ʻAiga is a word in the Samoan language which means 'family.' ʻAiga consists of a wider family group of blood and marriage or even adopted connections who all acknowledge the matai (head of the family). Such a matai is a titled person, either a chief (aliʻi) or an orator (tulafale or failauga) whose particular duty is the leadership and care of the family under their control, and who is entitled to the services and co-operation of all members of their family in return for leadership. In Samoan custom relationship may be claimed through female as well as male ancestors. Samoans may belong to many families or different ʻaiga since a woman marrying into another family confers on all her blood descendants membership of her own.
A matai may be either male or female and they are selected by consensus of the ʻaiga and bestowed the particular matai title belonging to that family. All members of such a family group need not necessarily live under the same roof or even in the same village but will when occasion requires it assemble, generally at the residence of the matai, to discuss family affairs or any happenings affecting the interests of the family, or to discharge the duties associated with deaths or weddings. It is the duty of the matai to take care of the family land and to apportion it for the use of members of the family in return for services rendered to them as head of the family.
