"CAN WE BECOME TONGAN WITHOUT SPEAKING TONGAN?"

This article is dedicated with much love to our maternal grandparents, Tonga and 'Ana Malohifo'ou, and our parents, Tevita and Lakalaka Ka'ili, for entrusting us with our ancestral priceless treasure; the Tongan Language. (Tongan version of this article was first published on Si'i Le'o E Peau, May 1998 issue)

This question of whether or not we can be Tongan without fluency in the Tongan language is a question that has emerged since European colonialism and imperialism. Over the years, this question has emerged to the surface due to the notable decline in the utilization of our native language by each succeeding generation of Tongans. A decline resulting from the Western society's devaluation of our native tongue. In our daily interactions with our Tongan peers here in America, we notice that the English language is much preferred over the Tongan language. Although we may speak and understand Tongan, the high status and prestige associated with the English language gives it priority over the Tongan language. Since the beginning of European language imperialism, Tongans have been indoctrinated into believing that the English language is the only language in which they can obtain power, prestige, and economic well-being. In consequence of such indoctrinations, many Tongans have come to perceive the Tongan language as an impediment or an obstacle to their academic and economic progression. This distorted perception creates a threat to the survival of our native language. In fact, this threat to our ancestral tongue is so pervasive and ubiquitous that not only does it exist amongst Tongans overseas, but also Tongans in our homeland.

Tongan linguists, Dr. 'Ana Taufe'ulungaki and Dr. Tupou Pulu, have noticed this language phenomenon in Tonga. According to Dr. Taufe'ulungaki (1991), the Tongan language is threatened because it "has been pushed aside in the quest for an English Education System" in Tonga. Furthermore, she has noted that the Tongan language "is becoming less used as the medium of instruction in schools and it is rarely used as a language of communication by government, and in commerce." Another dimension of this threat is evident in the erosion of the Tongan language. Dr. Tupou Pulu (1988) states that "the erosion of the Tongan language is already apparent." She provides evidence for her claims by pointing out that Tongan children have a "very limited vocabulary in their native language, with words being borrowed from English for which Tongan has almost perfect equivalents." This erosion is likely to be connected to the depreciating value accorded to the Tongan language. Dr. Tupou Pulu (1988) further explains that "parents who speak to their children in English are really saying that Tongan isn't that important and that English is." Lastly, she refers to the fact that Tongans are "not paid for knowing Tongan." Thus the message that is given to children is that "Tongan is worthless." Based on these observations, it appears that the endangerment of the Tongan language is a phenomenon that is prevalent among Tongans, whether residing overseas or in our motherland.

As Tongans attempt to construct cultural identity overseas or in Tonga, they are encountered with the question of whether or not the Tongan language is an essential ingredient in constructing Tongan cultural identity. For this purpose, we pose the question: "Can we become Tongan without speaking Tongan?" In order to shed light on the above question, we must, first and foremost, understand the relationship between culture and language. One of these essential relationships as described by Professor Ngugi Wa Thiong'o (1986), an African scholar and a Kenyan writer, is that "language is a carrier of culture." Specifically, language is embedded with the particularities of a culture, such as its values, norms, morals, philosophies, beliefs and ideologies which a culture develops and accumulates throughout its history. Thus, according to Professor Ngugi Wa Thiong'o (1986), language is a "collective memory bank of a people's experiences in history." An example of language as a carrier of culture is evident in the Tongan language of respect. Since faka'apa'apa (respect) toward the various ranks of the Tongan social hierarchy is at the core of the Tongan culture, this cultural value is carried in the Tongan language of respect. For instance, a Tongan speaker may use a Tongan word in its derogatory form, ordinary form, polite form, honorific form, or the regal form in order to convey the degree of respect that is culturally appropriate for the person(s) he or she is addressing. This interwoven relationship of language and culture is so integral that according to Dr. Tupou Pulu (1988), "culture is perpetuated through language." Thus, Dr. Taufe'ulungaki (1991) cautions Tongans that, "if we lose our language we lose our culture."

Upon understanding this relationship, we begin to conceptualize the connection between cultural identity and our native language. In understanding and speaking our native tongue we are endowed with a sense of connection, commonality, and bond toward our cultural community. It is through these associations that we begin to completely identify with our native culture. This identification cements a sense of cultural dignity and validation. It also delineate a distinct Tongan cultural group.

In pondering our childhood and upbringing in America, we are reminded of the many ways the Tongan language was taught and reinforced in our home. We are awakened to memories of our grandfather Tonga sitting across from us listening intensely as we attempt to translate a story we had just read in English into the Tongan language. We were encouraged to read out loud in Tongan. Our grandparents would correct our enunciation and grammatical ordering of the Tongan words. There was a sense of sanctity associated with the Tongan language as we observed the way our grandparents cherished our native tongue. However, it was not only our grandparents that valued the Tongan language. Our parents made a decision before we were born that the Tongan language would be the language of our home. It did not matter that English was the language of the "educated", for when we were inside the fortress of our home or our cultural capsule, English could not penetrate it. Although the practice of using our native language was not always easy nor did we always enjoy speaking it, there was a priceless treasure instilled within us of the significance of our ancestral tongue. In retrospect, we feel a deep gratitude for our grandparents and parents for resisting to deprive us of our native tongue despite the language imposition of the West. In our heart, they have modeled for us the courage and audacity that we, a new generation of Tongans, must embrace in order for our ancestral tongue to live.

If language is imperative and essential for constructing cultural identity, then how do we maintain our native language. According to Dr. 'Ana Taufe'ulungaki (1991) the "only way to save the Tongan language from extinction is bilingualism" or the ability to master both the Tongan and the English languages. She also argues that biligualism will help Tongans learn to speak standard English. Recent studies in linguistics have provide evidence for Dr. Taufe'ulungaki's (1991) claims. Professor Kenji Hakuta (1990), a bilingual education scholar, states that proficiency in one's native language "results in more efficient acquisition of the second language," and that "bilingualism is associated positively with greater cognitive flexibility and awareness of language." These evidences suggest that it will be more beneficial to nurture children that are bilingual rather than monolingual.

In conclusion, we appeal to parents to teach their children the Tongan language. In addition, we urge Tongan children to value their native language. The Tongan language is a precious treasure for it took our ancestors many generations to develop it. It has survived despite European colonialism, neo-colonialism, and language imperialism. It is our duty to keep it alive for the next generation of Tongans. We echo the words of our Native American relatives: "If our language is to live our children must speak it." So again, we return to our original question: "Can we become Tongan without speaking Tongan?" You decide for yourself. Although at the present, English appears to be instrumental to our economic well-being, our ancestral language is still vital to our cultural and psychological survival. Let us not be the generation that will delete this "collective memory bank" from our children's psyche.

By 'Anapesi Lakalaka Ka'ili and Tevita 'Osoni Ka'ili
Tongan Language Activists
If you have any comments please e-mail us at: anapesi@planet-tonga.com or tkaili@planet-tonga.com

References

Hakuta, K. (1990). Bilingualism and bilingual education: a research perspective. National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education Focus: Occasional Papers in Bilingual Education, 1, (Spring), [On-line], Available: http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu

Pulu, T. (1988, Feburary). Me no can speak Tongan no more. Tonga Today, 2, (9), p. 40.

Taufe'ulungaki, A. (1991). 'Ana Taufe'ulungaki's uphill battle to save the Tongan language. Matangi Tonga, 6, (2), pp. 10-11.

Thiong'o, N. W. (1986). Decolonising the mind: the politics of language and African literature. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.