David Tuipulotu-Tuinukuafe, Research Assistant in Audience and Impact Research and Information Desk Volunteer.
Fakatapu ki he ‘Otua Mafimafi, ‘oku ne ‘Afio hotau lotolotonga.
Fakatapu ki he Tama Tu‘i ‘o Tonga, ko Tupou VI, kae ‘uma‘ā Ta‘ahine Kuini, Nanasipau‘u Tuku‘aho mo Fale ‘o Ha‘a Moheofo ‘o e ‘Otu Tongá.
Fakatapu ki he Tangata Fonua ‘o Aotearoa, ko e kelekele ‘eiki ‘oku tau lōnuku ai.
Fakatulou atu ki Ha’a Hou’eiki, Ha’a Matāpule, kae ‘uma‘ā ‘o Ha‘a taki lotu.
Fakatapu ki he sola mo vūlangi, kae ‘atā pē mu’a ki he motu’a tu’a ni, keu lave nounou atu ki hoto tupu’angá pea mo e mahu’inga kiate au hono fakatolonga mo kātoanga’i ‘o e ‘uike Lea Faka-Tonga he ta’u 2025.
Mālō e Laumālie ‘a hou‘eiki mo e lelei ‘a e kainga kotoa pē. Kou fiefia lahi ‘aupito he ‘omi ‘a e fangamālie ko ‘eni keu fakafe’iloaki atu ai au kiate kimoutolu. Ko hoku hingoa ko David Lotawai Malu-‘o-Tonga Junior Tu’ipulotu-Tu’inukuafe. ‘Oku ou nofo’i Mount Roskill, ‘Okalani pea ‘oku ou ngāue he taimi ni ‘i he Musiume ‘i he potungāue ‘a e Audience and Impact pea mo Information Desk volunteer.
Ko ‘eku fa’ē ko Bridgette Talei Tu‘ipulotu, ko e ‘ofefine lahi ‘a Mele Toe‘umu Tu‘ipulotu mo Viliami Tu‘ipulotu, ha‘u mei Fasi moe Afi ‘a Tungi, Kolofo‘ou mo ‘Atatā. Ko Mele Toe‘umu ko e ‘ofefine lahitaha ‘a Sione Manu Tāufa, ko e foha ‘o Siulolovao Tāufa mo Sione ‘Ikahihifo Tāufa, ‘o ha‘u mei Vai-ko Tokomea (Lofanga), Ha‘apai mo Pakimoeto‘i (Lapaha), Tongatapu, mo ‘Emeline Kolo-ki-‘Otua Lea Tulikihakau Tāufa, ko e ‘ofefine ‘o Viliami mo ‘Akosita Tulikihakau, ‘o ha’u mei Kolofalahola (Ofu) mo Ha‘afuluhao (Koloa), Vava‘u.
Ko Viliami ko e foha ‘o Siosaia Tu’ipulotu Folau mo Mele Pupu’ātahi Folau (Fīnau) mei he Seti-‘o-Vāolongolongo (‘Atatā), Fala-‘o-Ata (Kolovai) mo Pulupulu'atamule (Hā‘utu), Tongatapu mo e Maka-ko Fele’unga (Hā‘ano) mo Makahilitaha (Fotuha‘a), Ha’apai.
My name is David Lotawai Malu- ‘o -Tonga Junior Tu’ipulotu-Tu’inukuafe. I work in two areas here at Tāmaki Paenga Hira. I work as a Research Assistant in Audience and Impact Research and as an Information Desk Volunteer. I was formerly the Teu le Vā Research Assistant, where I worked alongside many Pacific staff to help create the ten-year framework report on the Teu le Vā framework, which remains near and dear to my heart.
I was named after my mother’s youngest brother who passed away from leukaemia when he was 13 years old. My mother’s father, Viliami Tu’ipulotu, hails from the villages of ‘Atatā, Kolovai, Hā‘utu, Tongatapu, and Fotuha‘a, Hā‘ano, Ha‘apai and connections to England and Samoa. My mother’s mother, Mele Toe‘umu Tu‘ipulotu, hails from the villages of Ofu and Koloa, Vava‘u, Lofanga, Ha‘apai and Lapaha and Kolofo‘ou, Tongatapu and has connections to Fiji.
My mother, however, was born in Fiji. She was born in the capital Suva, as my grandparents left Tonga in the late 1950s to settle in Fiji for my grandfather’s education. This was demonstrated in a phrase I often remember growing up hearing, “Mou ō ako kemou ‘aonga ki he Siasi, Fāmili mo Fonuá” (Go and educate yourself for your Church, family and community). The resonance and example of this phrase was through the work both my grandparents and mother showed me when I was younger.
My grandfather studied electrical engineering and was the first Tongan inspector of the Tonga Electric Power board. When he arrived in New Zealand, he was responsible for installing the electricity at the United Church of Tonga – especially the Lototonga (Grey Lynn) where a story recounted about how His late Majesty King Tupou IV couldn’t turn on the lights, so he needed to come and show the King how to turn it on. My grandmother was a primary school teacher before leaving for Fiji and was the cultural educator of our family. My mother, Bridgette Talei Tu’ipulotu, alongside Edgar Tu’inukuafe, translated into Tongan the renowned Aesop’s fables (Ngaahi fepale ‘a ‘Isope), while working for Pacific Island Education Resource Centre (now Centre for Pacific Languages) in 1982, seeing it as her contribution to the preservation of the Tongan language for future generations before becoming a Primary schoolteacher. These all were examples of how education and learning was not just beneficial for one, but for all.
I have a few favourite pieces of Tongan taonga in our collection. First is the ngātu that hangs in the Pacific Lifeways gallery. In Tongan culture, ngātu symbolises the wealth and status of our people but also has a rich history in its patterning, making and gifting. There are ways to which the ngātu is made to symbolise a particular village, and if you look closely, you can see the story of where the ngātu is from. For instance, the ngātu hanging in the Pacific Lifeways gallery contains the motif of the Hala Paini, which is affectionately called for the Norfolk pine trees lining the road from the Mala‘ekula (Royal tombs) to the Royal Palace; hence the wording at the top of the ngātu “Ko e Hala Paini”. This road is also known as the Hala Tu‘i (King’s Road) for the same reason. Secondly, the use of a kahoa heilala nusi (Triangle shaped heilala garland) symbolises the royal family, as only royals traditionally wear garlands made of heilala flowers as they are the highest-ranking flower in Tonga. Finally, the Laione (Lion) and ‘Ikale (Eagle) are also the hingoa fakatenetene (nicknames) for the villages of Kolofo’ou and Kolomotu‘a respectively, as one row contains the lion (Kolofo’ou) and the eagle (Kolomotu’a) which are directly under the chieftainship of the Monarch.
Secondly, if you look at the Mana exhibition, I was in awe of some of the stories that were collated for display. One story that stood out to me was the sinking of the ship Tokomea, in 1977. This story was important to me as I remember my mother and her siblings speaking about this when I was younger. The Tokomea was considered Tonga’s first maritime disaster, with 63 people on the ship that was going from Vava‘u to Niuatoputapu and had no survivors. Tokomea is the hingoa fakatenetene for a village of my grandmother, Lofanga (Vai-ko Tokomea) and was also the name for one of my grandmother’s relatives. Hence why this story resonated a lot with me.
Finally, in our collection we have what is called a Sisi Limu. A sisi is a waist garland usually made with flowers or other materials often banded together with manafau (hibiscus fibre). In our collection, we have a sisi made of limu or seaweed, something that is unique and never seen before. Usually, a sisi would be worn during a performance or a special event and had an accompanying kahoa (necklace) made of a similar material. This was a special taonga because it's something that is hardly woven today, and it was a privilege to see this at Tāmaki Paenga Hira.
Though grief is something that we all experience on the death of a loved one, it was where I learnt the most of our Tongan traditions. I first experienced this at the loss of my grandfather at 11 years old, my final year of Primary school. It was there I had the biggest lessons about our beautiful Tongan culture. Losing my grandmother at 18 years showed me the differences between when a mother passes than when a father passes, but losing my own sister in 2023 was where I resonated in many of our traditions.
Another favourite phrase of mine is Holo pe tu‘u ko e ngalu ‘e fasi – Stand firm, the waves will eventually break. This phrase is a constant reminder that despite the many twists and turns we face in life, continue to stand firm. Remain patient and what is good will come to you. Remember this phrase as you continue in your journey, and resonate yourself in our kaveinga (theme), which is “Ko ‘etau lea, ko e fe‘unu mahu‘inga ia ki he mo‘ui ‘a e Tonga – Our language is a vital strand of our culture”
Fakamālō ki he Pule Le Vā mo e Potungāue ‘o Pacific Development mei Musiume ‘o ‘Okalani ho‘omou ‘omi e faingamālie ko eni ke vahevahe atu he kaveingá ni ‘i he uike kātoanga‘i ‘o e Lea Faka-Tonga ‘o e ta’u ní.
Tu’a ‘ofa ‘eiki atu.