Results for Culture and Society

Each time I witnessed the late Queen Salote Tupou III and King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV attired in traditional ta'ovala reserved for royalties, they ignited a special pride feeling in me of being proud to be a Tongan. - Sione Akemeihakau Mokofisi.

A new Queen Salote Memorial Hall Cultural Projects Committee, formed to create more awareness of Tonga's culture and heritage, had its first get-together at the hall on July 10.

The discovery of Foa petroglyphs reminds us of the prolong regional inter- and intra-migration between the West and East of Oceania, and North and South, in a complex and pluralistic nature of opposite and reversible directions since the arrival of our Moanan ancestors from South-East Asia prior to the Birth of Christ (Vikings of the South Seas). Such Vikings were travelling back and forth between islands, even further to the South of the New World and islands like Tikopia to the North-West, at any time they wanted, for whatever purposes they might be, due to their familiarity in skills and wisdom with the know-how to adapt to nature and the sea in secure and safe strategies.

On the question of: do you think that sexual violence against women or just violence against women is a cultural thing? My answer is that it all depends on where you sit and how much you unquestioningly agree with / support the existing culture. People have been using culture, tradition and religion for many moons to justify why we should NOT talk about THE sensitive subjects that we need to talk about if we are going to be successful in preventing the spread of HIV.

Archaeologists who are working on a project to map Tonga's ancient terraced tombs this week began the first laser imaging and remote sensing work to be conducted in Tonga, and they aim produce a three dimensional graphic map of Lapaha as as it was during the reign of the Tu'i Tonga from the 13th century to 1885.

When you acknowledge the less than perfect parts of yourself, something magical begins to happen. Along with the negative, you'll also begin to notice the positive, the wonderful aspects of yourself that you may not have given yourself credit for, or perhaps even been aware of. - Siosaia Moimoiangaha

Dear Editor

Re. Operations of things as they really are vs. Their imaginings as we would like them to be

Dear Editor

Re:: Attitudes to rank and class need to change - Sef Haouli

and: Tongan language causes confusion - Joe Helu

Tongans think differently, and their spiral thought is often seen as "scatter head thinking" by linear thinkers, leading to cultural differences and misunderstanding between the Tongans and palangis, the 11th Tonga History Conference in Melbourne was told by keynote speaker, Rev. Dr 'Asinate F. Samate. Photos by Adrienne L. Kaeppler and Filipe Tohi