Ko e ‘Ilo mo e Poto mo e Fonua mo e Tala ^Featured

‘Oku ‘ikai ke mavahe ‘ae fonua mei he tala mo ‘ikai mavahe ‘ae tala mei he fonua, ‘o hangē pē koe ‘ikai mavahe ‘ae ‘ilo mei he poto mo ‘ikai mavahe ‘ae poto mei he ‘ilo, ‘aia ‘oku na fehokotaki tu‘uma‘u ma‘u pē fakatoulōua.

‘Oku ‘uhinga tatau pē ‘ae ongo lea Tonga koe “tala” moe “lea” koe me‘angāue ‘oku tala‘aki mo lea‘aki ‘ehe ngutu ‘ae ‘ilo moe poto ‘oku fa‘oaki he fonua, ‘aia ‘oku na fepikitaki fakatou‘osi ma‘u pē, ‘o hangē koe talatukungutu moe talaefonua.

‘Oku pehē pē moe ta‘emavahe ‘ae ‘ilo moe poto mei he fonua moe tala mo ta‘emavahe ‘ae fonua moe tala mei he ‘ilo moe poto, ‘aia ‘oku nau fehokotaki mo fakafelavai ta‘engata kotoa mo ta‘emavahevahe ma‘u pē.

‘Oku ma‘u foki ‘ae ‘ilo moe poto mei he faiva ako, ‘o hangē koe teoli fakaTonga ‘oe ako, ‘aia koe liliu ta‘engata fakafelavai fakatāvā, fakafuouho mo faka‘aonga ‘ae ‘atamai moe fakakaukau mei he vale kihe ‘ilo kihe poto.

‘Oku loloto mo mālie fau ‘eni he ‘oku fakamu‘omu‘a ma‘u pē ‘ehe teoli fakaTonga ‘oe ako ‘ae ‘ilo he poto moe ‘ilo moe poto he vale, ‘aia ka vale taha he tufunga lalava ‘oku pau ke ako ke ‘ilo kiai pea he‘ene ‘ilo kiai ‘oku ne toe ako ke poto ai.

Na‘e fokotu‘utu‘u fakaha‘a ‘ae ako fakaTonga he vahevahe tolu ‘oe ‘aati fakaTonga kihe faiva, tufunga moe nimamea‘a ‘oku kihe ha‘a faiva, ha‘a tufunga moe ha‘a nimamea‘a, ‘o hangē koe faiva ta‘anga, tufunga lalava moe nimamea‘a koka‘anga.

‘Oku lau ‘ehe teoli fakaTonga ‘oe ako ‘oku fakataha ‘ae ‘ilo moe poto ‘oku ma‘u he ako ‘o fa‘oaki he fonua mo fetu‘utaki he tala koe ongo me‘angāue kae vahevahe ‘ehe ako fakaUēsite kihe filōsofia, ‘ātolopolosia moe lingikusitika.

‘Oku ‘uhinga ‘ae ‘ilo koe “’ata mai” kihe ‘atamai mo “fakafekaukau‘aki” ‘ehe fakakaukau ‘ae ngaahi me‘a honau anga tau‘atāina ‘iate kinautolu, ‘o toki ngāue‘aki mo faka‘aonga‘i kinautolu he funga ‘oe poto ke fakatōli‘a ‘ae fiema‘u.

‘Oku fakaloloma fau ‘ae tūkunga ‘oe ako ‘i Tonga he ‘aho ni hono fakamu‘omu‘a mo fakamamafa ma‘u pē ‘ae poto he ‘ilo, ‘o hāsino mai hono fakamu‘omu‘a mo fakamamafa ‘ae ako palakimātika he ako ‘akatēmika moe ako ‘aonga he ako ‘uhinga.

‘Oku matu‘aki mā‘uhinga fakatoulōua ‘ae ‘ilo, ako ‘akatēmika moe ako ‘uhinga pea moe poto, ako palakimātika moe ako ‘aonga ka koe tefito ‘oe polopalema hono fakamamafa ‘a mui ‘i mu‘a, ‘o hangē ko hono “fakamu‘omu‘a ‘ae saliote he hoosi.”

‘Oku fa‘oaki ‘ae ‘ilo moe poto ‘oku ma‘u he ako he me‘angāue koe fonua mo fetu‘utaki he me‘angāue koe tala, ‘aia ‘oku ne talamai ‘oku ta‘emavahevahe kotoa ma‘u pē ‘ae ‘ilo moe poto moe ongo me‘angāue fa‘oaki mo fetu‘utaki ai koe fonua moe tala.

‘Oku toki ‘uhinga mo mahino leva hono tauhi, tokanga‘i mo malu‘i ‘ae fonua moe tala koe tauhi, tokanga‘i mo malu‘i ‘ae ‘ilo moe poto ‘oku fa‘oaki mo fetu‘utaki he fonua moe tala kae ‘ikai koe tauhi, tokanga‘i mo malu‘i ‘oe ongo me‘angāue koe fonua moe tala ‘oku fa‘oaki mo fetu‘utaki ai.

[It follows that knowledge and skill, like culture and language, are inseparable in reality as in nature, mind and society, with knowledge and skill acquired in education historically composed in culture as a receptacle and dialectically communicated in language as a vehicle, in time and space].

ANFF leva e malanga tōfā,
‘Ofa manatu moe manatu ‘ofa,

Hūfanga Dr Ōkusitino Māhina
Professor of Art, Culture and Critical Anthropology
Tonga International Academy &
Vava‘u Academy for Critical Inquiry and Applied Research

&

‘Aisea Nau Matthew Māhina
PhD Scholar in Art and Philosophy
AUT University &
Vava‘u Academy for Critical Inquiry and Applied Research