Matai Titles,
For Sale or For Service??

'Can you smell what the Rock is cooking???'

Okay, here's an interesting topic, Matai Titles.
The Rock, Dwayne Johnson, a former WWE champion and recently hollywood hottie, is Samoan by descent.

Last year 2004, he visited Samoa with his mom and a jetplane load of staff and hanger-ons.
It was the biggest crowds EVER Samoa has witnessed since perhaps the first independence in 1962.

Anyhow, he got bestowed the title Seiuli from Malietoa Taumafili II the Head of State. This was well received by many, but others disagreed.

Some bitched about it among themselves, others wrote poorly structured columns and tacky frontpages on it, the rest just went along for the ride.

Either way, here's my own 2 sene to the whole thing.

Pros: Good publicity for Samoa.
Many thought the title bestowment was selling ourselves to the palagi $$$, and blahblah,,...meanwhile, i think it's a smart move.

From my tourism perspective, we are too broke-as to launch million dollar (or 10,000!!!) promotions about Samoa as a tourism destination, esp to the US market.
+So any publicity is STUNNING publicity about Samoa.

+ In addition, he has put Samoa on the pedestal, and given light to his heritage (altho he doesn't speak 6 words in samoan).
+ Plus, Malietoa can bestow any title he wishes, to anyone that pleases him.
+ And, he has contributed hugely to charities and whatnot while he was there
+And he has inspired many young people, that you dont have to be truly palagi with blue eyes and blonde hair to make it etc etc...it helps tho, hehe

There are a lot more pitiful examples about titles that are given to idiots over the years, I wouldn't rate this Rock title as a poor decision.

oh well, on the down side, we have people in samoa who work hard in the plantation, go fishing, feed the pigs, scrape coconuts daily etc, to support their matai and families. Yet, most don't get titles.

At the end of the day, I truly believe that any positive contribution you have made to better Samoa and Samoans can justify you getting a title.

Here's some palagis with honorary titles; Galumalemana Dick Hubbard(Hubbards cereals,Akld Mayor)
? Prince Edward (bestowed in Iva, Savaii, Tofilau?
Tagaloa David Lange (NZ former Prime Minister)
Tupai Bruno, the circus freak, now thats a new low, heh
etc etc...

I just then wondered, if Malietoa's wife's sister's husband's niece died, and the Seiuli family has to do a sii and give money. Does the family in Samoa pick up the phone and call the Rock and say 'Ello, tis is your aunty Kikaka, all the matais have to give 2 pusa apas (tinned fish), 120 fine mats and a $100.00..shet, thats peanuts for the Rock!!!