“Kikite mo e Faʻa Kātaki: Taʻu ʻe 100 ʻo e Siasí ʻi ʻAmelika Tongá,” Liahona, Tīsema 2025.
Kikite mo e Faʻa Kātaki: Taʻu ʻe 100 ʻo e Siasí ʻi ʻAmelika Tongá
“ʻO hangē pē ko e tupu māmālie ʻa e fuʻu ʻoké mei he tengaʻi ʻoké,” kuo tupu māmālie ʻa e Siasí ʻi ʻAmelika Tonga pea lahi ʻaupito ʻi he taʻu ʻe 100 kuohilí.
ʻEletā Melivini J. Pālati ʻo e Kōlomu ʻo e Kau ʻAposetolo ʻe Toko Hongofulu Mā Uá (lotomālie) naʻá ne fakatapui ʻa ʻAmelika Tonga ki hono malangaʻi ʻo e ongoongoleleí ʻi Tīsema 1925. Naʻe faitaaʻi ʻa e tā ko ʻení ʻi he feituʻu fakatapui ʻi Puenosi ʻAealesi, ʻĀsenitiná, hili ha māhina nai ʻe ono mei ai.
Mei toʻohema ki toʻomataʻu: palesiteni fakamisioná, Leiniholo Sitoifi mo hono uaifi ko ʻElá; ʻEletā Pālati; ʻEletā Lei L. Palati ʻo e Kau Fitungofulú; faifekau ko J. Vēnoni Saapa.
“ʻOku ou fie pehē kiate kimoutolu ʻi he ʻao ʻo e ʻEikí ʻoku ʻikai ke lahi ange hoʻomou ʻilo fekauʻaki mo e ikuʻanga ʻo e Siasí mo e puleʻangá ʻi ha kiʻi pēpē ʻoku kei huki ʻi he funga ʻo ʻene faʻeé,” ko e fakahā loto-toʻa ia naʻe fai ʻe he Palōfita ko Siosefa Sāmitá ki ha fakatahaʻanga ʻo e kau maʻu lakanga fakataulaʻeiki ʻi Ketilani, ʻOhaiō, lolotonga e faʻahitaʻu failau ʻo e 1834. “ʻOku ʻikai ke mahino ia kiate kimoutolu.”
ʻI ha kiʻi fale ʻakau siʻisiʻi, naʻe fakafanongo lelei ʻa e haʻofanga feʻefiʻefihí ʻi hono fakaikiiki ʻe he Palōfitá ʻa e tupulaki ʻa e Siasi ʻo Kalaisi kuo fakafoki maí ʻi he kahaʻú.
Naʻe fakamatalaʻi ʻe Siosefa, “Ko ha toko siʻi pē ʻo e kau Lakanga Fakataulaʻeikí ʻoku mou vakai ki ai he pōní, ka ʻe fakafonu ʻe he Siasí ni ʻa ʻAmelika Tokelau mo ʻAmelika Tonga—te ne fakafonu ʻa māmani.”
Ko kinautolu naʻe ʻi aí, naʻe hangē naʻe ʻikai faʻa mafakakaukaua ʻa e ngaahi lea ʻa e Palōfitá. Ne teʻeki ai ha taimi kimuʻa ne nau fakakaukau ai ʻe lava ʻe he Siasí ʻi ha ʻaho ʻo ʻufiʻufi kakato ha konitinēniti ko ha fonua mamaʻo mo lahi ʻo hangē ko ʻAmelika Tongá.
Ko e ʻUluaki Feingá
Naʻe kau ʻi he niʻihi naʻe ʻi ai mo e Palōfitá ʻi he ʻaho ko iá ʻi he 1834 ʻa e ʻAposetolo ko Paʻale P. Palatí. ʻI he konga kimui ʻo e 1851, naʻá ne kamata ngāue fakafaifekau mo hono uaifi feitama ko Fīpeé, mo hono hoa ngāue fakafaifekau ko Lūfasi C. ʻĀlaní. ʻI he fakaʻamu ʻa e kulupú ke mamata ki hono fakahoko ʻa e talaʻofa ʻa e Palōfita ko Siosefá, naʻa nau tūʻuta ai ʻi Vapalaisio, Silei, ke kamata hono malangaʻi ʻo e ongoongolelei ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi kuo fakafoki maí ʻi ʻAmelika Tonga.
Naʻe hoko ʻa e tūkunga faingataʻa fakaʻekonōmika mo e fakapolitikale ʻi he taimi ko iá, fakataha mo e ʻikai ke liliu e Tohi ʻa Molomoná ki he lea faka-Sipeiní, ke faingataʻa ai e ngāue fakafaifekaú. ʻI he tumutumu ʻo e meʻá ni, naʻe mālōlō ʻa e foha ne toki fāʻeleʻi ʻo Palati ko ʻOmineá, ʻa ia naʻe fāʻeleʻi ʻi Silei, hili pē ha taimi nounou mei heʻenau tūʻutá. Hili pē ha ngaahi māhina siʻi, naʻe aofangatuku ʻe Paʻale naʻe ʻikai ko ha taimi totonu ia ke fokotuʻu ai ʻa e Siasí ʻi ʻAmelika Tonga. Ka naʻá ne kei tui pē ʻe ʻi ai e ʻaho ʻe fakahoko kotoa ai e folofola ʻa e ʻEikí.
Ko ha Lotu mo ha Kikite Fakaofo
Neongo naʻe ʻikai toe foki ʻa Paʻale ki ʻAmelika Tonga, ka naʻe fakahoko ʻe hono mokopuna tangata ko Lei L. Palatí ha fatongia mahuʻinga ʻi hono fokotuʻu ʻo e Siasí ʻi aí. Naʻá ne kaungā fononga mo Luloni S. Uele mo ʻEletā Melivini J. Pālati ʻo e Kōlomu ʻo e Kau ʻAposetolo ʻe Toko Hongofulu Mā Uá ki ʻĀsenitina ʻi he 1925 ke fakaava ha misiona. ʻI he ngaahi taʻu siʻi kimuʻá, naʻe nofo ʻa e kāingalotu mei Siamané ʻi he kolo moʻumoʻua ko Puenosi ʻAealesí ʻo kamata akoʻi honau ngaahi kaungāmeʻá mo e kaungāʻapí.
ʻI loto ʻi ha uike ʻe taha mei he tūʻuta ʻa ʻEletā Pālati mo hono kaungā fonongá ʻi he koló, naʻa nau papitaiso ai ʻa e kau fuofua papi ului ʻi he konitinēnití. Pea ʻi he pongipongi Kilisimasí, naʻa nau fakataha ʻi ha vaoʻakau uilou ʻi ha paʻake. ʻI he malumalu ʻo e fakahinohino ʻa Hiipa J. Kalānité, ko e Palesiteni ʻo e Siasí, pea fakafou ʻi he mafai fakaeʻaposetolo naʻe maʻu ʻe ʻEletā Pālatí, naʻá ne fai ha lotu ke fakatapui ʻa ʻAmelika Tonga ki hono malangaʻi ʻo e ongoongoleleí.
Naʻá ne lotu ʻo pehē, “ʻOku ou fakahū e kií, toʻo e loká, pea fakaava e matapā ki hono malangaʻi ʻo e ongoongoleleí ʻi he ngaahi puleʻanga kotoa ko ʻeni ʻo ʻAmelika [Tongá], pea ʻoku ou valokiʻi mo fekauʻi ke taʻofi e mālohi kotoa pē ʻe fakafepaki ki hono malangaʻi e ongoongoleleí ʻi he ngaahi fonuá ni.”
Ka neongo ia, naʻe faingataʻa moʻoni hono kumi ha kakai tokolahi ange ke fie fanongo ki heʻenau pōpoakí. Naʻe fakamoleki ʻe he kau faifekaú ha ngaahi houa lahi ke fetuʻutaki ki he kakai ʻi he halá mo tufa ha fanga kiʻi tohi tufa ʻe lauiafe, mo ʻamanaki ke tohoakiʻi e tokangá ki heʻenau ngaahi fakatahá.
Naʻe fakahoko ʻe ʻEletā Pālati ha kikite fakaofo fekauʻaki mo e kahaʻu ʻo e Siasí ʻi ʻAmelika Tongá kimuʻa siʻi pē peá ne foki ki ʻapí, koeʻuhí ko e fakangatangata pē ʻa e lavameʻá. Naʻá ne fakamoʻoni ki ha niʻihi tokosiʻi ʻo e Kāingalotú “ʻe tupu māmālie pē e ngāue ʻa e ʻEikí ʻi heni ʻo hangē ko e tupu māmālie ʻa ha fuʻu ʻoke mei ha kiʻi foʻi tenga.” Ka ʻe ʻikai hangē ko ha siolaʻā ʻoku tupu hake ʻi ha ʻaho pē ʻe taha, “ʻo tupu vave pea maté,” ʻe tupulaki māmālie ʻa e ongoongoleleí. Naʻá ne pehē, “ʻE kau ha lauiafe heni ki he Siasí. He ʻikai toe siʻisiʻi peheni ʻa e Siasí heni ʻi ha taimi.” Naʻe toe kikiteʻi foki ʻe ʻEletā Pālati “ʻe vahevahe [ʻa e misioná] ki ha ngaahi misiona lahi ange pea ʻe hoko ko e taha ʻo e ngaahi misiona mālohi taha ʻi he Siasí.”
Ko Hono ʻAve ʻo e Ongoongoleleí ki he Feituʻu Kotoa Pē
ʻI he taimi ko iá, naʻe ngali taʻe-mafakakaukaua ʻa e fakahā ʻa ʻEletā Pālati fekauʻaki mo e ikuʻanga ʻo e Siasí ʻi ʻAmelika Tongá ʻo hangē ko e kikite ʻa Siosefa Sāmita naʻe fakahoko ʻi he ngaahi taʻu lahi kimuʻá. Ka neongo ia, hangē ko ia ne kikiteʻi ʻe ʻEletā Pālati he taʻu ʻe 100 kuohilí, kuo mafola atu e Siasí ʻi he konitinēniti ko ʻení ʻi he taimi pē ʻa e ʻEikí.
Naʻe faifai pea kolosi atu ʻa e kau faifekaú mei ʻĀsenitina ki he ngaahi fonua kaungāʻapi ko Palāsila, Silei, mo ʻUlukuaí. Naʻe mafola mei ai ʻa e ngāué ki he ngaahi fonua kehé. ʻI he ngaahi feituʻu hangē ko Kaiana, Palakuai, mo Venesuelá, naʻe tokoni ʻa e Kāingalotu mei he ngaahi fonua mulí ki hono fakafeʻiloaki ʻo e ongoongoleleí. ʻI ha ngaahi feituʻu kehe pē, naʻe lava ke aʻu mai e pōpoaki ʻo e ongoongolelei kuo fakafoki maí ʻi ha ngaahi taʻu kimuʻa pea toki aʻu atu ʻa e kāingalotú pe kau faifekaú.
Ko e meʻa ia naʻe hoko ki he fāmili Fanitinó, ʻa ia naʻa nau nofo ʻi he matāfanga Kalipiané ʻi Sienaka, Kolomupiá. Lolotonga ha ʻaʻahi ʻa Makalita Fanitino ki he māketi fakalotofonuá ʻi ha ʻaho ʻe taha, naʻá ne maʻu mo fakatau mai ha tatau ʻo e Tohi ʻa Molomoná ne ʻosi fakaʻaongaʻi kimuʻa. ʻI hono tali ia ʻe he fāmilí ko e folofolá, naʻa nau lau mo fakaʻilongaʻi ha ngaahi veesi mahuʻingamālie kae ʻoua kuo vahevahe ʻe he ʻofefine ʻo Makalita ko Kelí ʻa e tohí mo ʻene kulupu toʻu tupu ako tohi tapu fakalotofonuá. Naʻá ne ʻohovale ʻi hono faʻao ʻe he faifekaú ʻa e Tohi ʻa Molomoná peá ne tutu ia. Hili ha ngaahi taʻu siʻi mei ai naʻe hū ʻa e kau faifekaú ki he kolo ko Sianaká ʻo akoʻi ʻa Makalita mo hono fāmilí fekauʻaki mo ʻenau tohi ʻofeiná mo hono Fakafoki Mai ʻo e Ongoongoleleí.
ʻI he tafaʻaki ʻe taha ʻo e konitinēnití, ʻi he kolo taupotu taha ki he fakatonga ʻo māmaní ko ʻUsuaia ʻi ʻĀsenitiná, naʻe tohoakiʻi e tokanga ʻa ʻAmanitā Lopaleto mo hono husepāniti ko Likatoó, ʻe he talaʻofa ʻo e ngaahi fāmili taʻengatá. Hili e mālōlō ʻene faʻeé, naʻe ʻaʻahi ʻa ʻAmanitā ki ha ngaahi siasi kehekehe, ʻo fakaʻamu ʻe lava ke fakafiemālieʻi ʻe he ngaahi akonaki ʻa Sīsū Kalaisí ʻene loto-mamahí. ʻI he taimi naʻe toki ʻilo ai ʻe he ongo faifekaú ʻa e ongomātuʻá peá na akoʻi kinaua ʻe lava ke silaʻi fakataha ʻa e ngaahi fāmilí, naʻe ongoʻi ʻe Likatō ʻa e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní mo feinga ke papitaiso. Naʻe ongo tatau pē kia ʻAmanitā ka naʻá ne kei taʻepauʻia pē koeʻuhí ko e ngaahi ongoongo naʻá ne fanongo ai kimuʻá. Naʻe faifai pē, pea fakalotoʻi ia ʻe heʻene ʻofa ki hono fāmilí mo ʻene fakaʻamu ke nofo taʻengata mo kinautolú ke ne kau ki he Siasí mo silaʻi kiate kinautolu ʻo fakafou ʻi he ngaahi ouau ʻo e temipalé.
Ngaahi Feilaulau ki he Ngaahi Tāpuaki ʻo e Temipalé
Naʻa mo e mafola ʻa e ongoongolelei kuo fakafoki maí ʻi he konitinēnití, naʻe kei taumamaʻo pē ʻa e ngaahi tāpuaki ʻo e fale ʻo e ʻEikí ki he tokolahi taha ʻo e kāingalotu ʻi ʻAmelika Tongá. ʻI he fakaʻosi ʻo e Temipale Sao Paulo Palāsilá ʻi he 1978, ko kinautolu pē naʻe lava ke fononga ki he ʻIunaiteti Siteití pe ʻIulopé naʻa nau maʻu ʻa e faingamālie ke fakahoko e ngaahi fuakava taʻengatá mo kau ʻi he ngāue ouau maʻá e niʻihi kehé. Naʻe tokoni ʻa e Kāingalotu ʻi he kotoa ʻo ʻAmelika Tongá ki hono langa ʻo e temipalé ʻaki ʻenau ngāue ʻi he feituʻú, fakatau atu ha ngaahi meʻa mahuʻinga, mo foaki ha paʻanga naʻe tātānaki.
Hili ha taimi nounou mei hono fakatapui ʻo e temipalé, naʻe fononga ʻa ʻIfaleini mo Malia ʻOnitina Lotilikesi mei ʻAlekuipa, Pelū ki Sao Paulo. Naʻe hoko ha ngaahi palopalema ʻi he fefonongaʻaki ʻi he kauʻāfonua fakavahaʻapuleʻangá pea mo e kamata ʻo ha liukava ke liliu ʻena fonongá ki ha meimei fononga māhina ʻe taha. Neongo naʻá na fehangahangai mo ha ngaahi faingataʻa lahi, ka naʻá na faaitaha ko ha ongo hoa taʻengata ʻi he tui mo e loto-fakapapau. Ki ha niʻihi kehe, naʻe fiemaʻu ke nau kolosi ʻi ha ngaahi vaitafe mālohi mo kolosi ʻi he ʻotu moʻunga māʻolunga fau ʻo ʻAnitesí ke nau ʻalu ki he temipalé ke silaʻi fakataha kinautolu ke taʻengata ko ha ngaahi fāmili.
Naʻe fiemaʻu foki e fononga ki he fale ʻo e ʻEikí ha ngaahi feilaulau lahi maʻá e Kāingalotu ʻi Palāsilá. Naʻe fononga uike ʻe taha mei Sao Paulo ki Manau, ʻa ia naʻe tuʻu ʻi he kauvai ʻo e Vaitafe ʻAmasoní. Ke aʻu ki he temipalé naʻe fiemaʻu ki ai ha folau vaka mamafa mo lōloa ʻi he vaotaá ʻi ha ʻaho ʻe tolu pe fā pea toe heka pasi ʻaho ʻe tolu. Lolotonga ʻenau fonongá, naʻe fehangahangai ʻa e Kāingalotu mei Manaú mo e nounou ʻa e meʻakaí mo e vaí, maumau ʻa e meʻalelé, pea naʻa mo e kau kaihaʻá, ko e ngaahi fakafeʻātungia ʻeni naʻe toki ikunaʻi pē ia ʻi he ngaahi mana mo e tokoni mei he kaungā kāingalotú. Ko kinautolu naʻa nau ikunaʻi ʻa e folaú, naʻe lahi ange ʻa e nonga fakalaumālie naʻa nau maʻú ʻi ha faʻahinga faingataʻa pē ne nau tofanga ai.
ʻI he fakaʻau ke lahi ange hono maʻu e ngaahi fuakava toputapu ʻo e temipalé, kuo hoko e ngaahi aʻusia ko ʻení mo e ngaahi meʻa kehé ko ha tukufakaholo fungani ʻo e tuí maʻá e Kāingalotu kotoa pē ʻi ʻAmelika Tongá.
Tupulaki ʻo e Puleʻangá
ʻOku fakahoko ʻi hotau ʻaó ʻa e ngaahi kikite fekauʻaki mo e Siasí ʻi ʻAmelika Tongá. Kuo mafola moʻoni ʻa e puleʻangá ʻi he konitinēnití ʻo hangē ko e kikite ʻa e Palōfita ko Siosefa Sāmitá. ʻOku laka hake ʻi he kāingalotu ʻe toko fā miliona ʻoku nofo ʻi ʻAmelika Tongá, pea ʻe lava ke maʻu ʻa e ngaahi haʻofanga ʻi he fonua kotoa pē ʻi aí. ʻI he ʻaho ní, ʻoku ʻi ai ha ngaahi temipale ʻe 30 tupu ʻoku lolotonga ngāue, pea lahi mo ha niʻihi kuo fanongonongo pe lolotonga langa.
Ko e tengaʻi ʻakau naʻe tō ʻe ʻEletā Melivini J. Pālati ʻi he senituli kuohilí kuo fua moʻoni ia. Ko e Misiona South America naʻá ne kikiteʻi ʻe vahevahe ʻi ha ʻahó kuo hoko ia ko ha ngaahi misiona kehekehe ʻe 100 tupu. Hangē ko ha fuʻu ʻoke ʻoku loloto hono aká, ʻoku maʻu ʻe he Siasí ʻi ʻAmelika Tonga he taimí ni ha sinoʻi ʻakau mālohi ʻe lava ai ke toe fakalahi atu hono ngaahi vaʻá. ʻOku fakahaaʻi ʻe he manatu ki he taʻu ʻe 100 kuohilí ʻi ʻAmelika Tongá ʻa e founga ʻoku hokohoko atu ai hono tauhi ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ʻEne ngaahi talaʻofa naʻe fai ʻo fakafou ʻi Heʻene kau palōfitá.