Barbara Edmonds’ unexpected honour in Sāmoa

For Labour MP Pesetatamalelagi Barbara Edmonds, an unexpected trip to Sāmoa in early January became a meaningful cultural milestone.

She travelled to her maternal village of Safotu on the island of Savai’i for a family funeral and was unexpectedly bestowed with a Matai chiefly title.

“It was a pretty unexpected break,” she described the trip.

“I went back to Sāmoa after 21 years. We lost a niece over in Sāmoa, so I went over for her funeral.

“It was just so good to be home, which is probably the best way to put it.

"The [village] Matai had come, who was actually related to the deceased through the grandmother's side,” Edmonds said.

“He looked at me and kind of said, ‘Oh, this is the girl to Matai, who's in the New Zealand Parliament’.

“We didn't say that I was coming, we wanted to keep it as low-key as possible because I was there for my niece's funeral.

“My Gagana (Sāmoan language) Sāmoa is rusty at best. So I was following the conversation, and I thought, ‘Oh yeah, he's going to talk to the other Matai’.”

Toa Sāmoa captain, Junior Paulo and former Miss Sāmoa, Ana Schmidt Stevenson also have the Pesetatamalelagi title. Photo/NRL/Sāmoa Global News

After discussing it with the village's four main Matai, they agreed to give her the title.

The title, Pesetatamalelagi, is rare. It is now held by Junior Paulo, captain of the Toa Sāmoa team, businesswoman and former Miss Sāmoa, Ana Schmidt Stevenson, and Edmonds.

After receiving the blessing of her close relatives, Edmonds’ title was sealed with a kapa le ipu or a kava ceremony before she returned to New Zealand the following day.

A renewed sense of responsibility

For Edmonds, receiving a Matai title is more than a symbolic gesture. It reminds her of her obligations to her community in Sāmoa and New Zealand.

“I'm very honoured to carry it [the title] and it comes with responsibility, but that responsibility was always there as part of my role as the first female, first Pacific finance spokesperson across Parliament.

“It's a responsibility I've always carried once I've become a faipule, a Member of Parliament, and it's one that’s sort of lifted the responsibility even more.”

The timing of the ceremony added layers of personal reflection for Edmonds.

Edmonds was bestowed with the title in an ava ceremony. Photo/Barbara Edmonds Facebook

“Mum died on the 14th of January in 1986, and then she was buried on my fifth birthday.

“So just the coincidence of when having to go for this fa’alavelave (familial duty), the change of the name and how it's very much aligned with the change in my name back 38 years ago for my mother's death.

“These things happen for a reason, and I'm really blessed that the timing was right.”

When her mother passed, Edmonds was renamed and given her mother’s name, Pālepa or Barbara, in her honour.

Barbara’s mum Palepa, pregnant with Barbara at the time, with Barbara’s siblings Lui, Nive and Sopo, in 1985. Photo/E-tagata

Connecting the diaspora

Now a mother of eight, Edmonds understands the challenges of maintaining cultural connections while living in the diaspora.

She acknowledged her rusty Sāmoan language skills, humorously adding, “Give me a couple of weeks, and I’ll be fluent again.”

Her message to young Pacific people facing similar challenges is clear.

“Stay connected to your family in Sāmoa. That is where the connection can be strengthened.

“I really saw that when I went over this time, and I've always had a connection with my family in Sāmoa, but actually being there, seeing the hard work that they do just to keep our land going.

“Stay strong to your family, stay strong to your āiga and, as we always say, to our faith, and let that guide you in your decision making.”

Watch a snippet of Edmonds' interview here.

Looking ahead

As Parliament prepares to sit next week, Edmonds has started her year at the Labour caucus retreat in Palmerston North, followed by Rātana in Whanganui.

“We [the Labour Party] spent the first year [in opposition] reconnecting with our communities because you get more time when you're not in government to do that in opposition.

“For me, it was developing new relationships within the finance and the business sectors, and then the number one goal as the opposition is to hold our government to account.”