By Geoffrey Clark

With the death of Kalaniuvalu last month, Tonga has lost a man who did much to preserve the long and distinguished history of the royal families of Tonga.

Kalaniuvalu is related to the current King of Tonga, George (Siaosi) Tupou V through his mother Princess Mele Siu'ilikutapu, and from his father, the late Kalaniuvalu Fotofili, is descended from a long line of kings who once controlled not only Tonga, but whose influence extended over many islands of the Pacific. He was married just this year, in January.

At his death, he controlled the district of Lapaha, which is known for its extraordinary tiered stone tombs, up to 50m long, where the Kalaniuvalu's ancestors of the famous Tu'i Tonga dynasty are buried. He himself was buried after his unexpected death at 37 in Auckland, in one of these tombs, at the end of a two-day funeral service attended by the King, Prime Minister and Cabinet, foreign dignitaries and more than 2000 mourners. Kalaniuvalu, combined the bloodlines of the ancient Tu'i Tonga line and the royal Tu'i Kanokupolu line, and his personal qualities ensured that he headed the high-ranking Kauhala'uta clan and was leader of the Lapaha community, the ancient capital of Tonga, with estates at Lapaha, Hamula and Toloa.

History is usually preserved through legal and bureaucratic measures, and individuals who work actively with communities to preserve it can go unnoticed, particularly in the Pacific where cultural heritage is virtually synonymous with contemporary crafts and performances. Kalaniuvalu was notable for being a progressive leader who recognised that history had both material and living dimensions, and a deeper understanding of both could provide better knowledge about Tonga's past.

Preservation

By encouraging the preservation of prehistoric monuments and the oral traditions, dances and customs of the Tu'i Tonga era, Kalaniuvalu believed that the past could be used to strengthen his community and aid its development, and in this he was actively supported by the Tongan Traditions Committee. The history of Lapaha also helped him to understand his place in Tongan society when he returned from New Zealand in 2003 after attending King's College and completing a BA at the University of Auckland. A member of the Falefa (traditional attendants of the Tu'i Tonga) described Kalaniuvalu's determination to uncover history as "digging down to the root of Lapaha for his identity; to find out what is in him". More broadly, a program of community history was one of the building blocks in an ambitious scheme to reorganise Lapaha along good governance principles that was led by Kalaniuvalu, his mother Princess Mele Siu'ilikutapu, his brother Honourable Fotofili, and the town officer Kelekolio Nivaleti Melekiola. The success of this project was recognised by support from the Commonwealth Local Government Forum and institution of the incorporated Lapaha Town Council in 2007.

History looms large at Lapaha where a spectacular and unique assemblage of prehistoric monuments from the Tu'i Tonga chiefdom, that were viewed with wonder by Captain Cook, Dumont d'Urville and other early European explorers, include stone-walled tombs (langi), ditches, wells, roads, canoe anchorages and large areas of reclaimed land. These structures, along with the traditions of the Tu'i Tonga, have been the focus of historical, anthropological and archaeological research by outsiders, some of which is seen as inaccurate and highly biased by the clannish community. Kalaniuvalu delved deeply into the complicated and often conflicting Lapaha traditions of the Tu'i Tonga, and he encouraged foreign researchers in diverse fields of scientific archaeology, such as geophysics, physical anthropology and geochemistry to investigate and further document the chiefdom's fascinating history.

Lapaha

In 2004, Kalaniuvalu joined the Ministry of Land, Survey and Natural Resources, and later used his experience in planning to put in place an innovative study of land block names at Lapaha as these frequently connected to the titles, activities and people associated with the Tu'i Tonga dynasty. Recording the place names and stories associated with each land block not only brought new historical insight to the formation of the chiefly landscape including the arrival of people from other Pacific Islands, but was also a planning tool to ensure that land ownership stayed in the appropriate genealogical lines. The study of land names and archaeological documentation of monuments led to informal meetings in which block owners who wanted to develop the historical landscape were made aware of sites and asked "can you save it for us?", undoubtedly saving many significant monuments, which are now on the World Heritage tentative list.

In 2009, I travelled to ‘Uvea (Wallis Island) with Kalaniuvalu, Nivaleti Melekiola and Christophe Sand, an archaeologist from the Institute of Archaeology of New Caledonia and the Pacific, to visit Tongan sites and locate 'Uveans of Tongan ancestry. During the visit, Kalaniuvalu conducted numerous TV and radio interviews, met 'Uveans who were related to families in Lapaha and visited prehistoric sites showing Tongan influence. The outcome of the visit was a determination to renew contact between family members in 'Uvea and Tonga/Lapaha that had become separated in the 19th century due to 'Uvea becoming an overseas territory of France. Many other projects involving cultural heritage were envisioned for Lapaha like the creation of a fenced heritage park around the largest tombs, a museum/craft shop, community centre for historical research and performance of traditional dances and sports.

Kalaniuvalu was a humble and compassionate man who took a holistic approach to advancing the interests of his community, and his work on Tonga's past will leave a lasting legacy as long as there are people who emulate his enthusiasm and love of the Pacific and its history. He is buried at the great tomb Paepae 'o tele'a, where his father is interred, and is survived by his mother, brother and wife, Lady Maasi Manu.

Geoffrey Clark is an Associate Professor of Archaeology at the Australian National University, whose work focuses on the Pacific including Tonga.