Tumua

The present political divisions of Upolu began when Pilli divided the island between his sons. His son Atua was given the eastern end of the island. The symbol for Atua and his clan was the oso or planting stick. A’ana was given the western end of the island and the symbol of the spear, signifying that he and his clan were to be warriors. The center part was given to the twins Tua and Saga and named Tuamasaga.

The symbols given them were the fue and the to’oto’o signifying that they and their clans would be the talking chiefs. His son, Tolufale was given control over Manono and Apolima and his clan was called Aiga-i-le-tai (children of the sea).

The place of residence of the king (tui) of each district became the seat of government or the Tumua for that portion of Upolu. The king had nothing to do with the management of the domestic affairs of their section of Upolu. Each district governed itself and each district was divided into villages which governed themselves in the same way. If a decision needed to be made concerning the whole district, the chiefs called together an assembly of the whole district to the seat of government. If the entire kingdom needed to make a decision, a general fono of all three Tumua was called together.

Today, there are three Tumua or seats of government in Upolu :

1. Leulumoega in the A’ana District on the western end of Upolu. This was the residence of the Tui A’ana. The Faleiva (house of nine talking chiefs) represents this Tumua.
2. Lufilufi is the seat of the Tumua on the eastern part of Upolu. This was the residence of the Atua. The Faleono (house of six talking chiefs) does the talking in behalf of Atua.
3. Malie is the seat of the Tuamasaga District. Auimatagi or Pou-e-fitu-o-le fale-o-Malietoa (seven posts of the House of Malietoa) is the seat of talking chiefs who are equal in rank to the Faleiva at A’ana District and the Faleono at Atua District. The title Malietoa replaced the title Tuimasaga when Tuna and Fata led the fight to drive the Tongans from Samoa. That was the beginning of the Malietoa title. Uitualagi, the grandson of Savea, first Malietoa, proclaimed in his will that his granddaughters should each have a title like those of Tui Atua and Tui A’ana. These two titles were Gatoaitele and Vaeatamasoali’i.

The above information was taken (as written) from the MCKAY-FALE located in Sauniatu (on the island of Upolu) Western Samoa.