New Tongan book aims to restore traditional worldview on art

A new book exploring the breadth of Tongan arts launched on Friday at the Māngere Arts Centre - Ngā Tohu o Uenuku, after 13 years of research and collaboration.

The art book, Sio FakaTonga ‘ae ‘Aati FakaTonga Faivā, Tufunga & Nimamea‘a FakaTonga - Tongan Views of Tongan Arts Tongan Performance Arts, Material Arts & Fine Arts - is co-authored by Professor Hūfanga He-Ako-Moe-Lotu Dr ‘Ōkusitino Māhina, Associate Professor Māui-Tava-He-Ako Dr Tēvita Ka‘ili, and curator Kolokesa Uafā Māhina-Tuai.

The publication is the result of 13 years of research and collaboration, covering a comprehensive examination of Tongan views on three genres of faivā (performance), tufunga (material), and nimamea‘a (fine arts). It features the work of 41 artists, including five collectives and 11 late masters, ensuring their knowledge and contributions are preserved and celebrated.

Written by Tongans for Tongans, the book aims to reconnect the community with ancestral practices while serving as a resource for non-Tongans interested in Tongan culture and heritage.

The launch was emceed by Mele Ha‘amoa Māhina ‘Alatini and opened with a mihi by kaumātua Robert Newson, followed by traditional prayers, kava rituals, and cultural performances. The book’s cover design was created by Sean Naufahu and Jordana Zata.

Kula-’Uli Publishing is behind the book’s distribution. Māhina ‘Alatini, a co-founder of the publication company, points out how this piece is unique, saying it was authored, published and designed by Tongans.

Watch Professor Maui TāVā-He-Ako Dr Tēvita Ka'ili and Kolokesa Uafā Māhina-Tuai on PMN Tonga:

A celebration of Tongan language and identity

The event coincided with Tonga Language Week 2025, with the theme 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 Tongan culture.

Ka‘ili says the book traces the roots of Tongan arts back to primordial ancestors Limu and Kele, whose union gave birth to Tonga’s traditions of performance, craftsmanship, and fine arts.

Māhina adds that the work aims to restore distinctions within Tongan creative practices. He says that since the first contact with Europeans and missionaries, the three arts of Tonga have been reduced to just nimamea’a.

“Which is a fusion but confusing. This book partly tries to bring back some kind of original status. To let us see clearly where our arts were. Of course they all originated and were gifted to us from our great ancestors, from the gods,” he says.

Professor ‘Ōkusitino Māhina drinking kava as part of the kava hefō ‘akitohi (book launch kava). Photo/PMN News/Aui’a Vaimaila Leatinu’u

The co-authors’ journey

For Māhina-Tuai, the book represents a personal and collective milestone. She explains that the project began in 2012 when she was curating an exhibition and found that Western scholarship had misinterpreted key works of the ngatū (tapa cloth).

“This is not the first time that I’ve come across our Tongan arts that’s been misinterpreted because it’s written by non-Tongans. I’m not challenging all non-Tongans. It’s just done by someone who has not done their research thoroughly enough and gone back to ensure that that information is correct.”

The publication is part of a wider movement advocating for Pacific-led knowledge production. Māhina-Tuai is also co-founder of Lagi-Maama Academy and Consultancy, alongside Toluma‘anave Barbara Makuati-Afitu. Their work bridges cultural institutions and Pacific communities, championing indigenous frameworks of knowledge.

Speaking to John Pulu on PMN Tonga earlier this week, Māhina-Tuai says the book is only the beginning of growing Tonga’s arts’ ecosystem. “We've touched on some, but there's still a lot more. It's just the beginning. It's an addition to the current scholarship that exists, but the uniqueness is that it is written by Tongans for Tongans and for anyone else who's interested in our views.”