[1] All outward expressions of the respect and esteem in which an ʻaiga may be held both by the village and the district or the whole of Samoa, may properly be directed to the matai.
Matai are also responsible for the proper maintenance of the dignity of the family and the adequate performance of their social obligations.
On the other hand, if the conduct of the matai in any way falls short of the standard expected, the displeasure of the community and the shame associated therewith will be shared by the family.
A proper consideration of the interplay of rights and duties in two such lines of descent would open up the very wide field of the relationship known as the feagaiga.
The respectful and traditional relationships raised by the feagaiga permeate the whole of Samoan society, and must always be taken into account at the time of the choice of a new matai and on other important occasions including marriages and deaths.