Top Resources

Internet Sources:

http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/tongans/page-1

·      This was similar to an Encyclopedia entry that had a great overview on all aspects of Tonga and its people.

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/oceania/tonga/toland.htm

·      This was a great source that depicted the geography and landscape of the country. It was also a great source that showed how the people and nature interact and utilize the geography.

http://www.safaritheglobe.com/culture_tonga.aspx

·      This source again gave an overview of various subjects pertaining to the Tongans. It was very helpful because it focused on the traditions and lifestyles of the Tongans. And it really focused on the ranking systems and family units, which are a key part to their culture.

Books:

Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Oceania and Asia

·      This was an encyclopedia entry that again gave a great overview of the region.

Tongans Overseas: Between Two Shores

·      This book was a great source. It gave a complete history of the diaspora and migration of the modern day Tongans in the past 100 years.

History Book of Tonga: “The Friendly Islands: 1616-1900”

·      This was probably my favorite source out of everything that I found throughout my time researching this culture. This book was comprised of many first hand experiences of settlers and explorers that had visited Tonga. The book was filled with journal entries, and letters, and really gave a cool perspective to the area that I had been studying. Some of the best entries were by Captain James Cook.

Scholarly Journals:

Social Structure, Space and Possession, in Tongan Culture and Language: An Ethnolinguistic Study

·      This particular article focused on the Tongan language, their culture, their mental processes, and also the relationship between all of them. The author is Svenja Volkel, a professor at the University of Mainz in Germany. She Visited Tonga herself as well.

Making a Case for Tongan: An endangered Language

·      This was a very interesting article as well. It focused on the diaspora of the Tongans, and how their youths are becoming very westernized despite of the efforts made by the women of the society and their elders, who are trying to keep the traditional culture intact as much as possible.

Prehistoric Species Richness of Birds on Oceanic Islands

·      This article was very interesting to me as well. Where many sources I found gave descriptions of the different birds in Tonga, this article specifically focused on some of the most ancient birds still present in the area, and also the reasons why they were able to endure for as long as they have.

Tongan's Cultural Survival

Again due to its isolated location on the globe, Tonga and its people have been able to maintain their culture about as well as any area could expect in this day and age. With that said, the expansion and influence of western culture is overwhelming and many of the traditional styles of the Tongan people have been changed, converted, or adapted into a culture that is more recognizable with that of the western world. There are still some customs or beliefs that Tongans are trying to hold on to, but the times are making it increasingly difficult.

            As the western influence progresses so does the need for land. Much of the land in Tonga is being sold for commercial use, and also being commercially owned. This does not settle well with many Tongans who have forever practiced a policy of kin-based ownership. Where certain land belongs to a certain family and that land is passed down through generation. This is a particular sensitive issue for the Tongan people because they take their families and the roles within their families very seriously. To them, this is a direct encroachment of their family system and their beliefs. Due to the money issues, and other policies ownership including migration, private individual ownership of land in Tonga in becoming increasingly difficult.

            Also women are advocates of trying to maintain some of the more traditional aspects of the Tongan culture. As mentioned before, women were or high standing in the Tongan society, especially in the ranking system. But the along with the positives that come from western expansion, so do the negatives, most notably, the unequal treatment of women especially in the professional world. This transition has threatened the well being of the women of Tonga who still want to practice their traditional ways, but financial problems and fear of being left behind is forcing them to embrace the outside influence, customs, and social practices.

Interview (still a work in progress)

     I am currently working on getting in contact with someone of Tongan descent. I have been in contact with various groups within the United States, since as you can see from earlier posts, many have settled in Utah and Hawaii. I am still waiting for a response so that I can conduct a first-hand interview with a real live Tongan and dig a little deeper and learn more about their culture. I am hoping to hear back from one of these groups/organizations so please keep checking my blog and I hope to have an updated post with a detailed interview for everyone to see in the very near future.

Tongans Migration & Diaspora

In the 1930’s the entire population of about 32,000 Tongans was spread all across the three main groupings of islands found in the Kingdom of Tonga. This began to change after WWII. Due to better educational opportunities and more jobs, many of the people of Tonga began leaving their small islands for the mainland and larger more populated islands. First people made the move from the smaller to larger islands, but as this continued and more opportunities arose, many made the decision to go outside the country to areas like New Zealand, Australia, and even as far as the United States. Though many people were leaving the country, the migration was very much needed. From the 1930’s to the 1960’s the Tongan population more than doubled, the migration allowed for a solution to possible overpopulation in the region.

Tongans that left for America mostly made their home in one of two areas, either Utah or Hawaii. This trend to hear to America only increased after the 1960’s. This was because America lowered the restrictions on non-European immigrants from entering the country. This coupled with the economic success made the migration of Tongans to the United States a very plausible and attractive offer. From the 1960’s to the late 1980’s, more than 1,900 Tongans were leaving the country each year.

The most recent census accurately depicts the vast diaspora that the Tongan people have partaken in, in its short history. Today there are an estimated 216,000 Tongans worldwide, and the Kingdom of Tonga is home to about 96,000 people. As you can see over half of the Tongans in the world are living in areas outside of their homeland. Most of the Tongans that are overseas are found in America or New Zealand, as well as a slight population in Australia. These people who have migrated overseas, usually still keep close connections with their family back in Tonga, usually sending money and supplies back to their family. This large diaspora of the Tongan people has introduced many new ways of thinking and customs to the Tongan culture, and for better or worse the western influence continually encroaches itself upon the country and its people.

Tongans and their Neighbors

 

Due to the fact that Tongans have their own kingdom, and that they are the dominant people in that kingdom, there is little negative relations or persecution on Tongans within the country. With that said, don't let their assumed easygoing attitudes and hospitality fool you. They have had a past with many feuds, most notably would be the feuds that Tongans share with their relative neighbors, the Samoans.

The conflict is said to have started all the way back in 900 AD. Tui Tonga became the first proclaimed king of Tonga. While he ruled the kingdom, he demanded the capture and enslavement of the neighboring Samoan people. This continued through the first 400 years of Tonga’s early history without much resistance from the Samoans. This eventually changed though. By about 1600 AD, the royal family of Samoa decided to attack Tonga in an effort to stop the continued slavery and be free once again. The Samoans were victorious and pushed the Tongan forces off of their islands. As the defeated Tongans left, they made a verbal agreement that they would never fight again. It is said that the leader of the Tongans at the time, Talaaifeii, made a statement basically saying that the fighting was over and the only time he would return to Samoa would be only to “greet an old friend.”

Even though the treaty was only made verbally by the two sides, it had actually been honored for multiple centuries after that last fight had ended. But that treaty has come to an end as other wars between the two cultures ensue. Though Tonga has had other conflicts with other regions and countries, they do not face much persecution inside their own borders. This conflict between the Samoans and Tongans is the closest item to some type of conflict based on cultural differences and history rather than just politically fueled ones. 

Birds of the Kingdom of Tonga

In the Kingdom of Tonga, the remote islands and seemingly untouched landscape makes these islands a natural haven for a vast number of unique bird species. The varying geographic landscapes and variety of locations of the islands make each one unique in the types of birds you may find on it. For example, some of the northern most islands are home to nesting sights to many of the sea birds. Though Tonga has a vast number of birds, most of the species have been introduced throughout its history. Its location and isolation, makes it a haven for birds but also has kept it isolated. Tonga can only claim ownership to two endemic bird species. The two endemic species include the Tongan Whistler and the Niaufuoo Scrubfowl, or more commonly known as the Megapode, which will be further explained later in the blog post.

Tonga is home to some very rare and unique birds. For example, some islands are home to the Megapode. Megapodes are black, chicken-like birds that actually incubate their eggs in the ground of the islands to take advantage of the heat from the volcanic activity underneath the ground. Some other rare and interesting birds include the Red-Breasted Koki or more commonly referred to as the Musk Parrot. This bird has been around in Tonga since prehistoric times, and has been vigorously bunted for its beautiful red feathers, which had a high value in the trade market.

This list goes on though; some other species include the Tongan Whistler, the Polynesian Triller, and the Pacific Pigeon. As stated before, and as one can see, the Kingdom of Tonga is home to an abundance of beautifully unique birds, and would be a great destination for any bird watching enthusiast. Below is a list of all the birds that can be found in the region. 

Bird List:

Species Number	Species	Status
95	Wandering Albatross	VS
97	Southern Giant Petrel	VS
98	Cape Petrel	MS
100	Tahiti Petrel	S
101	Phoenix Petrel	VS
102	White-naped Petrel	MS
103	Herald Petrel	BS
104	Kermadec Petrel	BS
105	Mottled Petrel	MS
107	Black-winged Petrel	BS
108	Collared Petrel	VS
175	Gould's Petrel	?
176	Steijneger's Petrel	?
109	Audubon's Shearwater	BS
111	Wedge-tailed Shearwater	BS
112	Short-tailed Shearwater	MS
114	Buller's Shearwater	VS
115	Sooty Shearwater	MS
116	Wilson’s Storm-petrel	?
117	Polynesian Storm-petrel	BS?
120	Red-tailed Tropicbird	BS
121	White-tailed Tropicbird	BS
123	Masked Booby	BS
124	Brown Booby	BS
125	Red-footed Booby	BS
126	Great Frigatebird	BS
127	Lesser Frigatebird	BS
1	Eastern Reef Heron	BL
2	White-faced Heron	BL
4	Mangrove Heron	VL
6	Pacific Black Duck	BL
8	Northern Pintail	VL
10	Tongan Megapode	BL
11	Junglefowl	I
15	Pacific Harrier	BL
18	Banded Rail	BL
20	Spotless Crake	BL
21	Purple Swamphen	BL
148	Pacific Golden Plover	MW;OW
156	Bristle-thighed Curlew	MW
159	Bar-tailed Godwit	MW
161	Wandering Tattler	MW;OW
164	Sharp-tailed Sandpiper	?
169	Ruddy Turnstone	MW;OW
170	Sanderling	MW
128	Pomarine Skua	VS
129	Arctic Skua	VS
131	South Polar Skua	VS
132	Crested Tern	BS
133	Black-naped Tern	BS
134	Sooty Tern	BS
135	Grey-backed Tern	BS
136	Bridled Tern	BS
191	Roseate Tern	?
140	Blue Noddy	BS?
141	Grey Noddy	BS
142	Brown Noddy	BS
143	Black Noddy	BS
144	White Tern	BS
23	Feral Pigeon	I
26	Friendly Ground-dove	BL
27	Pacific Pigeon	BL
30	Many-coloured Fruit-dove	BL
31	Crimson-crowned Fruit-dove	BL
37	Blue-crowned Lory	BL
39	Red Shining Parrot	I
42	Long-tailed Cuckoo	ML
43	Barn Owl	BL
46	White-rumped Swiftlet	BL
48	White-collared Kingfisher	BL
50	Pacific Swallow	BL
53	Polynesian Starling	BL
55	European Starling	I
57	Jungle Mynah	I
58	Red-vented Bulbul	I
69	Lesser Shrikebill	BL
75	Tongan Whistler	BL
77	Polynesian Triller	BL
91	Wattled Honeyeater	BL

(http://www.pacificbirds.com/tonga.html)