The Family Loss

Inside, a sea of "black-and-ta’ovala" congregation sits patiently while people pay their condolences to my brother and his children. The choirs are taking turns between speeches as people pay their last respects to the decease in an open casket.

The singing continues, speeches go on, and so are the crying and wailing from my sister-in-laws’ family. They came from Tonga, New Zealand, and as far away as Australia. My sister-in-law was only 47 years old; their loss must have been a devastating blow to lose a love one so young.

My brother’s loss finally strikes me. After the funeral he will return home and realizes that Sela is not around anymore. I’m hugging and kissing my niece Uina Afeaki, my nephew Aaron, his sister Sherri while they are sobbing. I know they will return home to find an empty house without their mother. A grandchild will search for grandma, but will not understand why she is no longer around.

When my childhood best friend in the village died at age 12, I was confused: One day we were playing, and the next day he was gone forever. I did not go out to play for a long time because I had decided the world is a mean place.

I still remember the long mourning “tapu” periods given to each funeral in the village: No movies, no dancing, no “faikava” with “hiva-kakala,¨ no “tutu” (tapacloth beating), no games of any sort, and even loud and noisy construction projects had to be canceled.

On a larger scale, I witnessed the passing of the legendary late Queen Salote Tupou III. The national “tapu” lasted six months. The late Queen touched everybody’s life, and it took the whole nation to comfort each other.

Therapeutic Polynesian Traditions

Psychologists now tell us that the mourning process is necessary. The immediate family must have a “closer¨ to their grief and loss. They have to cry (and it’s OK), feel the pain of grieving, and then go through a healing process 18 months long. Failure to do so often results in depression, anxiety, seclusion, and a suicidal state-of-mind in the extreme.

Thus it dawned on me: Our Polynesian customs brought relatives and friends from afar to help with the mourning process. A process that sounds burdensome to our modern-day eyes. But they brought food supplies, staying for days on end doing nothing but eating, drinking kava, and talking.

In contrast, palangis go to a funeral to pay their respects and take leave immediately. Because their culture is more private than our “socialistic¨ Polynesian culture, they seem unconcerned and uncaring to the grief of the family.

In our Polynesian ways, I submit, the extended families provide what modern-day psychologists called the “healing process.” The family gathering is quite therapeutic:

We sympathize with their loss.

We provide companionship.

We comfort their grieving hearts; to cry with them

We provide a support network; to laugh with them

And we make sure their grieving hearts are truly healed.

Now I feel guilty that I did not spend more time with my “tehina” and his children. I did not plan ahead to take enough time off work to do so.

I would not pretend that I know how hurtful their loss may be. But another family member around the house would be better than an empty one.

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Statement of Purpose

Email: journal2_polynesia98@lycos.com

The purpose of this organization is to promote, encourage, and support the composition of literary works in Polynesian Literature: journalism, poetry, music, electronic recording, photography, non-fiction and fictional writing, and in the arts.

It is the wish of the founders to see more published works from Polynesian writers, poets, photographers, screenwriters, journalists, and novelists as well as works on Polynesian themes by non-Polynesians.

The Polynesian Heritage

Our Polynesian heritage expands throughout much of the Pacific Ocean from Aotearoa (New Zealand) in the south, to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the east, to Hawaii in the north, to Tikopia in the Solomons Islands in the west.

For apparent reasons, the Pōlynesian Literary Journal wishes to develop authors and composers who could promote our own literature from the Polynesian view point instead of the usual biased interpretations of "outsiders." Missionaries, mercenaries, beachcombers, ex-convicts, educators, revolutionaries, blunderers and thieves have all compiled their own interpretations of our Polynesian Literature.

Exemplary Works

It is hoped that examples of the classic literary works of Maori ethnologist Te Rangi Hiroa (Sir Peter Buck, "Vikings of the Sunrise," 1938; "Anthropology and Religion," 1939; "The Coming of the Maori," 1949) for example, and others could guide other Polynesians to expand Polynesian literature in all areas of the field. Peter Buck was first in his field to include Polynesian oral history, legends, and chants in his scientific works to trace and record the migration history of our people.

Historian David Malo recorded his traditional Hawaiian history reaching back to antiquities to illustrate their connection to the present. Dr. Sione Latukefu also recorded traditional Tongan history which reached back to pre-European contact times. Their works are basis for the correct interpretation of the Polynesian Heritage.

More literary works need to be developed in the fiction area, poetry, photography, and in popular and traditional Polynesian musical.

How it All Started

Filoi Mataele-Tu'itupou, President

It started at her kitchen table where we discussed the idea in 1998. Carried over from the popular Internet "Kava Bowl" forum, where lively debates on Polynesian-related issues were popular amongst Polynesians around the world, we brain-stormed on ideas to take the discussions to a more permanent level.

Some of us "Kava Bowlers" once met in San Francisco for breakfast, but nothing was promulgated from that meeting. My meeting with Filoi in Utah was coincidental, but our minds were in mutual agreement: A literary organization to promote and develop interest in Polynesian literature was needed.

And there it was, at her kitchen table, on the evening of July 24. We talked about a newspaper, a newsletter, taperecording, or a magazine publication, a radio and TV program, etc. She was the brain, the driving force, and I was the scribbler.

Sione A. Mokofisi, Editor-in-Chief

Our shared interest was more than coincidental. Besides being second cousins (her father was my mother's uncle), we were eager for something more intellectual than lu'aus and parties.

I was in Salt Lake City to referee at the Utah Pioneer Day Rugby Tournament, and she invited me to spend the weekend at her place. At the end of that weekend, we embarked on forming a Polynesian literary organization to be incorporated, raise capital, and to find a staff to expand the goals we initiated.

The Beginning With Growing Pains

As with all new organizations, assembling a volunteer staff was a costly learning process. With their own personal agendas, the volunteer staff brought distractions to the fledgling organization.

The distractions caused setbacks, incurred financial liabilities, office bikkerings, and hardfeelings, but they did not erase the original purpose and dreams we put together on the evening of July 24, 1998. Once the dust settled, we sorted out the losses and regrouped.

It is hoped that this second try will be more successful.

A Few Accomplishments

The Guild was incorporated as a non-profit organization with its Constitution and By-laws in September, 1998. A website was also launched:

Literary and Arst Heritage of Polynesia

It picked up steam immediately with great interest within the Polynesian communities. Composers, authors, entertainers, both Polynesians and non-Polynesians, joined up. Recognitions from educational institutions and organizations were also received which provided opportunities for financial sources made available.

Artists participated enthusiastically in the first Polynesian Arts Show and Musical Performance in July 1999. The turnout was a fantastic succcess, but careless business planning invited needless expenses that exceeded revenues.

Perhaps things were moving too fast for our own good. It all happened in less than a year from our starting date. The response from the communities was overwhelming which pulled the officers in different directions. Therefore, it was inevitable that a re-organization was needed.

Looking To the Future

Getting back on track may take longer than the last time around, because this is starting over. Mistakes of the past will have to be avoided. Important goals that were overlooked in the first time around will have to be priorities.

Most important amongst the major administration assets that failed to materialized was the IRS 501(C-3) non-profit organization status. If the organization is to gain financial support from private businesses and government agencies, the tax exempt status has to be first priority.

'Ofa atu; Aloha; Tofa; Aroha; Maruru, etc.