Tu'i, also spelled more simplistically Tui, is a Polynesian traditional title for

tribal chief A tribal chief, chieftain, or headman is a leader of a tribe, tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies There is no definition for "tribe". The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of weste ...

s or princes. In translations, the highest such positions are often rendered as "king". For details, see the links below various polities. Traditionally, a Tui is an equivalent of God title. Origin of Tui is believed to be Tui Manu'a (the title given to the son of the Polynesian God Tagaloa, and therefore Tui were viewed as living Gods).

Tonga

See: * Tu'i Tonga * Tu'i Ha'atakalaua * Tu'i Kanokupolu *Tui Harris

Fiji

See

House of Chiefs (Fiji) The House of Chiefs in Fiji consists of the Fijian nobility, composed of about seventy chiefs of various ranks, majority of which are related. It is not a formal political body and is not the same as the Great Council of Chiefs, a political bo ...

Samoa

There are several Samoan polities and titles (several including the term Tui) in the present kingdom. On

American Samoa American Samoa is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States located in the Polynesia region of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. Centered on , it is southeast of the island count ...

, the paramount chief is titled Tu'i Manu'a

Wallis and Futuna

On Futuna island, see Tu`i Agaifo of Alo. There is also the Chief of

Sigave Sigavé (also Singave or Sigave) is one of the three official chiefdoms of the France, French territory of Wallis and Futuna in Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. (The other two chiefdoms are Uvea (Wallis and Futuna), Uvea and Alo (Wallis and Futu ...

; however, depending on the family, they carry the specific title of Sau?, Tamolevai, Keletaona, or Tu`i Sigave. On `Uvea (Wallis Island), there is only the Tui `Uvea or Hau (translated by the French as king/queen; from 1858 also styled Lavelua¹).

Sources and references

WorldStatesmen- see each present country
Heads of state Noble titles Polynesian culture {{Oceania-poli-stub