Final answer:
The belief that a chief has 'mana' indicates that the chief is seen as possessing a powerful supernatural force that enhances their status and legitimizes their authority within the community.
Step-by-step explanation:
The belief that a chief has "mana" means that the chief is believed to possess a powerful and unseen supernatural force. This concept of mana, originating from Oceania and particularly significant in cultures like the Maori of New Zealand, represents an impersonal force that can manifest in individuals, inanimate objects, or locations, to make them sacred and potent. Chiefs in various cultures may accumulate mana through their behaviors, the control of resources, or their ability to regulate trade and agricultural production, thus enhancing their status and power within the community.
Aside from its religious and mystical implications, the accumulation of mana by a chief often correlates with practical forms of power, such as control over land, agricultural surplus, and trade. This abstract force bolsters a chief's authority and serves as a legitimizing principle for their governance, aligning the spiritual and political spheres to ensure the community's prosperity and well-being.
In essence, a chief with mana is regarded as a link between the spiritual and the physical world, whose actions have both immediate and divine significance.