Why Tonga Hold
pp. 88-89 · Read in the full issue
Native Tongan’S Analysis:
Why Tonga Hold To Old System
This thoughtful article is not on of value in itself, hut it also is is teresting because it was written )\ PIM by Mr. S. A. Fanamanu, AM of Eua, a full Tongan, who m educated in Tonga and trained the Central Medical School, Sm Fiji.
WITH reference to Dr. D. T Hoodless’s article, “Is It Pc sible to Modify the Fijian W; of Life,” which appeared in PI last April, it is interesting to coe pare the Fijian communal syste with that found in Tonga.
To be individualistic on the o:< hand, or to be “thriftless” on t; other, is a matter of individu choice among the Tongans nowaday through thriftlessness is embodied the Tongan communal system living. This system is very open criticism —but there it is, and T have survived, so far!
Individualism, in its true seiu can be found only in a very sm: degree in Tonga; and, even whe present, it usually gives way Tongan custom, which is upheld the majority.
The so-called thrifty people Tonga may own a nice house, a cs or a small business, but that usual does not mean that they are for ing ahead, in the European sem because they are now expected provide for the needs, not only their family, but of relatives ai friends, financially or otherwii Thus, the more a person tries be an individualist, the better wj he support our communal system living by contributing more to t; community than his less ambitioc neighbours.
In some cases parents are sem ing their children to school ove seas, often with no defiinte aim view, but with the idea of givizj them a good education so that tin will later be able to face and soil their problems more efficiently thij their parents were equipped to o But the end result of their educ: tion depends on the children then selves, once the family’s funds as exhausted.
Students sent abroad under Go: ernment Scholarships are expect! to return and play their part in pn viding, according to their qualifies tions, for the common good—and tJ same is expected of the childn who were sent overseas at the es pense of their parents.
IN Tonga, the pattern of livti forms a sort of co-operative soc:j system, which is very good grou:i for the gradual introduction of in provements and modernisatio These are readily accepted here, , they go to solving our immedias
iroblems within the sphere of our jresent Tongan way of living.
But modification of deep-rooted, ige-old customs, especially in a )lace where life is and always has teen easy, and free from the bustle if civilisation, is not the easy task hat the European often imagines.
Ve accept European ideas to a cer ain extent, so long as they march land in hand with our traditional ustoms, or tend to improve our old ustoms without interfering with ur communal way of life, and specially if they improve our liv ig standards and economic condi lons.
As a native of the South Sea slands, I am fully aware of the reat and untiring efforts of our laders (in each Islands Group) to nprove our ways of living, our ealth, and gradually to promote ur general betterment in much eeded ways. They plan to bring mnd slowly the majority who still rongly adhere to the old pattern : living, and for the changes to be iade in harmony with the general selings and standard of intellig ice of the whole community.
To the European, progress must em slow. But Rome was not built i a day, and I feel certain that i years to come we will finally tain the much-needed level.
T is a pity that much adverse criticism is aired from time to time about living conditions in
the Islands; but we of the Islands feel that with the coming of the South Pacific Commission these criticisms from beyond the horizon will decline to nil.
We are, if not fully aware, at least conscious of some of the com plexities of “civilisation”: and if civilisation is destroyed we inevit ably will suffer as well. So w r e are quite content to pursue our own way of living, as it exists to-day. We may be in all respects behind the “march of civilisation”; but we feel
very secure, our stomachs are always full, and we are not being spied upon or living under threat of de portation to a cold mine in Siberia!
Strict measures are still being taken in Papeete to prevent the in troduction of the rhinoceros beetle.
Vessels arriving from infested areas are required to move away from the wharf to an anchorage well off shore during hours of darkness, when the beetles take to flight.