Kolovai is a village on the Tongan island of Tongatapu . Its 2006 population was 4,098.
59-501: The village is notable for its lakalaka , the national dance of Tonga. A national monument has been proposed to preserve the site of the koka tree where members of the Tu'i Kanokupolu dynasty received investiture . It is home to a large colony of Pacific Flying Foxes , a species of fruit bat . This Tongan location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Lakalaka The lakalaka (walking briskly)
118-413: A relish . The liquid from the center of coconuts was commonly drunk, and the soft "spoon meat" of young coconuts much relished. Baked breadfruit was eaten in season; said fruit itself as well as the banana and taro could be stored in pits until fermented into a unique staple preserve known as mā . Pigs were killed and cooked only on special occasions, such as weddings , funerals , feasts honoring
177-501: A common funeral food, being easily prepared for hundreds of mourners. There are now bakeries in the larger cities. The most popular loaves are soft, white, and bland. There are also local soft drink bottlers, who make various local varieties of soda . A Tongan who might once have breakfasted on bits of cooked pork and yam from a hanging basket may now have white bread and soda for breakfast. Purchased prepared foods have also made great headway, even in remote villages. Canned cornbeef
236-406: A curved roof (branches lashed with sennit rope, or kafa , thatched with woven palm leaves) resting on pillars made of tree trunks. Woven screens filled in the area between the ground and the edge of the roof. The traditional design was extremely well adapted to surviving hurricanes. If the winds threatened to shred the walls and overturn the roof, the inhabitants could chop down the pillars, so that
295-444: A doze after a heavy mid-day meal. As well as drinking soda, Tongans now drink tea and coffee . Usually this is of the cheapest variety, and served with tinned condensed milk . Some men drink alcohol . Sometimes this is imported Australian or New Zealand beer ; more often it is home-brew, hopi , made with water , sugar or mashed fruit , and yeast . Imported drinks are sold only to Tongans who have liquor permits, which require
354-430: A girl's first menstruation was celebrated by a feast. This practice continued up until the mid-20th century, at which point it fell out of favor. Contemporary funerals are large, well-attended occasions, even for Tongans who are not wealthy. Relatives gather, often traveling long distances to do so. Large amounts of food are contributed, then distributed to the crowds during and after the funeral. Funeral practices are
413-541: A mix of introduced Christian rites and customs (such as a wake and a Christian burial ), and older indigenous customs that survive from pre-contact times. For instance, mourners wear black (a Western custom) but also wrap mats ( ta'ovala ) around their waist. The type and size of the mat proclaim the mourner's relationship to the deceased. Immediate family members might also choose to wear a worn or frayed ta'ovala to show respect and love for their family that has passed on. Tongan families do not necessarily compete to put on
472-426: A single log with fire and adze and outfitted with a single outrigger. Due to a dearth of large trees suitable for building large war canoes, these canoes were often imported from Fiji. Tongan navigators used wayfinding techniques such as the navigation by the stars, and observations of birds, ocean swells, and wind patterns, and relied on a large body of knowledge from oral tradition. Anthropologist David Lewis , in
531-400: A story. Tonga has evolved its own version of Western-style clothing, consisting of a long tupenu , or sarong, for women, and a short tupenu for men. Women cover the tupenu with a kofu , or Western-style dress; men top the tupenu either with a T-shirt, a Western casual shirt, or on formal occasions, a dress shirt and a suit coat. Preachers in some Methodist sects still wear long frock coats ,
590-411: A strong deterrent against crime. Tonga also struggles with young offenders - "schoolboys who want to have money to show off" - who have been apprehended in burglaries. As there are no juvenile prisons, young offenders are incarcerated in the main prisons together with adult criminals. Previously, attempts were made to temporarily exile young offenders to Tau , a small island offshore Tongatapu but this
649-589: A style that has not been current in the West for more than a hundred years. These coats must be tailored locally. Tongan outfits are often assembled from used Western clothing (for the top) mixed with a length of cloth purchased locally for the tupenu. Used clothing can be found for sale at local markets, or can be purchased overseas and mailed home by relatives. Some women have learned to sew and own sewing machines (often antique treadle machines). They do simple home-sewing of shirts, kofu, and school uniforms. Nukuʻalofa,
SECTION 10
#1732798709466708-663: A thousand years old. Tongan males were often heavily tattooed. In Captain Cook 's time only the Tuʻi Tonga (king) was not: because he was too high ranked for anybody to touch him. Later it became the habit that a young Tuʻi Tonga went to Samoa to be tattooed there. The practice of Tātatau disappeared under heavy missionary disapproval, but was never completely suppressed. It is still very common for men (less so, but still some for women), to be decorated with some small tattoos. Nevertheless, tattoos shows one's strength. Tattoos also tell
767-418: A visit to a government office, and limit the amount of alcohol which can be purchased. There are no such formalities with hopi . Drinking is usually done secretively; a group of men gather and drink until they are drunk. Such gatherings sometimes result in drunken quarrels and assaults. Formal kava drinking is an important and intrinsic part of Tonga culture. However, The drinking of kava by men at kava clubs
826-496: A visiting chief, and the like. Tongans also ate chickens . Food could be stored by feeding it to pigs. Pre-contact Tongans also built elevated storehouses for yams. Yams would keep only a few months. Hence a household's main security was generous distribution of food to relatives and neighbors, who were thus put under an obligation to share in their turn. Many new foods were introduced in the 19th and early 20th centuries, following Western contacts and settlements. The cassava plant
885-473: Is a Tongan group dance where the performers are largely standing still and make gestures with their arms only. It is considered as the national dance of Tonga and part of the intangible human heritage . It is the ideal dance at formal occasions, like the birthday of the king or the opening of a church. The current lakalaka seems to be quite equal to the ancient meʻelaufola (outstretched arms dance), of which descriptions exist from early European explorers, but
944-515: Is a great favorite. It is eaten straight from the can, or mixed with coconut milk and onions, wrapped in leaves, and baked in the earth oven. Tongans also eat canned fish, such as tuna . In villages or towns with refrigeration, cheap frozen " mutton flaps " imported from New Zealand are popular. Tongans also eat the common South Pacific "ship's biscuit", hard plain crackers once a shipboard staple. These crackers are called mā pakupaku . Tongans no longer make an earth oven every day. Most daily cooking
1003-472: Is done by women, who cook in battered pots over open fires in the village, in wood-burning stoves in some households, and on gas or electric ranges in some of the larger towns. The meal schedule has also changed, to more Westernized breakfast, light lunch, and heavy dinner. Tongans say that the old schedule is unworkable when household members have Western-style jobs, or attend schools at some distance from home; such family members cannot come home to eat, then have
1062-812: Is far from a unified or monolithic affair, and Tongans themselves may differ strongly as to what it is "Tongan" to do, or not do. Contemporary Tongans often have strong ties to overseas lands. They may have been migrant workers in New Zealand , or have lived and traveled in New Zealand, Australia , or the United States . Many Tongans now live overseas, in a Tongan diaspora , and send home remittances to family members (often aged) who prefer to remain in Tonga . Tongans themselves often have to operate in two different contexts, which they often call anga fakatonga ,
1121-440: Is somewhat equal to drinking beers in the bar in western cultures. Tonga is notable for its high obesity rates with over 90% of the population being overweight. Consequently, many Tongan islanders have an increased risk of heart disease , diabetes and other obesity related diseases which place the nation's health service under considerable strain. Much of this is related to the nation's cultural love of food and eating as well as
1180-440: Is uncommon and the execution is always crude. In the 1970s there was a small factory near Nukuʻalofa that made simple jewelry from coral and tortoise-shell for sale to Western tourists. It is not clear if this factory is still operating. The government may have protected sea-turtles and corals (as has been done in most other countries) and ended this line of manufacture. There has been a huge surge of Contemporary Tongan artists in
1239-451: The haka (dance movements). Nevertheless, there are lakalaka which have become so famous that they can generally be used at any occasion. Among them several made by Queen Sālote , like Takafalu , Nailasikau , Sāngone , ʻOtu langi , Tuaikaepau , and so forth. The dance movements of men and women are different. Most of the time the women make small steps to the left and right only, and their arm movements are small and fluid. Nevertheless,
SECTION 20
#17327987094661298-581: The 1960s & 1970s, confirmed that traditional navigation techniques had been retained by navigators from Tonga in conversations with Fe’iloakitau Kaho, Ve’ehala and Kaloni Kienga. These wayfinding techniques were similar to those of other Polynesian navigators , which skills were also retained into the late 20th Century by navigators of the Caroline Islands and the Santa Cruz Islands . The tradition Tongan fale consisted of
1357-523: The Tikong , was published in 1973. Konai Helu Thaman was one of the country's earliest published poets. In pre-contact Tonga, women did not do the cooking (cooking in an earth oven was hard, hot work, the province of men) or work in the fields. They raised children, gathered shellfish on the reef, and made koloa , barkcloth and mats, which were a traditional form of wealth exchanged at marriages and other ceremonial occasions. An industrious woman thus raised
1416-655: The United States, whose families neglected to obtain citizenship for them and who were thus deported due to confrontations with the American justice system. At this moment crime is increasing faster than the police force is able to counter, and is expected to become a serious problem in the years to come. Increasing wealth has also increased the gap between the rich and the poor , leading to greater numbers of burglaries . Currently, most prisons in Tonga still abide by
1475-834: The Wesleyan Methodist girls' school, Queen Sālote College, are taught several Western handicrafts, such as embroidery and crochet. They learn to make embroidered pillowcases and bed coverings or crocheted lace tablecloths , bedcovers, and lace trim. However, Western-style handicrafts such as these have not become widely popular outside the school setting. They require expensive imported materials that can only be purchased in major towns. Village women are much more likely to turn their efforts to weaving mats or beating barkcloth, which can be done with free local material. A few Tongan village churches are decorated with freehand murals or decorations done in house paint, which may mix crosses, flowers, and traditional barkcloth motifs. The practice
1534-500: The arm movements are farther away from the body ( laufola , outstretched arms) than for example with the māʻuluʻulu . The movements of the men are wilder and more vigorous. In addition to small steps, they may at times turn around, sit down or even lie down. In any case, how different their haka on first glance may be, both men and women interpret the words of the songs, but in a symbolic, allusive way as so typical for Tongan dance. The dancers are standing in one or more rows, depending on
1593-552: The arrival of European explorers in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the Tongans were in frequent contact with their nearest Oceanic neighbors, Fiji and Samoa . In the 19th century, with the arrival of Western traders and missionaries, Tongan culture changed dramatically. Some old beliefs and habits were thrown away and others adopted. Some accommodations made in the 19th century and early 20th century are now being challenged by changing Western civilization. Hence Tongan culture
1652-441: The best dancer of the male and female group respectively, the mālie taha . All the other positions can be filled up at the wish of the dancemaster. It is for a dance group a high honour if a prince or princess or noble will participate as vāhenga. This can only be done on occasions where the king is the guest of honour, like his birthday or the centenary of a church and the like. Because all Tongan dances, especially formal ones like
1711-416: The best, always dress in black, as whether they still mourn for Tukuʻaho (see below) and his son Tungī Mailefihi , the consort of Queen Salote Tupou III . Also worn is a tekiteki a little bunch of chicken feathers stuck in the hair. For the women the feathers are usually glued to one or two small sticks, pointing up, while for the men it is a soft tuft hanging down. Especially the women's tekiteki enhances
1770-452: The capital, supports several tailoring shops. They tailor tupenu and suitcoats for Tongan men, and matching tupenu and kofu for Tongan women. The women's outfits may be decorated with simple blockprint patterns on the hems. There is also some local production of knit jerseys by Tongans operating imported sergers. They produce on speculation and sell at the Nukuʻalofa market. Women who attend
1829-419: The chief of the village. Among the typical koloa are: Woven mats serve a variety of purposes, from the ordinary to the ceremonial. Many woven mats are passed down from generation to generation, acquiring greater status with the passage of time. It is in fact a collection of these mats in the palace that forms the true crown jewels of Tonga. These royal mats are displayed only on high state occasions such as
Kolovai - Misplaced Pages Continue
1888-431: The dance was forbidden by the missionaries for being too 'heathen'. This was confirmed in the 1850 code of King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou I . Notably, an article to that effect was absent from the 1862 code, although it was reinserted by 1885. In any case, none of these laws specified exactly what was meant by 'heathen dance'. There are reports of some huge dance festivals during these times, and no reports of any arrests. Admittedly,
1947-588: The dance. Often an either white or black tupenu with shirt and a taʻovala loukeha , although this all may be largely covered by a sisi an ornamental girdle of leaves and fragrant flowers and/or a manafau a grassskirt, but in reality made of hibiscus fibers. In addition likewise made anklets, wristlets and neck garlands are worn too. The dancers from the village of Kanokupolu , however, always perform in their traditional folaʻosi , an about 2 meter piece of ngatu . The dancers of Tatakamotonga , who often perform last on big occasions, because they are claimed to be
2006-519: The death of a member of the royal family or the coronation of a monarch. Before Western contact, many objects of daily use were made of carved wood : food bowls, head rests ( kali ), war clubs and spears , and cult images. Tongan craftsmen were skilled at inlaying pearl-shell and ivory in wood, and Tongan war clubs were treasured items in the neighboring archipelago of Fiji . Tongan craftsman were also adept at building canoes . Many canoes for daily use were simple pōpaos , dug-out canoes, shaped from
2065-602: The early missionaries introduced hymn-singing to their congregations. These early hymns—still sung today in some of the Methodist sects, such as the Free Church of Tonga and the Church of Tonga - have Tongan tunes and simple, short Tongan lyrics. There is a special Tongan music notation for these, and other, musics. Traditional music is preserved in the set pieces performed at royal and noble weddings and funerals, and in
2124-399: The end becoming wilder and wilder, while the tempo of the beat goes up as well. Everybody gets excited, both the performers and the public. The persons in the middle of the front row, on the division line between the two gender are known as the vāhenga (central performer). These are the persons with the highest rank of the group, often a prince or princess. The one who is perceived as really
2183-410: The foreskin, on the underside of the penis. This is a Christian practice of biblical context. Afterwards, the family held a feast for the new "man". Circumcision is still practiced, but it is now done informally. Sometimes it is done at home, with relatives present. More commonly a boy, or a group of boys, go to the hospital, where the operation is done under sanitary conditions. In pre-contact Tonga,
2242-480: The health risks involved. Tongan men wear a tupenu , a cloth that is similar to a sarong , which is wrapped around the waist. It should be long enough to cover the knees or the shins of the legs. In daily life, any shirt (T-shirt, jersey, woven shirt) will do to top the tupenu. Usually shirts are used clothing imported from overseas. Some men will go shirtless working on their plantations, but by law they are not allowed to go shirtless in public. On formal occasions
2301-530: The idealized and the on-the-ground versions of Tongan culture . Traditionally, fishing and farming have accounted for the livelihood of a majority of Tongans. The main food crops include sweet potatoes, bananas, yucca, taro and giant taro. Cash crops include squash and pumpkins , which have in recent years replaced bananas and copra as the largest agricultural exports. Vanilla is another important cash crop. In post-contact Tonga, newly pubescent males were kamu ( tefe ), or circumcised by cutting one slit in
2360-412: The lakalaka are in fact a deference to the chiefs. Tongan society is very stratified. Everybody has a particular rank. The royal family on top, the chiefs below it, and so forth. One cannot pay homage to someone lower in rank. Therefore, people higher in rank than the guest of honour at a particular celebration cannot dance. A king or queen can never dance. The normal dress of the dancers is as formal as
2419-520: The largest, grandest funeral possible, but they do strive to show respect for the deceased by doing all that is customary. This can put great strain on the resources of the immediate family and even the extended family. Sometimes the funeral is called a fakamasiva , an occasion that leads to poverty. Violent crime is limited, but increasing, and public perception associates this with returns of ethnic Tongans who have been raised overseas. A few notable cases involve young men who were raised since infancy in
Kolovai - Misplaced Pages Continue
2478-436: The last few decades, Tongan farmers with access to large tracts of land have engaged in commercial farming of pumpkins and other easily shipped vegetables as cash crops. Tongans now consume large quantities of imported flour and sugar . One dish that uses both is topai (doughboys), flour and water worked into a paste and dropped into a kettle of boiling water, then served with a syrup of sugar and coconut milk. Topai are
2537-408: The left, the women to the right, the two groups passing through each other, until their order is reversed. At the next stanza they move back to their original positions. The dance normally starts with the singing of the first stanza by both dancers and chorus, which is a deference to the god, the king and the chiefs of the country. On the next stanza dancing starts. First calmly and subdued, but toward
2596-453: The modern influx of cheap and high-fat content meat , with corned beef and lamb belly remaining firm favourites in Tongan cuisine. Despite being a highly obese population, there is little stigma attached to being overweight as one might find in many Western civilizations. Like a great number of South Pacific cultures, large bodies are often revered, though there is growing acknowledgment of
2655-451: The most important, either the male or female vāhenga usually is also wearing a uniform different from the rest. The other vāhenga is then dressed the same as the other performers. The two last positions, that is at the very ends of the frontrow, the fakapotu , are also reserved for high-ranking persons. The second positions, beside the vāhenga are known as tāʻofi vāhenga and are for the next ranking persons. The third positions are filled with
2714-646: The music of Tonga as it existed before Tonga was encountered by European explorers. Early visitors, such as Captain Cook and the invaluable William Mariner , note only the singing and drumming during traditional dance performances. Scholars can assume the existence of the lali or slit-gong , and the nose flute , as these survived to later times. Traditional songs, passed down over the generations, are still sung at chiefly ceremonies. Some ancient dances are still performed, such as ula , ʻotuhaka and meʻetuʻupaki . Methodists were known for their extensive use of hymns in their emotional services. True to their tradition,
2773-405: The number of participants. 2 dozen per row is about fine. The men to the right, the women to the left as seen from the public. Behind them the chorus; the lakalaka is a sung dance, there is none or very little instrumental accompaniment. Sometimes in the middle of some lakalaka there are stanzas with a different type of lyrics and music than the rest, called the sipa . During the sipa the men move to
2832-450: The old laissez-faire attitude. Often, these prisons have no fences, no iron bars, and lax security, which makes escape very easy for inmates. This system is slowly changing, due to the influx of foreign born/raised criminals who may treat such goodwill-based incarceration systems with contempt. Traditionally, there is little social stigma regarding incarceration (although this too is changing), which means that imprisonment does not serve as
2891-555: The past decade, majority based in New Zealand. Tanya Edwards works with ngatu (bark cloths), Benjamin Work , Telly Tuita , and Sione Monū are widely exhibited internationally, Sēmisi Fetokai Potauaine built a 5-storey Tongan sculpture in central Christchurch . In 2023, Bergman Gallery hosted Tukufakaholo, Tongan Contemporary in Auckland , New Zealand featuring eight Tongan artists. Scholars know relatively little about
2950-613: The pre-missionary pōmeʻe (night dances), after which couples disappeared into the bushes, did not occur anymore. The lakalaka as it is known nowadays is usually accredited to have been invented towards the end of the 19th century by a high chief, who was a Methodist preacher as well: Tukuʻaho (1858—1897), from Tatakamotonga . Considering that the dance had never stopped being practiced, it would probably be better to say that he revitalised it. Tuku used missionary-approved nursery rhymes and added some simple gestures and steps. People agreed, and they came with their own suggestions, which were quite
3009-526: The previous day's meal, and set out to work in the fields, fishing , gathering shellfish , etc. The results of the morning's work would be cooked by the men, and served to the assembled household. The remnants would be placed in a basket suspended from a tree. This food is served as an end-of-the-day snack as well as the next day's breakfast. Food past its prime was given to the pigs. The diet consisted mainly of taro , yams , bananas , coconuts , and fish baked in leaves; shellfish were usually served raw, as
SECTION 50
#17327987094663068-471: The roof fell directly onto the ground. Because the roof was curved, like a limpet shell, the wind tended to flow over it smoothly. The inhabitants could ride out the storm in relative safety. There are many surviving examples of Tongan stone architecture, notably the Haʻamonga ʻa Maui and mound tombs ( langi ) near Lapaha , Tongatapu . And so several on other islands. Archaeologists have dated them hundreds to
3127-443: The same as those of the not-yet-forgotten meʻelaufola. Thus, a new dance was born, but still retained many of its original characteristics, and was approved by the missionaries. The lakalaka is a living dance in the sense that new compositions are still daily made. Often when a celebration is coming up, a punake (poet) will write the lyrics to the occasion, assign music to the stanzas from a pool of typical tunes and then choreograph
3186-436: The small, left-right head nods teki , they make from time to time on the beat of the music. A proper teki is considered as one of the most important actions in order to be classified as a good dancer. Culture of Tonga The Tongan archipelago has been inhabited for perhaps 3,000 years, since settlement in late Lapita times. The culture of its inhabitants has surely changed greatly over this long time period. Before
3245-450: The social status of her household. Her family also slept soundly, on the piles of mats and barkcloth that were the traditional bedding. On sunny days, these were spread on the grass to air, which prolonged their life. The mats can also be worn as ta'ovala, which is worn around the waist. Wearing the ta'ovala is a sign of respect, and it is said that in early times men returning from a long voyage at sea would cover up these mats before visiting
3304-477: The song sung during the traditional ceremony of apology, the lou-ifi. Radio Tonga begins each day's broadcast with a recording from Honourable Veʻehala, a nobleman and celebrated virtuoso of the nose flute. This music is not popular music; it is a cherished heirloom, preserved by specialists and taught as needed for special occasions. In former times, there was only one main meal, a midday meal cooked in an earth oven. Villagers would rise, eat some leftover food from
3363-500: The traditional Tongan way, and anga fakapālangi , the Western way. A culturally adept Tongan learns both sets of rules and when to switch between them. Any description of Tongan culture that limits itself to what Tongans see as anga fakatonga would give a seriously distorted view of what people actually do, in Tonga, or in diaspora, because accommodations are so often made to anga fakapālangi . The following account tries to give both
3422-468: Was later abandoned. In the 1990s Chinese immigration caused resentment among the native Tongan population (especially those from Hong Kong , who purchased Tongan passports to escape the Beijing takeover). Some violent crimes have been directed towards these Chinese immigrants. The genre of short stories in Tonga is most associated with 'Epeli Hau'ofa , whose most popular collection of stories, Tales of
3481-494: Was one such introduction; it is called manioke in Tongan. While it lacks the prestige of the yam, it is an easy plant to grow and a common crop. Introduced watermelons became popular. They were eaten either by themselves, or pulped and mixed with coconut milk , forming a popular drink called 'otai . Other fruits, such as oranges , lemons , and limes , became popular. Tongans also adopted onions , green onions , cabbage , carrots , tomatoes , and other common vegetables. In
#465534