Who will be the next Mālietoa? Will there be another Mālietoa? History and politics of succession to a paramount Tama-a-'Āiga title of Sāmoa

Observes the difficulties involved in the appointment of successors to paramount chiefly titles in Sāmoa, as instanced by the failure, at the time of writing, for a successor to be appointed to the Mālietoa title, last held by Mālietoa Tanumafili II, who passed away in 2007. Considers the travails of the 'Āiga Sā Mālietoā, or extended Mālietoā family, which has struggled to agree on either a candidate or a process. Argues that unless the rules governing succession are reviewed and the Land and Titles Court is modernised and equipped to play a more proactive role, ancient family titles in Sāmoa may be destined for abeyance. Acknowledges the wider ramifications for Sāmoan society and development of the issue of chiefly succession. Source: National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand Licence.