July 3rd-July 5th, 2008
Flyers and handouts are being given out June 13th, 2008 at the Toki-Tonga Graduation Party.
More info to be posted.
For further questions, please call Mahana 801-755-1946 or email mlmafi@comcast.net
Friday, June 13, 2008
Family Reunion Coming Up!
Posted by Mahana at 8:39 AM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comments:
Mahana L. Mafi. Thank you for the beautiful website for the family. I just happen to drop by today 11/16/08 and was amazed with how much you have done for this website. We should be glad that you put forth this great efforts to have the family keep in touch thru here. As you know I just come back from Tonga couple weeks ago. I was in Tonga for 2 months and was be able to visit Otea Island where we all originate from as you know your Grandpa Sione Halafa'u Tuita come from Otea Vava'u. I also went to stay in Vaimalo Vava'u is where your Grandma Lesieli Afuha'apai Naufahu Kato come from. These two famous people met and get married to start this Tuita & Vehikite family Website. And what a history these two special people made and leave behind for us. We should be everlastingly hurray for joy to have just a special people to bring us forth today during this special time of our lives. For so many years I never be able to better understand my roots until this trip. As you know I left Otea and Vaimalo Vavau when I was 6 years old and faintly remember anything all this years. My Dad has been a faithful member of the LDS church and was educated in New Zealand came back to Tonga and marry my Mom Lesieli Afuha'apai Kato Naufahu of Vaimalo. They work ceaselessly for the building up the Church in Tonga as missionary and teacher for the LDS church school in Tonga. That is why I left Otea very young because my Dad Sione Tuita has been teaching for the LDS school for many years and go back to Otea Vavau when he is given a break. That is just one of his break from teaching at Makeke School that he went back to Otea Vavau when I was growing up to be 6 years old when we left Otea Vavau to Tongatapu for another teaching assignment at Liahona High School. Today I am on my 60s and went to visit Otea and Vaimalo Vavau since I left at 6 years old. It was dramatic, full of memories, historical, mind puffling that I just don't know where to start. I also visit Liahona and Matangiake, Kahoua at Tongatapu where most of my teen years spend before I departed here to the United States of America. It was historical, I look at Liahona change from the days I grew up there. There is a great history there of my life. Kahoua ia a life history for me. Our family started that community of Kahoua. The Estate belongs to a gentlemen KavaKava with his mistress Mele. Our family become very good friend and when our Dad Sione H. Tuita died during his teaching at Liahona during 1956. Kavakava gave us a part of his land now Kahoua to be our home. We move to live at Kahoua right next to Liahona fence. We were the one who first live there in Kahoua beside KavaKava and Mele. If you need to get this information right. Mele and Kavakava had an adopted daughter named Sela Kavakava. Her maiden name before adopted by Kavakava and Mele was Sela Havili of Pea. She knows that we were the first family to live and populated Kahoua now, today. I just want to clarify that so no one comes along as there are so many people living at Kahoua before now and in the future and make any erreroneous claims that they are the founder of Kahoua. My family of Sione Tuita and Lesieli Afuha'apai Tuita who first populated the estate that is now known as Kahoua. So as Matangiake of today. After we founded Kahoua our mother Lesieli is a close relative of Baroness Tuputupu who is the wife of Baron Vaea of Houma. When Afifoou lease expired, the land across from Liahona High School. Our Mom went to ask Baron Vaea and Baroness Tuputupu of Houma if they could give her a piece of land at Apifoou for our family. Baron Vaea and Baroness Tuputupu gave our Mom the first piece of land in Apifoou. Our Mom gave Salesi and Patiola her land. THE FIRST HOME OWNERSHIP IN MATANGIAKI WAS SALESI AND PATIOLA AND behind them was Kite land. Salesi and Patiola were the first resident of Matangiake. Our family start populated Matangiake. Everyone else go to Baron Vaea and Tuputupu asking for land at Matangiake. Now Matangiake becomes one of the best community at Liahona side so as Kahoua. Both of those community were founded by our family. Papa and Mama Tuita are the FOUNDER OF those two communities. If someone comes along and make any false claimed for such. Tell them to shove it as I will say to them. My parents were the first settlers in those two community and no one else to make such claim. So keep that in mind and all your children should keep that in mind that we are to be ever job for such great inheritance in our family. If anyone question this. Tell them to stop it because Laifone will come and set them right. I am so happy to have gone and visit Otea and Vaimalo because it brings great joy to my life to see the place I came from and remembering when I was so young and see this places and how it faintly living on my mind until now as I visited there and recalled all those moment and time that I used to stand in that very spot almost 50 years ago while young. If you like to read about Vaimalo go to the internet and typed in Vaimalo. A whole new world of information will come before your eyes to find that Vaimalo a Estate belong to my Moms family. The whole of Vaimalo town of today was my Mom's family estate for decades before the Vavau Land Act (VLA)came into being during 1800 hundreds. It is historical, a new found information worth sharing here in our website for all to know that Vaimalo at one long period of time in the history of Vavau was our family estate and just now become a town of Vaimalo after the Vavau Land Act (VLA) during 1800 passed. What an interesting piece of history for all of your children should know and be pround of. Go into that Vaimalo page and read about it. Be pround to know that your family is part of a well known history family in Vava'u. Even we are proud to be Vaimalo but our family originally come from Neiafu and make Vaimalo our family estates beside Neiafu. I like you children to read about Vaimalo website because it is a piece of important information and history to all of you. My Mom Lesieli Afuha'apai, and Alauna Fonua Kongaika Mom Lavinia Sialehaehae,my Mom sister and their brother Salesi Kato of Atalangi and Maile Poiti dad were the Vaimalo estate residents. They are all named to those original estate residents of Vaimalo during the 1800s and previous to that. I read about this history when I was at Vaimalo during this visit. That is why I feel that this visit was a historical visit for me and for the family. And please, let me take you to Otea Vava'u. That is another story to behold. Otea, My Dad's native island. But let me back up a little. Before my Dad becomes a Vehikite after his parents relocated to Otea Vava'u. He was a TUITA. The Tuita that is now in the house of the Tongan King. One of those Tuita is now married to the King's daughter. Her Highness Princess Pilolevu. Do I making up story? HELL, NO. read your history and geneology and found out for yourself. I cannot dwell on that but let me speculate a little bit on my Dad's side. This is speculation but according to history and today's social setting it sounds more accurate than spaculation. My great great Grandfather was a Tuita and was in the circle of the King of Tonga. He came to Otea from Mu'a Tonga. He was taken to Otea Vavau as an order from the King to become a Ha'a Toutai for the King and was placed at Otea Vava'u. And was given a title name VEHIKITE..The name itselt tells about the title..According to people and sources I have spoken to about the Vehikite title of my family..This is what they say. VEHI...means as the boat or ship sailing on the Ocean and front point of the ship parted the waves and the ocean..originate the first part of the title name "VEHI"..KITE is when you are sailing in the open ocean and at last you see the sight of a land form. That is call "KITE"...Kuo KITE a Vava'u means. You are now seeing Vava'u island in view after you have been in the open ocean for a long while...You put together the two parts of the name it becomes "VEHIKITE".. When Tuita was taken to Otea from Mu'a Tonga during 1700 they were given the title VEHIKITE because they are one of the 8 Toutai people (tribes) for the King of Tonga. This is the people of His household, the King but were taken to the island to cared for His house when they are around at Vavau. You get put it anyway you like. The Tuita is still has a close ties to the House of the Royal family in Tonga. We are proud to be Vehikite because we know our roots. We don't fussed about it because we know where we are. We are from Otea and Otea is our inheritence and Otea has a special history we like to know and keep for our generation to come. Mahana that is a piece of history I live here for all the family to know and share as all Tongans claimed their ties to the King of Tonga. So as we...and name will tell how close we are...if we to claim..Today lets just say Amen..we are member of the church and we know what more important to us. Our membership in this church makes us the closest family ties to our Heavenly Father and that is more valuable to us than anything else there in in this green earth. I spend 60 + years of my life in this Church (LDS) and our membership in this great church is more than anything else in this whole world to us and our family. Our family create history, communities and is worth knowing but our being a membership in this great Church (LDS) is the best things ever happen to our family history before, now and forever in the future to come. So Mahana thank for the great efforts you have put forth to make this website for the family. The Sione Tuita Vehikite and Lesieli Afuha'apai Kato Naufahu Tuita family has over 200 children and greatchildren here in the United States, New Zealand, and Tonga. Let them know that we are all part to this great family and should stand together in unity and get into the website and say something about the family. Try and look for your roots. This is a start for you. OK? Love you Mahana and thank you for your hard work. Laife.
Post a Comment