A deep-sea twin-hulled canoe is being constructed in Tonga to preserve Kalia construction skills.
The project, known as Vaka Lautala is led by the accomplished Tongan carver and artist Sitiveni Fehoko.
The approximate 17-metre canoe, called kalia in Tongan, was used for long voyaging and fishing.
The new kalia was intended to travel from Tongatapu to Hā’ano.
He said the initiative was intended to show how important it is to keep traditional craftsmanship and cultural heritage alive.
Sitiveni and his brothers were renowned kalia constructors and navigators from Hā’ano.
He and his elder brother Isikeli recently teamed up and constructed the Whale boat, which he had described as “a big project.”
“Combining my skills in carving and Isikeli’s boat-making skills, we work side by side with the team and Sully Paea from New Zealand to complete this project”, he reportedly said.
Tefua ‘a Vaka Lautala
The craftmanship is no longer practised in the archipelago.
Its latest model, a state-of-the-art catamaran designed specifically to provide essential ferry services to Tonga’s two Niua islands, was constructed in New Zealand.
The traditional technical expertise involved was particularly known among the navigators of Vaka Lautala harbour at Ha’apai’s Ha’ano island.
The involvement of technical know-how, deep understanding of the ocean, and the effective utilization of materials available in their environment led to the derivation of the Tongan proverb, Tefua ‘a Vaka Lautala.
In English, the expression conveys the idea of important people coming together to deliberate on significant issues.
Sitiveni has invited parents to visit his new project site at his Popua residence with their children to learn how to build kalia.
A family trait
The Fehokos come from a family known for their skills in constructing kalias.
Sitiveni’s eldest brother Viliami was on the international news in the 1970s after he embarked on a mission to solo sail around the world in a sailing vessel he had built out of pieces of plywood he collected in Auckland, New Zealand, according to former Tongan journalist Sione Tu’itahi.
The solo sailor named his boat Mata Moana or Eye of the Deep Ocean.
According to Tu’itahi, Viliami first practised his idea of travelling worldwide by successfully sailing around the Pacific.
The mission did not go according to plan after Viliami travelled to the Indian Ocean and lived there on Seychelles Island.
Tu’itahi said that Viliami was unable to travel to the Atlantic Ocean. By not doing so, he would not be regarded as having travelled around the world, although he had travelled the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
