History
Broadly, the history of the Mau movement can be seen as beginning in the 1800s with European contact and the advent of Western powers, Britain, United States and Germany, vying for control of the Pacific nation. The country became German Samoa (1900–1914) followed by New Zealand colonial rule during which the Mau gathered national support.
| “ | The Mau was a revolt of Old Samoa against foreign domination, and, therefore, originated in the nineteenth century. Samoan author and Professor Albert Wendt. | ” |
A key event occurred in 1908, in a dispute between the German colonial administration and the Malo o Samoa, or Samoan Council of Chiefs, over the establishment of a copra business owned and controlled by native Samoans.
The dispute led to the eventual formation of a resistance movement called Mau a Pule on Savai'i by Lauaki Namulauulu Mamoe, one of the Samoan leaders from Safotulafai who was deposed by the German Governor of Samoa, Wilhelm Solf. As well as deposing members of the Malo o Samoa, Solf called in two German warships as a show of strength. Faced with this demonstration of military force, and with the movement divided, Lauaki surrendered. In 1909, Lauaki and the other senior leaders of the Mau a Pule were exiled to the German colonies in the Marianas (North West Pacific) where they were to stay until 1914, when New Zealand took over Samoa as part of its Empire duties at the outbreak of World War One. Many of those exiled died before returning to Samoa. Lauaki died en route back to Samoa in 1915.
Read more about this topic: Mau Movement
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