23/08/18
Ma’ata Fusitu’a is a teacher of the Tongan language at Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate in South Auckland. In this blog Ma’ata explains some important aspects of Tongan family life and culture and offers some suggestions on how we can support Tongan language and culture in our schools and classrooms.
My name is Ma’ata ‘Otile Fusitu’a also known as ‘Eleni Ma’ata Fusitu’a. I am the second youngest of 10 children and the first one in my family with university degrees. These qualifications belong to my whole family as they all supported me to where I am now. I am 60 years of age and married to Sekona Fusitu’a of Nomuka and Masilamea, Tongatapu, but now living in Otahuhu, Auckland, New Zealand. We have four lovely grown-up children.
Mālō e lelei, ko hoku hingoa ko Ma’ata “Otile Fusitu’a pea ko hoku hingoa ‘e taha ko e ‘Eleni. Ko e fika 9 au he fanau ‘e toko 10 pea mo e mo e ‘uluaki memipa hoku famili ke ma’u ‘a e faka’ilonga fakamo’oni ako mei ha ‘Univesiti. Ko e faka’ilonga ako ko ‘eni ‘oku ma’u kotoa ia ‘e hoku famili he na’a nau kau kotoa pe hono poupou’i au pea u a’usia ‘a e tu’unga ko eni. ‘Oku ou ta’u 60 pea ‘oku ou mali mo Sekona Fusitu’a mei Nomuka mo Masilamea, Tongatapu ka ‘oku mau nofo Otahuhu, ‘Okalani, Nu’u Sila pea ko ‘ema fanau ‘e toko 4.
I was born, raised, and completed High School in Tonga.
‘Io, na’e fa’ele’i pe au mo ako ‘i Tonga ‘o ‘osi mei he Kolisi.
I was born in my mother’s village of Toula, Vava’u, known as the Funga Veimumuni, which means on top is the village cemetery and underneath is a cave for swimming and family time at the end of the day.
Na’e fa’ele’i au he kolo ‘eku fine’eiki ko Toula, ‘i Vava’u pea ‘oku ‘iloa ia ko e Funga Veimumuni.
My parents are both Tongan and there are 10 children in my family, six boys and four girls, and I am number nine. We all grew up in my mother’s village of Toula, Vava’u. My dad grew up in the island of Niuafo’ou and travelled to Vava’u due to the volcanic eruption in Niuafo’ou and met my mother in Toula. He was a plantation grower and my mother was a weaver and tapa maker. Later, they were called by the Church of Tonga to be a church steward and church minister to villages in Vava’u. They moved from village to village looking after a group of families for the church. Then in 1968 my parents decided to move to the island of ‘Eua where my dad could access bush land for planting root crops.
My family did not have any money but we were rich inwardly in love, working together, supporting each other, and most importantly our Christian values and beliefs of joy, peace, long suffering, humility, and perseverance.
Ko ‘eku ongo matu’a ko e Tonga loua pea ‘oku mau toko 10, ko e 6 tangata pea 4 fefine, ko au ‘oku fika 9. Ko ‘eku tangata’eiki mei Niuafo’ou pea ko ‘eku fine’eiki mei Toula, Vava’u. Ko e ngaue ‘eku tangata’eiki ko e ngoue pea ko e ngaue ‘eku fine’eiki ko e lālanga mo e koka’anga. Neongo kuo na si’i mama’o atu ka ‘oku ‘ikai ngalo ‘ena ngaue mateaki koe’uhi ko homau ki’i famili.
I first came to New Zealand on a bilateral scholarship from Tonga in 1980 to 1983 and studied in Christchurch. In 1997 my family migrated here and I’ve been here for 24 years in total.
Na’a ku ma’u faingamalie he Sikolasipi ki Nu’u Sila ni ‘ou lele mai ‘o ako he 1980 ki he 1983 ‘i he motu Saute ‘i Christchurch. Pea ‘i he 1997 na’a ku hikifonua mai ai hoku famili ki Nu’u Sila ni pea ko e ta’u fakakatoa eni ‘e 24 ‘emau nofo Nu’u Sila ni.
My first job offer in New Zealand was at Hillary College (now SEHC) back in 1998 as the principal’s personal assistant (Mr Robin Staples). The principal then encouraged me to go back to teaching and I started teaching here in 1999 until now, with a total of 20 years at SEHC and 14 years at Tonga High School, Tonga. Currently I am HOD Tongan language and the Tongan cultural leader. I teach Tongan language from year 9 to 13 and have witnessed that Tongan language is a second language to our New Zealand born children. I also have the honour to witness the academic growth of my Tongan fanau and community at Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate with their children starting at our junior school, then to our middle school, and to senior school within the one campus.
We have a very strong TPTA (Tongan Parents Teachers Association) where we have monthly meetings, a weekly homework centre which is now a collegiate homework centre, and PowerUP Plus. I also translate the annual parents’ information booklet into Tongan language and encourage my Tongan parents that it “takes a whole village to educate a child”.
Na’a ku kamata ngaue ‘i Nu’u Sila ni he 1998 ko e Sekelitali ki he Puleako ‘o e Kolisi Hilali ko Mr Robin Staples. Na’e fu’u fiema’u ha faiako Tonga koe’uhi ko e fanau ako Tonga he ‘apiako ni pea fakalotolahi’i au ‘e he Puleako ke u foki ki he faiako. Na’a ku faiako ‘i Tonga he Tonga High School he ta’u ‘e 14 pea mau toki hiki mai. ‘Oku ou faiako’i ‘a e lesoni Lea Faka-Tonga ki he fanau Foomu 3 ki he Foomu 7 pea ‘oku ou fakamo’oni’i kuo hoko ‘a e lea Faka-Tonga ko e lea ia hono ua ki he fanau tokolahi kuo fa’ele’i he fonua ni, pea ‘oku fu’u mahu’inga foki ke ako he’etau fanau ‘enau ‘uluaki lea. ‘Oku ou ‘ilo’i eni he’eku sio ki he fakalakalaka lahi e ako ‘a e fanau Tonga he ‘api ako ni. Pea ‘oku ‘iai ‘emau Komiti ‘a e Matu’a Tonga mo e kau Faiako Tonga ‘o fai ai ‘emau talanoa he ngaahi fakataha fekau’aki mo e fiema’u ‘a e ‘apiako ki he ako ‘a e fanau, poako, liliu ‘a e ngaahi fiema’u ‘a e ako ki he Lea Faka-Tonga pea mo fakamanatu ki he matu’a, “‘oku fiema’u ‘a e kolo ke nau kau ki hono ako’i e tamasi’i/ta’ahine ako.”
In my family we use our Tongan proverbs a lot:
When growing up I strived to be a successful Tongan regardless of whatever my situation was or what was going on around me. I saw success in formal education as my ultimate goal and this was the foundation of our family that reminded us that migrating to our new land (New Zealand) to be a successful Tongan, we must hold on to our Tongan values and culture like holding on to a big fat pig. And, since I wanted the best for my family, I pushed really hard to educate them. In order to fulfil our dreams in this fruitful land we must work together and support each other physically, socially, economically, and spiritually as a Tongan family.
Ko e ngaahi Paloveape Tonga ‘eni ‘oku ne fakamo’oni ‘eku hoko ko e Tonga:
Ko e taha ia e ‘uhinga ‘emau hiki fonua mai ki Nu’u Sila ni ke poupou’i ‘ema fanau ke nau lavame’a he ako pea ke ma’u ha’anau ngaue pea ke nau mo’ui fiefia mo tau’ataina.
Our Tongan core values at home (‘api) of love (ófa), respect (fakaápaápa), humility (anga fakatokilalo), and maintaining mutual relationships (tauhi vā) are the values that we as parents practise and encourage our children to take to school (‘api ako), and to church (‘api siasi), and to call these places their home (‘api). We teach children the importance of these values and to take them wherever they go. My three older children were able to speak Tongan in the home … a compulsory language, supporting the youngest child who was one-year-old when we left Tonga.
Ko e ngaahi kavei koula ‘o e nofo faka-Tonga ko e ‘ofa, faka’apa’apa, anga fakatokilalo mo e tauhi vā. Ko e faliki lelei ‘eni ‘o e nofo ‘a e famili Tonga ‘i ‘api, mo honau vā mo e ‘api ako pea mo e ‘api siasi. Ko e ma’u pe he fanau ‘a e ngaahi ‘ulungaanga ko ‘eni mo nau mo’ui ‘aki ko e mahino ia ko e Tonga kinautolu ‘o tatau ai pe, pe koe fē ha feitu’u ‘oku nau ‘iai.
Hoko pe fai mo e fau – Joining together the hibiscus cord with hibiscus cord
At school we have a rule that every year 9 student must take their own language. In my own classes half of the students will continue with learning their Tongan language through to year 13. In the past three years our head prefects have been from this group of Tongan students as well as dux and runner-up to dux.
My parents’ committee (TPTA) has monthly meetings where information is translated for the parents by myself. A good connection with parents is very important for the academic achievement of our Tongan students.
Ko e Paloveape ko e Hoko pe fau mo e fau ko e fakamahino ia ko e hoko lelei ‘o ‘ete poto he Lea Faka-Tonga mo e Lea Faka-Palangi pea ‘oku te lavame’a pe he feitu’u kotoa. ‘Oku lava keu fakamo’oni eni he’eku fanau totonu pea mo ‘eku fanau Tonga he ‘api ako ni. ‘Oku kau ma’u pe ‘a e fanau Tonga he lakanga taki hange ko e kau matāpule ‘a e ako pea mo ‘enau ma’u fakakatoa ‘a e ‘api ako ni he ngaahi ta’u ko ‘eni kuo toki ‘osi. Ko e poupou lahi ‘a e matu’a mei ‘api ‘o lava ai ke fa’u ‘emau Komiti ‘a e Kau Faiako Tonga mo e Matua - TPTA. ‘Oku fakahoko ai ‘emau fakataha fakamahina mo e kau Puleako, liliu faka-Tonga ‘o e ngaahi fiema’u ‘a e ako he ta’u kotoa ki he matu’a pea mo e ‘a’ahi ki he ngaahi famili Tonga ke mau femahino’aki mo e ako.
My senior students are organising our programme for term 3, week 7 (Monday 3–Friday 7 September 2018):
Last year my year 13 Tongan language class was involved in a Tongan project at Te Papa, which included their NCEA level 3 Lea Faka-Tonga internal assessments for their writing portfolio and interaction portfolio.
Ko ‘emau polokalama eni ki he Uike Lea Faka-Tonga ‘o e ta’u ni pea ‘oku taki ai ‘a e fanau Tonga Year 13:
Related resources
Tongan Language Week
Tongan Language Week/Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e Lea Faka-Tonga gives students of all ethnicities the chance to learn some basic Lea Faka-Tonga, and gives your students of Tongan origin the chance to be experts in the classroom.
