Staffs

Both high chiefs and talking chiefs used wooden staffs (to'oto'o) as walking sticks on ordinary occasions, and as a symbol of rank during ceremonial conducted in the open air. The staffs are long rounded sticks, smoothed and polished. One presented to the Bishop Museum expedition by the chief of Malaeloa, Tutuila, is in the form of a short spear with barbs cut at the pointed end out of the solid. (See Plate LII, B, 3) In Tutuila, it was held that a talking chief's staff should not be higher than his own height, but there was no such limitation to a high chief's staff. When making a speech standing in the open air, a talking chief placed the lower end of his staff between the big toe and second toe of the right foot and kept both hands on the staff. The high chief on the few occasions that he did speak, placed the lower end where he wished. The staff was held erect with both hands and the speaker did not shift his staff or his ground. On occasions, however, when trouble was imminent, the talking chief swayed his staff and informed his own party by prearranged signals to mobilize and be prepared for a surprise attack. The talking chief's staff is termed to'oto'o fai launga (staff with which a speech is made).