāmoan system of rule was based on communal decision-making and delegated significant responsibilities to village chiefs. Four family groups oversaw and made decisions over geographic districts, and chiefly titles were passed down to their descendants and remained within the same families. Conversely, the European monarchy relied on a king to assert power and control over the population. Thus, it functioned as a model for establishing a paramount chief in Sāmoa who would have sole authority alongside a European governor.

Author: Charlotte Klinge, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa