The bold political move was copied by the tongan monarch, who broke cultural links with sacred samoan lineages and attempted at erasing the tui tonga history under the tui samoa. Buy the tonga book on free shipping on qualified orders. King of manua and all of samoa tui manua empire of samoa. South pacific tales legends and myths from tonga, samoa, papua new guinea, easter island folklore history series various on. This history is evident in everyday life and traditions, but also in some of samoas fascinating historic locations. The official dated beginning of the modern tongan monarch began in 1845, after years of war between tongans vs tongans witnessed by william charles mariner and author of the book tonga islands 1810. Prepare to be fascinated by the early observations of europeans, and the struggle of the missionaries that influenced the nation two centuries ago. The samoan islands were first settled some 3,500 years ago as part of the austronesian expansion. The history of tonga is recorded since the century after 900 bc, when seafarers associated with the lapita diaspora first settled the islands which now make up the kingdom of tonga. A short history of western samoa by malama meleisea et al. Samoa has a long, rich and interesting history, one that is based on the first people who arrived more than 3,000 years ago, and infused with the colours of many other nations.
According to the most recent archaeological findings, people arrived in the archipelago from fiji around 1500 b. Samoans and tongans are very respectful to there people and other people that arent there culture. This short history is written for the general reader and for senior high school and university students seeking an overview of samoan history. Culture of tonga history, people, women, beliefs, food. Jun 08, 2016 characteristics of the samoan language indicate that the settlers probably came from tonga. Pdf samoas precontact connections in west polynesia and. History in tonga polynesians found and settled these islands sometime around 500 b. Heritage and a long standing system of entitlement connected the tui tonga with both western and eastern samoa. Major events highlighted in the film include the partition of western samoa in. Samoan mythology and legends say they descended from the gods and heavens to inhabit these islands. This was such a stinging protest against existing conditions that it resulted in. American samoa, unincorporated territory of the united states consisting of the eastern part of the samoan archipelago, located in the southcentral pacific ocean. Samoa history blog travel guide pacific island holiday.
Because it is immediately west of the international dateline, tonga is the first nation to greet each new day, leading to the saying tonga is where time begins. Rauzon worked in the field of island restoration, traveling throughout the american insular pacific to eradicate invasive plants and animals introduced by humans. It is appropriate to address the topic of the oceania empire of the prehistoric tui manua and the extent to which this influence permeated. Edited by malama meleisea and penny schoeffel meleisea, lagaga covers samoan history from early polynesian arrival through the missionary era, independence in 1962 and the first two decades of the state of western samoa. The island nations of the south pacific have an incredible oral history, their folklore and myths past down through the generations. Characteristics of the samoan language indicate that the settlers probably came from tonga. Prepare to be fascinated by the early observations of europeans, and the struggle of the. This book is a fantastic collection of stories from such a vast area as the south pacific but. Along with fiji and samoa, the area served as a gateway into the rest of the pacific region known as polynesia. And, tongans are a mix breed of samoans and fijians. Find out more in the book samos history, culture and tourism. Tongas total land area is dispersed between latitudes 15 and 23 s and longitudes 173 and 177 w. South pacific tales legends and myths from tonga, samoa, papua new guinea, easter island folklore history series. Tourists visit tonga for beaches, sun, and diving, but also to explore sites unique to the region, such as the 19th century royal palace and the haamongaamaui, a large trilithon stone archway built by a tongan king sometime before the.
It is appropriate to address the topic of the oceania empire of the prehistoric tui manua and the extent to which this influence permeated the socialpolitical sphere of samoa and tonga at that time. History of samoa islands top results of your surfing history of samoa islands start download portable document format pdf and ebooks electronic books free online rating news 20162017 is books that can provide inspiration, insight, knowledge to the reader. South pacific tales legends and myths from tonga, samoa. The current royal dynasty of tonga was founded in 1831 by taufaahau tupou, who took the name george i. See more ideas about history, tonga and tongan culture.
The kingdom of tongas history stretches back over 3000 years, beginning with the migration of the lapita people from the mainland and islands of southeast asia. The country is a very old polynesian monarchy its royal family goes back more than 1,000 years with an old and welldeveloped social and political system. First published in 1987 and last reprinted in 2003. Guided by the stars, the polynesian ancestors made their way across the pacific in oceanfaring canoes thousands of years ago.
Adrift on these daydreamy south pacific islands deliciously remote and unhurried its easy to get back to the simple pleasures of eating, sleeping and succumbing to holiday whims. Jun 01, 2018 the hourlong documentary covers 3000 years of samoas history. Occasional europeans visited it from early in the 1600s. Samoans and tongans are both polynesians but there are many differences between the two groups. While both tonga and samoa are widely known, the little island nation of niue is not. A fantastic interview with sean mallon on etangata sean mallon on radio nzs saturday morning ockham new zealand book awards 2019 convenor douglas lloyd jenkins called tatau a visual feast a milestone in contemporary publishing a book that will expand and enrich the knowledge of readers throughout aotearoa, the pacific and beyond.
Tongan culture and customs began with these earliest of polynesians, and many ancient traditions have continued respectfully through to. Tourists flocked to the islands on december 31, 1999, to be among the first to greet the new millennium. During the 1870s a civil dispute broke out between two of. The island nations of the south pacific have an incredible oral history, their folklore and myths past down through the. His accounts of the tongan wars of the 19th century is a strong reference to tonga and their relations to samoa. Polynesians have lived on tonga for at least 3,000 years. The history of samoa goes back way before this fabricated story. Read south pacific tales legends and myths from tonga, samoa, papua new guinea, easter island folklore history series by various available from rakuten kobo. Samoa was explored by dutch and french traders in the 18th century. There were and still are four paramount titles relating to four aiga extended families equivalent to royal dynasties, in what is now samoa. Kramer 8 says that the earliest kings of manua bore the title of tuimanua ma samoaatoa, king of manua and all samoa, and that all indicated, not only samoa, but surrounding islands as well, such as tonga, fiji, rarotonga, tahiti, who all brought tribute to the tui manua. Tonga is a member of the commonwealth and of the united nations. This book is a fantastic collection of stories from such a vast area as the south pacific but share a common heritage. Surf the swells around the southern coastlines, hike the challenging crossisland track, or check out tongas stonehenge of the pacific.
Your own ancestors say that samoa has a huge influence in tonga. Building up a large repository of free cludes family history, genealogies. Manu vatuvei is one of the most successful tongan rugby league players in history. The hourlong documentary covers 3000 years of samoas history. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. A history from writers from western samoa, examining thematically the influences of european settlers, the churches, german and nz colonialism and the background to western samoas independence. The author begins by outlining the history of tonga, then. Tongan culture and customs began with these earliest of polynesians, and many ancient traditions have continued respectfully through to the present day. A chronology of key events in the history of samoa. The capital, pago pago, was a strategic naval base for the u. Samoas early and more current history is strongly connected with the histories of tonga and fiji, which are in the same region, and with whom it shares historical, genealogical, and cultural traditions. The following account is supposed to describe the final expulsion of the tongans from samoa, which occurred twentyfive generations ago, or about the year 1250. Major events highlighted in the film include the partition of western samoa in the nineteenth century, rule by imperial germany. One around 300 recorded mounds in samoa and the pacific, this one is located on the flat peak of 110mhigh mount tulimanuiva.
Thus, it is appropriate to translate the nations name as land lying in the south. A great book about tongan history from the point of view of a palangi. Especially prominent in the samoan sagas is fitiaumua, a. But when i play for tonga, i play for my heritage and my family. Samoas early and more current history is strongly connected with the histories of tonga and fiji. The summit of volcanic undersea mountains forms the two roughly parallel chains of the tongan islands. Samoa s early and more current history is strongly connected with the histories of tonga and fiji, which are in the same region, and with whom it shares historical, genealogical, and cultural traditions. Last summer, i had the opportunity to return to the village in samoa where i served as a peace corps volunteer and reunite with my host family for the first time since i had left more than 30 years ago. Samoa, tonga, and fiji participated in a trading triangle figure 1. History of samoa samoa has a long and fascinating history spanning more than 3,000 years. What are the differences between tonga and samoa culture. Oct 12, 2016 the bold political move was copied by the tongan monarch, who broke cultural links with sacred samoan lineages and attempted at erasing the tui tonga history under the tui samoa. May, 2016 1700 samoa in the 1700s was the most prominent region in polynesia, and had by then an extensive seafaring history in the south pacific. British explorer james cook landed on islands in 1773 and 1777 and dubbed them the friendly islands.
Tonga did not discover samoa, and the tuimanua empire of samoa, and tuipulotu empire of fiji predates the tongan empire of tuitonga. Other airlines serving tonga include air new zealand, air pacific, polynesian airlines, and samoa air. Toward the end of the 19th century, conflicting interests of the u. His research for the tonga book took him to fiji, tonga, samoa, hawaii and yes, great britain and new zealand too. Samoan islands history, polynesia history, books barnes. A history from writers from western samoa, examining thematically the influences of european settlers, the churches, german and nz colonialism and the background to western samoa s independence. Stories from the caribbean, mediterranean, indian ocean and pacific by ni. Malietoa, tupua tamasese, mataafa and tuimalealiifano. Constructed of earth and stones, it is thought the mounds were built around 900 years ago when tonga occupied areas of samoa. Tonga became a protected state under a treaty of friendship with imperal britain on the 18th of may 1900, the same year western samoa became an allied protectorate. Local pottery manufacturing ceased by about ad 200, by which time samoa had become central too much of the settlement of eastern polynesia.
Ably discussed by malama and twelve others, lagaga, first published in 1987. Most of the islands of the western chain are classified as high islands, because they have been raised well above sea level by repeated volcanic activity. Samoatongafiji samoa, tonga and fiji, the major archipelagos of west. History of samoa islands top results of your surfing history of samoa islands start download portable document format pdf and e books electronic books free online rating news 20162017 is books that can provide inspiration, insight, knowledge to the reader. Polynesians, possibly from tonga, first settled in the samoan islands about b. Samoa online genealogy records these are genealogy links to samoa online databases to assist in researching your family history. The name tonga is composed of to to plant and nga a place.
His research for the tonga book took him to fiji, tonga, samoa, hawaii and yes, great. This online collection has links to online databases and indexes that may include birth records, marriage records, death records, biographies, cemeteries, censuses, histories, immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, obituaries, or probate. The tui tonga oversaw the tonga islands in conjunction with western samoan governing systems. Samoa history timeline 1700 to 1940s the manaia blogwriter. The cyclopedia of samoa, tonga, tahiti and the cook islands illustrated. Intermarriage of tonga and samoa royal line tongan culture, polynesian culture. East polynesia in any of the sources of samoan oral history used in this study. All text, either derivative works from wikipedia articles o.
Jan 23, 2018 a chronology of key events in the history of samoa. The dutch were the first to explore the islands, landing on tafahi in 1616. South pacific tales legends and myths from tonga, samoa, papua new guinea, easter island folklore history series various read books, 2010 social science 6 pages. In maps and related texts this book provides a basis for building an understanding of the samoan environment and the uses made of. Dec 12, 2017 the samoan islands were first settled some 3,500 years ago as part of the austronesian expansion. Apr 30, 2006 the tonga book paperback april 30, 2006 by paul w. On the top of beautiful, deeply traditional manono island is a 12pointed ancient star mound.
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