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Le Mamea Matatumua Ata

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Le Mamea Matatumua Ata OBE, also known as Le Mamea Mua, was a Samoan leader and one of the drafters of Samoa's Constitution. He held senior roles under the German colonial government, the New Zealand Trusteeship, and the Independent State of Samoa. He bore the matai title Le Mamea from Matautu, Lefaga, and the orator title Matatumua from Faleasi'u. In 1960 he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his service. He appeared in the 1953 film Return to Paradise as Tonga; the movie was filmed in Matautu, Lefaga.

He was the son of Faletoese Lipano, a pastor and educator, and his grandfather Vaaelua Petaia helped translate the Bible into Samoan. His uncles Le Mamea Makalau and Teo Tuvale held prominent government positions.

He married Faalelei Masinalupe and had five children; after her death he married Faleluafua and had four more. His family included other notable figures: his daughters Laulu Fetauimalemau Mata'afa and Matatumua Maimoana, and his sister and brother-in-law who helped found HRPP. His granddaughter Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa has been Samoa’s prime minister since 2021, and another granddaughter, Hinauri Petana, has served as Financial Secretary and is Samoa’s High Commissioner to Australia.


This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 19:43 (CET).