Matua, the term for parent, is used for the biological parent or guardian of the child. It is also sometimes used to address elderly family members. Land is owned by the magafaoa, not by an individual, and land courts keep genealogical records dating back several generations in order to settle ownership disputes. Oral genealogies in various forms extend back to the first settling of the island. Magafaoa membership is patrilineal, and the head of the family is usually a man.
Traditional roles are well defined.
Most magafaoa land is used for subsistence farming . Bush gardens of taro and other vegetables are owned and worked by the entire family. Economic enterprises that occur outside the magafaoa area, ranging from running shops to bee-keeping and pig raising, can be individually owned. Most adults have some source of income outside the family. The magafaoa cooperates in caring for the elderly or unemployed.