 thumb|right|250px|women of the mau movement circa 1930  the mau was a non-violent movement for samoan independence from colonial rule during the early 1900s. the word 'mau' means 'opinion,' 'unwavering,' 'to be decided,' or 'testimony' denoting 'firm strength' in samoan. the motto for the mau were the words samoa mo samoa (samoa for the samoans). the movement had its beginnings on the island of savai'i with the mau a pule resistance in the early 1900s with widespread support throughout the country by the late 1920s. as the movement grew, leadership came under the country's chiefly elite, the customary matai leaders entrenched in samoan tradition and fa'a samoa. guardians of the west by albert wendt. retrieved 21 february 2009. the mau included women who supported the national organisation through leadership and organisation as well as taking part in marches. supporters wore a mau uniform of a navy blue lavalava with a white stripe which was later banned by the colonial administration. the mau movement culminated on 28 december 1929 in the streets of the capital apia, when the new zealand military police fired on a procession who were attempting to prevent the arrest of one of their members. the day became known as black saturday. up to 11 samoans were killed, including mau leader and high chief tupua tamasese lealofi iii with many others wounded. one new zealand constable was clubbed to death by protesters. the mau movement's efforts would ultimately culminate in the political independence of samoa in 1962 but the height of the movement's activity in the western islands occurred in the late 1920s and early 1930s. ==history==  [[file:raising the german flag at mulinu'u, samoa 1900 photo aj tattersall.jpg|thumb|right|150px|raising the flag of german samoa at mulinu'u, 1900. (photo by [[alfred john tatter
Community_organizing History_of_Samoa Nonviolence Protest_tactics Samoan_words_and_phrases Secession_in_Oceania