▁supp or ters , ▁including ▁his ▁younger ▁brother ▁who ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁holder ▁of ▁the ▁' N am ul au ulu ' ▁family ▁chief ▁title , ▁best owed ▁by ▁Nam ul au ulu ▁Lau aki ▁at ▁F ale l ata i , ▁were ▁tri aled ▁and ▁ex iled ▁to ▁Sa ip an ▁by ▁German ▁Governor ▁Wilhelm ▁S olf . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁Mau ▁a ▁P ule ▁died ▁in ▁ex ile . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁the ▁Mau ▁movement ▁had ▁gathered ▁w ides p read ▁national ▁support ▁under ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁administration ▁which ▁followed ▁from ▁colonial ▁rule ▁by ▁Germany . ▁▁▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁the ▁country ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁Pacific ▁nation ▁to ▁gain ▁political ▁independence , ▁under ▁its ▁former ▁name ▁Western ▁Sam oa ▁which ▁formally ▁changed ▁to ▁Sam oa ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁ ▁M ata i ▁chief ▁titles ▁ ▁Saf ot ul af ai ▁has ▁strong ▁traditional ▁connections ▁with ▁S ale a ula ▁on ▁the ▁central ▁north ▁coast , ▁through ▁the ▁param ount ▁chief ly ▁title ▁( m ata i ) ▁of ▁Let uf uga . ▁Saf ot ul af ai ▁is ▁always ▁consult ed ▁by ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁Mal ie ▁( Tu am as aga ▁district ) ▁in ▁conj unction ▁with ▁Man ono ▁Island ▁( A iga - i - le - T ai ▁district ), ▁in ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁Mal iet oa ▁title - hold ers . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁Sam o an ▁language ▁History ▁of ▁Sam