Tonga Language Week

PAST EVENT

If you have never been to a faikava ceremony, this is a great opportunity to come and see one of the most important Tongan cultural practices of the faikava. This is a ceremony that will make you discover and understand what happens during such an event.

Sitting around the kava bowl, you will share the moment and learn what makes it such an important ceremony for all Tongan communities and the diaspora.

So, don't miss out! Join us with the Tongan group Lomipeau for this special occasion.

Koe ngaahi ma’u’anga fakahinohino ko ‘eni kihe tauhi ‘oe ngatu´ mei he sio ‘ae founga fakatolonga angamahení ‘ae Misiume´ moe ‘ene taumu’a fakahangatonu ke tokoni’i ‘ae tauhi ‘oe ngatu´. ‘Oku nau talanoa‘i ‘a e ngaahi makatu’unga mahu‘inga ‘oe ‘ātakai te ne uesia ho‘o ngatu ke maumau ai pea mo e ngaahi ngāue te ke lava ‘o fai ke ta‘ofi ‘aki ‘eni. ‘Oku kau foki heni ‘a e founga fakaalaala ki he ngāue kihe ngatu´, fakatoka ‘oe Longa´, mo e ngaahi founga hono fofola´ ke tokoni ki hono tokanga‘i ho‘o ngatu´ ‘i ‘api.

_{The following care guidelines come from a perspective of museum conservation practice with the specific intent of supporting long term preservation of tapa. They discuss key environmental factors that can cause your tapa to physically deteriorate and the actions you can take to prevent this. Also included are safe handling, storage, and display methods to aid in caring for your tapa at home.}

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Ko e ngaahi koloa mahu‘inga ‘a e fāmili ko e konga ia ‘e taha hotau hisitolia. ‘Oku ne ‘omai ha ongo ‘ofa ki hotau tupu‘anga ‘i he ‘etau ‘ilo‘i kohai kitautolu mo e kakai na‘a tau tupu mei ai. Ko e ngaahi koloa mahu‘inga ‘a e fāmili ‘oku fa‘a kau ki ai ‘a e ngaahi ‘ata, ‘alapama, ngaahi tohi, pea mo e ngaahi fakamatala mahu‘inga.

Ko hono tokanga‘i mo tauhi ‘a e ngaahi naunau ko ‘eni ‘oku fakatefito ai ‘a ‘ene tolonga. Ko e ngaahi founga ‘eni te ne tokoni‘i koe ki hono tauhi ke malu ‘a e ngaahi hohoko ho fāmili ma‘a kinautolu he kaha‘u.

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_{Family archives are part of our history. We draw a sense of identity from knowing who we are and where we’ve come from. Archives may include photographs, albums, letters, and important documents. Handling and storage of our family collections directly impacts how long they last. These guidelines will help you preserve your family archives for future generations.}

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Villages: 'Eua, Lapaha, Ma'ufanga

Role at Tāmaki Paenga Hira: Youth representative with the Pacific Advisory Group (PAG)

What is the impact of your role and how you use it to engage with the Pasifika community?

This role is really the tip of the iceberg of what all our PAG members do within our communities. I think that's how we should view the Museum itself. Fractional in the facets that are outward facing, and encourage internal and public discourse to further dissect and analyse our histories. Everything is never complete, so working alongside PAG is like a jigsaw puzzle. In ways, we wish to complete or find an end to something. However, we understand that nothing is really ever complete. I aliken this to practice of being a Fia Poto artist. There is no true answer, or definite pathway, we must find ways to innovate, create, to sustain and underpin our realities to make sense of everything going on around us. 

Why is the Tongan language important to you and your identity today?

Speaking Tongan, speaking Gagana Samoa, speaking Fijian etc is to speak the language of the Gods. It is a direct ambilical chord that transcends any colonial framework or system to connect your directly to your source of autonomy.

What is your favourite Tongan Proverb and what it means to you?

Fagota ki he kato 'ava - Fishing with a bags with holes in it. I see this as a double-edged sword. Sometimes we need our nana's sewing kit to stitch up the worn-out net, to keep all the juicy seaweed. Sometimes we need the withered net, to let go of the fishes that need more time to just keep swimming. 

Fakatapu ki he ‘afio ‘a e tolu taha'i ‘Otua. Fakatapu ki he ngaahi  tu'u ki mu'a ‘o e ngaue'anga ni. Fakatapu ki ha sola mo ha vulangi, kae ‘atā mo e finemotu'a ni keu lave nounou atu ki hoku tupu'anga pea moe mahu'inga kiate au ‘a hono fakatolonga mo kātoanga'i ‘o e uike lea faka-Tonga. 

Mālō e lelei, my name is 'Asinate Faka'osifolau-Williams. I work in the Visitor Services team as the Bookings & Sales Coordinator.

My father hails from the villages of Ha'ateiho, located in the center of the main island Tongatapu and Tungua which is a small Island of the Ha'apai outer island groups. My mother hails from ‘Utulau located on the Southern side of the main Island, Tongatapu and Vaipoa, another outer island group of Niuatoputapu which is located closer to Samoa.

The theme for this year’s language week is 'E tu'uloa ‘a e lea faka-Tongá ‘o ka lea'aki ‘i ‘api, siasi´ moe nofo-‘a-kainga´ which translates to “Tongan language will be sustainable if used at home, church and in the wider community. The relevance of this to my role as a Bookings and Sale Coordinator is customer focused. I pride myself in being able to use my language to support those of Tongan heritage who may have language restrictions. It is uplifting to see visitors from the Tongan community smile when hearing a simple greeting in my native tongue, Mālō e lelei. Experiencing those moments make it that more important for me to promote the importance of keeping the Tongan language alive.

I believe it is important to revitalize and sustain the Tongan language as it defines who I am and is primarily how others in society distinguish and identify me as a Tongan. Having knowledge of the Tongan language is an anchor holding me grounded to my roots regardless of where I am.

There is a Tongan proverb “Fifii ika maka” the wrapping of rock fish in leaves. To prepare this type of fish as a meal, it must be carefully wrapped up in woven coconut leaves in order to preserve it before it is either baked or cooked underground. This depicts something of great value needing great care for preservation. This Tongan proverb reminds us that the knowledge of lea faka-Tonga is so valuable and it is important to sustain our language because if it becomes extinct, we too will lose a part of our identity as Tongan people.

I leave you with a quote I often hear; “Ko e koloa ‘o e Tonga´ ko e fakamālō” (A Tongan’s only treasure is to express or say thank you). A small gesture or word of thanks is the greatest start to honouring our Tongan heritage, speaking the language and keeping it alive for the generations to come.

Tu‘a ‘ofa atu.

More Tongan people are currently born in New Zealand than in Tonga. As such, Aotearoa has a special role in celebrating lea Faka-Tonga mo e 'ulungaanga Faka-Tonga (Tongan language and culture).

Learn more about how the Museum is taking part within this role.

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Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi is a famous Tongan community leader and artist who hails from the village of Ngelei‘a, on Tongatapu. Tohi is a master craftsman of the ancient Pacific art of lalava or lashing.  

Lalava is the technology used to bind objects together in traditional Pacific architecture, tools and vaka (canoe) building. Tohi often uses the patterns of lashings to symbolize the unity of all things, past, present and future. He explains,

"My work transforms the technology of the past into a modern representation of identity and experience.  By using the patterns established by lalava, I express a Polynesian heritage with metaphors that speak to our entire community."

Tohi has exhibited over the world and has sculpture in international collections including Japan, China, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Tonga, Samoa and the USA.  An example of his metal sculpture is called “Hautaha (Coming Together)” and is located outside the community centre in Onehunga in Auckland. Other artwork can be seen across Aotearoa New Zealand including in Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington, the University of Auckland’s Pasifika Fale, and Puke Ariki in New Plymouth.  Tohi’s sculptures from 1980 to 2000 were mainly created in stone, wood, and mixed media, but works made since 2000 are often created from metal, using aluminum or stainless steel. He notes, 

"For me, stainless steel represents the shiny new structures of the modern world. Wood is based more in tradition – in natural things from our environment."

Find as many Tongan words as you can in this wordfinder, and maybe learn a few new ones along the way. When you're finished, you can find the answers here.

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