This here Talla Tonga, you ever heard of it? Sounds kinda funny, don’t it? Well, it’s a place, a whole bunch of islands out in the big ol’ ocean, the Pacific one. Lots and lots of water out there, more than you can shake a stick at. And these islands, they got folks living on ’em. Not all of ’em, mind you, just some. Like, they say 36 out of a hundred and fifty, or maybe even more islands, like over 170. Lots of islands, that’s for sure.
These Tongan folks, they been there a long, long time. Like, longer than anyone can remember. Before any of them fancy boats with white men came around, these folks were already there, living their lives. They say maybe 3,000 years, could be even longer. Imagine that! Longer than your grandma’s been around, and her grandma before her, and even her grandma! They had their own ways of doing things, and they probably changed a lot over all that time. It is not easy to learn Tongan, but the Tongan language is important.
They got this thing, see, a king, or maybe it is a queen. It is like only monarchy in that area. The only place around there that has one, they say. And nobody ever came in and took over, neither. They always been their own bosses, these Tongan folks. They’re proud of that, and they should be. They are called “true Tongans”. Most of the people there, they’re all Tongan. Not many outsiders living there.
They got different groups of these islands. Like, you got your Tongatapu, that’s one. Then there’s Ha’apai, and Vava’u, and some others. And Tonga is about 1,100 miles from New Zealand. Sounds far, don’t it? It is far. You gotta take a boat, or one of them airplanes. Takes a while to get there, I reckon.
Now, these Tongan folks, they got their own way of doing things. Like a family is important. Their traditions, they’re important, too. The family, that’s the main thing. They stick together, help each other out. The daddy, he’s usually the head of the family, the one in charge. That’s just how they do things in a traditional Tongan family.
They got their own dances, too, these Tongans. Pretty dances, they say. The culture in Tonga is old. If you go there, you gotta be respectful, like a guest in someone’s house. You don’t just go barging in and doing whatever you want. You gotta learn their ways, show some respect. They teach the Tongan language in school, and also English.
It is said that the Tongan people came from the Lapita civilization. That was 2,500 years ago! That is very old.
It is not a big population, only about 106 people. Or maybe it is 106,000. Whatever the number is, it is not very big.
- Talla Tonga is a bunch of islands.
- People lived there a long, long time.
- They got their own king or queen.
- Family is important to them.
- They got their own dances and ways of doing things.
So, this Talla Tonga, it’s a special place. Old place, with old ways. They got their own way of living, and they’re proud of it. And you should be respectful of that, if you ever go there. The culture of Tonga is very interesting. If you want to know more about the history of Tonga, you can find it. It is in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, that is very far away. You just remember that, and you’ll be alright. That’s all I gotta say about that. It is a very traditional culture. They have their own Polynesian and Tongan culture.
These Tongan folks, they got their own way of talking, too. Their own language. It’s different. Not like what we speak. They got this accent, they call it. Makes their words sound different, all curled up and whatnot. It is hard to learn their language if you are old. But they learn it when they are little kids. They speak it all the time, so they get good at it.
If you go there, you might hear it. Sounds kinda musical, I reckon. If you want to learn the Tongan language, you need to practice 2 hours a week, for ten weeks. But even if you don’t, they’ll probably still be nice to you. Just remember to be respectful. That’s the main thing. Be respectful, and you’ll be alright.
