‘Guided by ancestors’: Tongan pride, Pacific unity take centre stage as Ministers meet

“To sail the seas, we need to understand our stars.”

That’s Petty Officer Maria Pahulu’s message for the South Pacific Defence Ministers Meeting (SPDMM) currently held in Auckland.

This is the 9th gathering of the SPDMM, which brings together Defence Ministers, Chiefs of Defence, and Secretaries of Defence from Aotearoa, Australia, Fiji, France (New Caledonia), Tonga, Chile, and Papua New Guinea.

The meeting began on Tuesday with delegates welcomed with a pōwhiri at the navy marae, Te Taua Moana.

Tonga’s Defence Minister and Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala was welcomed by Tongan members of the New Zealand Navy.

They sang hymns and gifted the Prince with a toki, which Pahulu said had carvings of the waves, symbolising their origins and tracing them back to the Kingdom. “Our hearts will always beat Tonga.”

Pahulu makes a speech prior to presenting the gift to the Corwn Prince of Tonga. Photo/Ala Vailala

“As sailors of the proud Kingdom of Tonga lineage, our hearts beat with the strength of our ancestors and it guides us with resilience and pride,” Pahulu said.

“Here in Aotearoa, we also carry the mana of our Māori whānau bound by shared values, connected by these lands and sea we serve.”

Born and raised in Māngere East, Pahulu has served in the New Zealand Navy for almost 20 years alongside her twin sister Ane.

She served overseas including a RIMPAC Deployment while serving on HMNZS Te Kaha in 2012 which stopped in Tonga and hosted the King and Queen.

Despite being away from her home island, Pahulu continues to stay close to her culture by ensuring the Tongan members in the Navy stay close together.

“There’s about 50 of us, we’re a tight unit. I think it goes back to our upbringing, the four golden pillars of the Tongan culture. Faka’apa’apa [respect], angafakatokilalo [humility], tauhi va [cultivating healthy relationships] and mamahi’i me’a [loyalty].”

Pahulu emphasised the importance of New Zealand working with the Pacific, particularly in defence.

“To sail the seas, we need to understand our stars, meaning navigating the future requires wisdom from the past.”

New Zealand also plays a crucial role when it comes to supporting the Pacific region with military aid.

Most recently, the New Zealand Defence Force and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade co-funded a $6.5 million leadership centre in Tonga for His Majesty’s Armed Forces.

The SPDMM concludes tomorrow.

Presentation of gift to the Tonga Crown Prince Tupouto'a. Photo/Ala Vailala