Ali'i
From Free net encyclopedia
Ali'i refers to the chiefly or noble rank in Hawaiian society. In indigenous Hawaiian culture, ali'i are the highest class, ranking above both kahuna (priests) and maka'ainana (commoners).
Ali'i are full of mana and can place and remove kapu on objects. Ali'i continued to rule the Hawaiian islands until 1893 when Queen Lili'uokalani was deposed in a coup arranged by filibusters.
The term is also used in Samoa to refer to the highest leaders in traditional society, sometimes called "High Chiefs" or "Chiefs" in English. A Samoan Ali'i would traditionally have a tulafale or "Talking Chief" or "Orator" who would act as his spokesman. It is most likely that the Hawaiian and Samoan terms are related. In the Cook Islands, an ariki is a high chief, and the House of Ariki is a parliamentary house with very limited power, while in New Zealand a Maori ariki held a rank of nobility. In Tokelau, the term aliki denotes a chief.