Malietoa Mà Âli I [Semoanaifea] (âÂÂLamp Oilâ or âÂÂIlluminationâÂÂ) was a Samoan king who died in 1860.
Some speculate that both Mà Âlë and Malietoa Talavou Tonumaipe'a were both declared Malietoa following Malietoa Tinai Taimalelagi "Natuitasina"âÂÂs death; (Malietoa Vaiinupo had two sons, from his first marriage, the eldest died in a war, and his son lived under Malietoa Vaiinupo's shade, He had a family of his own and live like a normal person, a royal blood that was not recognized) Mà Âlë married FaâÂÂalaitaua [Faaala], the daughter of SuâÂÂapaâÂÂia from SÃÂlelavalu, Savaii who also seems to have held the saâÂÂoâÂÂaualuma title of Fuatino. This wife bore a son named Laupepa who later became Malietoa. Mà Âlë also seems to have fathered a son named Mà Âlë [or Moti] as well as a son named Faleono who is claimed to have been Mà ÂlëâÂÂs eldest. Malietoa Mà Âlë was installed as Malietoa in 1858 or 1859 and probably received the GatoâÂÂaitele and TamasoÃÂliâÂÂi titles at that time. He had previously been named TuiÃÂtua in 1841 and he held this distinction until his death. Unlike his uncle Taimalelagi and half-brother Talavou, Mà Âlë was a steadfast devotee of the London Missionary Society and consequently enjoyed the support of the increasingly powerful church.
Mà ÂlëâÂÂs short term as titleholder âÂÂwas notable for his humiliation by foreign consulsâ and Robert Louis Stevenson recounts several examples of the dishonor and embarrassment suffered at the hands of western politicians. He was âÂÂseized on several occasions by captains of warships of various nations as a hostage to secure the capture of Samoans who had offended European settlersâÂÂ. The most famous of these incidents involved a highborn man from SÃÂgone, SavaiâÂÂi who in 1856 had murdered a European named William Fox in SÃÂlaâÂÂilua, SavaiâÂÂi. Samoan justice was served when SÃÂlaâÂÂilua reciprocally took the life of a SÃÂgone noble, but âÂÂthis was no settlement in European eyesâ and a British gunship pummeled the SÃÂgone coast with cannon fire. Mà Âlë was later punished with fines and âÂÂforced to assent to the executionâ of the perpetrator. The judicial settlement of this incident took place in November 1858 while Taimalelagi lay dying and the bulk of administrative duties were already vested in Mà Âlë.
When Mà Âlë's own passing became inevitable, two contenders emerged as legitimate heirs to the Malietoa title: Mà Âlë's younger brother Talavou (the Tupu o SÃÂlafai) and Mà Âlë's own son, Malietoa Laupepa. Malietoa Mà Âlë â the TuiÃÂtua, GatoâÂÂaitele and TamasoÃÂliâÂÂi â died in 1860 and was buried in a grand tomb at Malie after holding the Malietoa title for less than two years. His descendants, including Malietoa Tanumafili II and Malietoa Mà Âlë II, form the modern SàMà Âlë branch of the SàMalietoa descent line.