In a coordinated effort to combat illegal drug operations, Tonga Police conducted targeted raids in the Vaini area today, resulting in multiple arrests and significant seizures of drug-related items.
Acting on reliable intelligence, the Drug Squad executed a search operation targeting a suspected drug distribution network.
During the raid, officers confiscated drug paraphernalia, including two test tubes and five empty packets.
A 54-year-old male suspect from Vaini has been apprehended and is currently in custody as investigations continue.
Later the same day, police received additional reports of drug-related activities at a bush allotment in Vaini.
A subsequent search uncovered:
1 pack of cannabis weighing 304.23 grams
Cannabis leaves weighing 5.30 grams
2 bottle bongs
1 test tube
2 bottles containing air gun bullets
Two male suspects, aged 42 and 28 and both residents of Vaini, were arrested in connection with the findings.
They are currently detained while authorities continue their investigations.
Tonga Police have reiterated their commitment to eradicating illegal drug activities and urge the public to report any suspicious behavior.
“Community cooperation is vital in our fight against drugs,” stated a police spokesperson.
Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact their nearest police station or the Tonga Police Media and Public Relations Office at 740-1614.
This latest crackdown underscores Tonga Police’s ongoing efforts to maintain public safety and curb the proliferation of illicit substances in the region.
EDITORIAL – The recent revelation that the Auditor General found no trace of Tonga’s $60 million COVID fund could constitute a violation of the constitution.
The Speaker, Lord Fakafanua, and Prime Minister Eke agreed that the auditor found no records of how the fund was spent. They also acknowledged that there appeared to be no rule requiring those responsible for the expenditures to provide receipts or maintain proper records. They stated that COVID-19 was unforeseen, and the government has learned how to prepare for future situations. The Speaker urged the government to create rules to ensure this would not be repeated, according to the Auditor’s recommendation.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Taniela Fusimālohi argued that the former government, under Hu‘akavameiliku, had been careless. Fusimālohi told the House that systems were in place to ensure proper documentation of the funds. He accused the previous administration of failing to instruct ministries to retain receipts and maintain records.
In Tongan he said: “Na‘e failure pe kapineti ia e ‘aho ke nau warned e ngaahi potungāue ke tauhi e lekooti he oku ‘osi ha pe ia he palakalafi 49. Osi mahino pe ‘oku fe‘unga e sisitemi”.
Hu’akavameiliku and his former Cabinet ministers sought to redirect the discussions and occasionally participated in contentious exchanges with the government ministers.
Following the debates on the Auditor’s report last week, it appeared that the missing receipts issue would be swept under the carpet.
The feeble excuse that COVID-19 was unexpected does nothing to justify such reckless mismanagement—it is both pathetic and inexcusable. Transparency and accountability should have been a priority during the crisis, and they should have been established before any funds arrived for distribution.
The constitution requires receipt
The Constitution, clause 53, outlines the Minister for Finance’s responsibility to provide a report to the Legislative Assembly on behalf of the Cabinet. This report must detail all money received and spent during the current year or since the last Assembly meeting, along with the nature of these receipts and expenditures.
This is not the first time Tonga has faced criticism for mismanaging funds, which can be traced back decades. The Auditor General has warned from time to time about the government’s poor record-keeping. The World Bank has repeatedly flagged corruption and the kingdom’s poor record-keeping, imposing penalties and providing guidance—yet the government continues to ignore these warnings.
Every ministry operates with its accounting division, staffed and funded by taxpayers, to ensure transparent and responsible management of the public money it receives. Keeping accurate records isn’t a favour—it’s the absolute baseline of its duty. No reminders should be needed, and no excuses should be tolerated.
When these officials fail to meet even the most basic standards of financial accountability, only two conclusions remain: gross incompetence or deliberate negligence. Either way, such failures render them unfit for their entrusted responsibilities.
No records suggest deeper issues
When the government fails to provide records and receipts to auditors upon request, it raises serious concerns about transparency, accountability, and governance. The absence of these records suggests deeper systemic issues that undermine public trust and effective administration.
It could imply unauthorized or improper spending, meaning taxpayer money may have been diverted without proper oversight or justification. In some cases, officials may be actively hiding illegal transactions or off-the-books spending, preventing auditors from uncovering financial misconduct.
If the government and parliament refuse to investigate the missing receipts, the public will be left with one inevitable conclusion: the $60 million allocated for COVID relief was likely misappropriated or misused. Taxpayers deserve answers, and those responsible must be held accountable.
Tropical Cyclone Tam has strengthened into a Category 1 system near Vanuatu.
Tonga is closely monitoring its path while New Zealand braces for potential severe weather impacts in the coming days.
As of 7pm, April 15, the cyclone was located approximately 420 km south-southeast of Port Vila, Vanuatu, and 1,490 km west of Nuku’alofa, Tongatapu.
The storm has sustained winds of 35-40 knots (70-80 km/h) and is moving south-southeast at 18 knots.
While Tonga faces no immediate threat over the next 24-48 hours, authorities maintain close surveillance.
The Tonga Meteorological Service will issue its next advisory at 9am on Wednesday, April 16.
New Zealand’s NIWA Weather warns that Tropical Cyclone TAM could bring heavy rain, strong winds, and rough seas to the upper North Island from late Wednesday through Thursday.
Although the cyclone’s center is expected to remain west of Cape Reinga, severe weather conditions may still affect the region.
Urgent Advice for Tongan Communities in NZ
With a large Tongan population in Auckland and surrounding areas, residents are urged to:
Monitor updates from MetService NZ and local emergency advisories.
Prepare for possible power outages, travel disruptions, and coastal flooding.
Tonga Meteorological Service: Next update at 9am, April 16.
NZ Civil Defence: Further warnings expected as the cyclone nears.
Authorities in both nations are coordinating to ensure public safety as Cyclone TAM progresses. Residents in affected areas should stay informed and take necessary precautions.
Tonga Police have arrested a 41-year-old man from Popua for breaking into a house and stealing items.
The police said this was made possible through fingerprint analysis and information collected by the Tonga Police Forensic Unit.
During an executed search warrant, officers recovered a significant haul of stolen items, including:
1 gold chain
1 silver watch
1 silver tablet
1 black power bank
2 flash disks
1 speaker
1 diamond chain
2 black scopes
1 BSP Visa Card
2 cartons of Green Lucky Tonga tobacco and a loose Lucky Tonga tobacco
1 carton of Red Lucky Tonga tobacco and 5 loose tobacco
1 carton of Palataisi tobacco and 4 loose tobacco
2 boxes of Long Beach loose tobacco
1 black tablet
1 test tube
1 pack of cannabis leaves
1 SONY camera
7 mobile phone devices
In addition to the recovered items, the suspect admitted to stealing the following food items:
2 Palm 120x corned beef
13 Salisbury 12oz
8 Salisbury 1lb
14 Palm 1lb corned beef
12 Salisbury corned beef 3lb
2 Palm corned beef 3lb
This totals 41 cans of corned beef.
The suspect remains in custody as police continue their investigations.
Tonga Police have urged the public to stay vigilant and take precautions to protect their property, noting that theft remains a persistent issue across Tongatapu.
For further details, contact the Tonga Police Media and Public Relations Office at 740-1614.
Analysis – Former Secretary to the Cabinet Aholotu Palu’s Tonganising of key English terms during his presentation in last week’s national summit struck a chord among those concerned about the imminent threat to the Tongan language.
Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company (PCRIC) chief executive Aholotu Palu
The four-day summit was titled, ‘A Resilient Tonga through Transformative Action: Safeguarding Our Heritage’.
Led by the Prime Minister, the summit opened a dialogue between government and civil society, inviting tough questions and revealing reports on service delivery failures, governance weaknesses and needed reforms.
Palu, who is now the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company (PCRIC) chief executive, was presenting his paper about various international funding that Tonga could tap into. He used his own translated terms during his presentation, such as “lōkale” for local, “lisinale” for regional, and “kolōpale” for global.
While Palu’s Tonganisation demonstration may not have been among the summit’s planned themes, its significance cut through sharply: in a forum dominated by English presentations to a predominantly Tongan audience, his deliberate use of lea faka-Tonga became an act of quiet defiance – proving our language can and should be the medium for discussing our nation’s future
This pattern runs deeper than a single summit. Repeatedly, at gatherings by Tongans, for Tongans—whether debating national development or preserving cultural heritage—we default to English or fractured code-switching.
The unspoken assumption is clear: that our language cannot bear the weight of our most critical conversations. Yet history proves otherwise—from the 19th century’s Tohi Tapu (Holy Bible translation) to Palu’s lōkale, Tongan has always expanded to meet new challenges when given the chance.
Palu’s intervention exposed this paradox: we fear Tongan’s extinction yet deny it the oxygen of official use.
He reminds us of a fundamental truth that translation has always been the lifeblood of lea faka-Tonga.
Anglicisation
There is growing recognition that Tongan has become increasingly anglicised in public discourse, particularly among most of the people who frequently code-switch between English and Tongan both in official and grassroot settings on daily basis.
The erosion reaches even our most intimate daily rituals. Where Tongan households once spoke naturally of kai pongipongi at dawn, kai ho‘atā under the midday sun, and kai efiafi as evening fell, we now default to the clinical English triad: breakfast, lunch, dinner. This linguistic surrender at the dining table mirrors a deeper displacement – when we cannot sustain conversation about basic nourishment in our own tongue, how shall we articulate the soul of our nation?
This code-switching, once occasional, has become so routine it barely draws notice, yet it speaks volumes about the quiet erosion of Tongan as a language of authority.
Tongan language threats
For decades, linguists like Japanese Professor Yuko Otsuka have raised urgent warnings: the Tongan language, spoken by just 200,000 people worldwide, is drifting toward endangerment as English becomes the dominant language of economic opportunity and global mobility.
This shift has been further solidified by the Tongan government’s decision to adopt English as an official language for official communications. This decision is based on the assertion that the limitations of the Tongan language could hinder clear messaging and lead to delays in the timely dissemination of important information.
These are just a few situations that further reinforce the notion that our language is inadequate.
The simple fix
As fears grow over the potential extinction of the Tongan language, we overlook a readily available solution embedded in our own history: the proven translation methodologies pioneered by early missionaries and educators—methods still in use today.
Kaniva News’ two decades of experience translating English news into Tongan have led us to estimate that 30-40% of modern Tongan vocabulary consists of adapted English terms. From mīsini (machine) to toketā (doctor), lao (law), and tiuta (tutor), these thousands of translated words now form the invisible backbone of how we discuss national development, often used unconsciously by speakers.
This reveals a powerful truth: translation isn’t just a linguistic act—it’s a survival strategy. The path forward isn’t to resist English but to systematise what our ancestors began: a sustained, well-resourced campaign to Tonganise modern vocabulary, ensuring lea faka-Tonga remains a living language, not a museum piece.
Government intervention
However, the challenge of Tonganisation demands more than borrowed words; it requires skilled linguists, literary scholars and cultural experts to craft terms that feel authentically Tongan rather than makeshift transplants.
The lack of systematic, professional translation efforts may explain why code-switching has become the default—it’s easier to insert English terms than to coin Tongan equivalents that stick.
This is where government intervention will be required. It needs to invest in dedicated translation initiatives and implementing concrete measures like including compulsory translation subject in school curriculum. The government must also reconsider its current English communication polices where English is the official language.
Colonial-era language policies that prohibited lea faka-Tonga in schools like Tonga High School—privileging English as the sole language of education—require fundamental reform. In 21st-century Tonga, we need bilingual policies that actively develop academic Tongan alongside English rather than treating our mother tongue as an obstacle to learning.
Translation frameworks
The first major translation in Tonga’s history was the Tongan Holy Bible in the late 1800s. Every name of people and places in it—from Sīsū Kalaisi (Jesus Christ) to Nasaleti (Nazareth)—has been directly adapted from English into Tongan. These transliterations have gone beyond the range of the scripture, embedding themselves deeply into Tongan culture as personal names used by the people, such as Mele for Mary and Selusalema for Jerusalem.
Below are several examples of these translation frameworks in the existing literature.
Adaptive translation
It is the process of making significant changes to a text to accommodate the cultural, social, or situational context of the target audience. One notable example is Rev Dr James Eagan Moulton’s translation of the hymn Rock of Ages.
Here is how he did it:
The first and second lines read – Rock of Ages cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee. He translated these lines as Ava ‘o e makatu‘u, tuku ke u hūfanga atu. When contextually translated back into English, it can be interpreted as a rock in the ground (makatu‘u) with open holes (ava). The term makatu‘u also figuratively denotes a steadfast person. Dr Moulton compared the Tongan context of ava ‘o e makatu‘u as symbolically equivalent to Jesus’ with his five holy wounds suffered during the crucifixion, culminating in his pierced hands, feet, and side.
Transliteration translation
Another word for this type of translation is phonetic borrowing, or converting a word from English to Tongan by matching its sound. For example, Christmas is translated as Kilimasi, while the word “man of war” is translated as manuao.
Cultural Adaptation
Another word for this approach is contextual translation—rendering concepts through cultural practices rather than literal meanings. A striking example is using the word tu‘asila, which is Tongan for residential address. It emerges from the historical practice of writing addresses on the back of envelopes. Tu‘asila is formed by two words —tu‘a (back) + sila (seal).
The term tu‘asila finds its roots in Tonga’s pre-digital past, when senders traditionally wrote mailing details on the reverse flap of envelopes that folded inward to seal the letter.
Loanword hybridisation
It refers to the practice in which translators blend a borrowed or adapted foreign term with a native word to form a new phrase.
For example, the word policy is mostly translated as palani ngāue. Palani was adapted from English word plan while ngāue is a native Tongan word that means work. Another word is ‘Otu Felenite. It is a combination of the Indigenous word ‘otu, meaning a long group of islands, while felenite refers to the English word friendly. It is Tongan for the Friendly Islands.
We must act now towards the next ten years, ahead of the upcoming summit in 2035, to ensure the vitality of our linguistic heritage. Tonga’s 10-year plan must make lea fakaTonga the skeleton of development, not just decorative flesh.
There is a saying that links development to language, adapted from Kenyan scholar Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o that says, “A nation’s development is measured by the vitality of its language.”
Green Party MP Teanau Tuiono has welcomed the New Zealand government’s move to introduce multiple-entry visas for Tongan and other Pacific island travellers, but insists more must be done to strengthen ties with Pacific nations.
NZ Foreign Minister Winston Peters (L), Green MP Teanau Tuiono
Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced in Tonga that, starting in July, Tongans can travel to New Zealand on 24-month multiple-entry visas.
While this extends visa flexibility, Tuiono argues it doesn’t go far enough.
The Green MP said on Facebook: “We continue to call for our Pacific relatives to be granted Visa Waiver status as a necessary step to strengthen and honour our relationships in the region.”
While acknowledging that extended visas reduce financial and administrative burdens, Tuiono criticised the policy for still requiring Pacific Islanders to pay fees and face delays not imposed on travellers from visa-waiver countries.
“This is a missed opportunity to deliver what our Pacific whānau deserve,” he said.
Earlier this year, the Greens launched a petition advocating for visa-free access to Aotearoa for all Pacific Island Forum members and other Pacific nations.
Tuiono emphasised that New Zealand, as part of the Pacific family, should remove “unfair barriers to entry” for its neighbours.
He reportedly said the visa barriers that prevent visitors from Pacific Island nations entering New Zealand are “unfair” – and a hangover of racism and the days of the dawn raids.
The Green Party spokesperson for Pacific Peoples launched a petition calling on the government to extend visa-free travel to visitors from Pacific Island nations.
Tuiono put the same request before the last Parliament under the Labour government, but to no avail.
Following Peter’s announcement in Tonga last week, several critics took to Facebook to assert that the application process for such opportunities is typically straightforward.
However, based on their personal experiences, they encountered numerous tedious requirements that ultimately led them to forgo the application process entirely.
The Tonga Meteorological Service has issued its first advisory on Tropical Disturbance TD11F, currently located approximately 1,760 kilometers west-northwest of Nuku’alofa.
As of 10pm on Monday, April 14, 2025, the system was positioned near latitude 14.4°S and longitude 169.8°E.
Authorities report that TD11F has a low to moderate chance of developing into a tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours.
While the disturbance is under close observation, it does not pose an immediate threat to Tonga over the next 24 to 48 hours.
Earlier, Met said a strong wind warning remains in force for all of Tonga’s land areas.
It said a fresh to strong easterly wind prevails over all of Tonga, and it is expected to bring cloudy conditions with showers of rain to most parts of Tonga today.
The next update from the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change, and Communications (MEIDECC) will be released at 12pm on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
Residents are advised to stay informed through official channels for further developments.
Tonga’s Parliament was thrown into turmoil last week after Lord Tu‘ilakepa, Chair of the Whole House Committee, disclosed a chilling death threat made against lawmakers on social media.
The threat, allegedly from a supporter of the Minister of Police, warned of shooting “someone in Parliament,” raising urgent security concerns.
Lord Tu‘ilakepa urged immediate action, revealing that the same individual had been arrested previously for allegedly brandishing a machete in another threatening incident.
“This cannot be ignored—the safety of MPs is at stake,” he declared.
The noble expressed concern, noting the suspect’s behaviour is escalating from previous incidents to targeting Members of the House.
He told the Speaker that MPs are scared due to the shooting threats.
However, the Minister of Police Piveni Piukala dismissed the complaint as a “waste of time,” arguing that Parliament should focus on pressing matters like the Auditor’s reports. If the noble has concerns, he should file a report with police instead of disrupting House proceedings,” the minister said, questioning the complaint’s timing.
The Speaker intervened, citing Clause 70 of the Constitution, which grants MPs the right to raise threats against Parliament’s MPs.
The debate has intensified tensions, with lawmakers divided over prioritizing security versus legislative business.
Speaker, Lord Fakafanua, has referred the complaint to the Standing Committee on Privileges and instructed the Committee to report back with their findings as soon as possible.
Impeachment
Lord Tu’ilakepa’s complaint follows the Minister of Police’s impeachment, which was confirmed after the Parliament’s Standing Committee determined Piukala had violated Clause 70 of Tonga’s Constitution.
The Speaker said two letters of complaint had been recently delivered to Minister Piukala.
The letters of complaint stemmed from tensions that began in September 2024 when Lord Fohe filed a formal complaint alleging Minister Piukala had insulted nobles Lord Tu’i’afitu, Lord Vaea, and Lord Tu’ilakepa by calling them “kulikuli” (smelly).
A second complaint emerged alleging Piukala had derided Parliament as a house of fools (“vale”), criticizing what he called a lack of proper debate before voting.
The Minister denied both allegations, stating he had already addressed similar claims in previous sessions.
A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck south of Nuku’alofa, Tongatapu, at 9.03am local time on April 14, 2025, according to an advisory issued by the Tonga Meteorological Service.
The quake, centered at a depth of 256 kilometers, was recorded at coordinates 25.8° South and 178.0° West.
Authorities confirmed that the seismic event poses no tsunami threat to Tonga.
The National Tsunami Warning Centre stated, “Based on preliminary earthquake information, a tsunami wave is unlikely to affect Tonga.”
The advisory emphasized that only warnings issued by the Tonga Meteorological Service represent the official status for the region.
The National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) remains inactive, with normal contact procedures in place for general inquiries.
The provisional magnitude of the quake may be adjusted as additional seismic data becomes available.
This marks the final update unless significant changes occur.
The Tonga Meteorological Service urges residents to rely on official channels for further information.
This follows a 7.1 magnitude quake that struck the archipelago last week, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning.
This morning’s earthquake has been reported on Facebook.
“Is it an earthquake?” a commenter asked on Facebook. A responder agreed, saying it was.
COMMENTARY – As Polyfest celebrates its 50th anniversary, it’s a crucial time to reflect on whether Tongan cultural performances in this iconic festival are truly being taught or merely performed. The question is urgent: Are we passing on the deep knowledge of Tongan haka (choreography) and faiva (performance art), or are we simply repeating movements without teaching our children, who are participants, to understand their meaning and learn the skills?
Tongan communities in Aotearoa have poured immense effort into Polyfest for decades, ensuring our culture remains vibrant in the diaspora. This is not just cultural preservation, it’s a national and ethnic investment. Yet, a critical gap persists—the punake (composers and choreographers) who are mainly from Kanokupolu, Tatakamotonga and Lapaha, Tonga’s historic villages of performing arts, hold the essential and traditional skills of haka, including its sacred techniques, meanings, and traditions. This means this wisdom and knowledge often fail to reach our youth at Polyfest. Too often, students learn only the surface-level motions, stripped of the why and the how behind them. We must bridge this divide, ensuring the next generation inherits not just the movements but the soul of our art.
The Need for Formal Cultural Education
This raises a deeper issue: Should Tongan faiva remain confined to oral tradition within select lineages, or should it be formally taught, perhaps even in New Zealand universities, so that knowledge is accessible beyond Kanokupolu, Lapaha and Tatakamotonga? If we truly value Tongan culture as a living, evolving tradition, then we must move beyond performance and into education.
Polyfest has given us a stage. Now, we must demand more than applause—we must seek understanding. The following 50 years should be about empowering our youth, not just to move like Tongans, but to know like Tongans. Only then will our culture thrive, not just survive.
As a journalist serving the Tongan community in New Zealand for over 20 years, I have witnessed Polyfest’s benefits and drawbacks. Many parents praise the festival for the opportunities it provides their children, celebrating cultural engagement and personal growth.
However, criticisms also arise, ranging from dissatisfaction with competition results to concerns over financial costs. Most notably, Kanokupolu, Lapaha and Tatakamotonga punake and critics have raised serious objections, arguing that some of the haka taught by amateur or self-taught punake are incorrect, culturally inappropriate, and misrepresentative of authentic Tongan traditions.
From Honouring Kings to Celebrating Community
One of the most significant shifts in Tongan culture is the changing role of faiva. Historically, faiva served as a way for commoners to honour the king and nobility, a sacred act of tribute and respect. Today, however, contemporary faiva has expanded far beyond its royal roots.
Modern performances now celebrate personal and communal milestones—birthdays, weddings, sporting victories, and community events. They also serve commercial purposes, adapting to new audiences and economic demands. While this evolution reflects the dynamic nature of living traditions, it raises important questions: Are we preserving the essence of faiva, or has its cultural significance diminished in the pursuit of entertainment and profit?
As faiva continues to transform, we must carefully consider how to honor its heritage while allowing it to thrive in a changing world.
The Dilemma of Hiva and Haka as Koloa Fufū
Traditionally, haka and hiva or faiva were regarded as koloa fufū—sacred knowledge, carefully guarded by punake and their whānau. This practice, far from mere secrecy, was rooted in the belief that such artistry carried mana, entrusted only to those chosen to preserve it.
Yet today, as our communities evolve, we must ask: Does strict exclusivity still serve our culture’s future? With growing interest in Pacific traditions and Tongan and Māori youth in Aotearoa seeking deeper connections to their heritage, should universities now develop curricula to teach these art forms formally? Or does doing so risk diluting the very mana our ancestors sought to protect?
This is not just a question of access, but of how we honour tradition while ensuring its survival. Perhaps the answer lies in a middle path—one where punake lead this education, ensuring that koloa fufū is shared with respect, not just exposed.
A Blueprint for Cultural Scholarship
Today, much of the formalized knowledge surrounding Tongan haka we see on YouTube, including its techniques and traditional nomenclature, can be traced to the University of ‘Atenisi’s pioneering work. The institution’s visionary founder, Professor Futa Helu, engaged master punakes in the 1980s while innovatively combining their ancestral knowledge with Western philosophical frameworks and scientific artistic theories. Not only did he write essays and books about that knowledge and those skills, but whenever Atenisi toured overseas countries, including New Zealand, he spoke and demonstrated some of the haka to his audiences in an attempt to give foreign attendants a clue of what those haka meant. This unique fusion not only preserved these sacred art forms but elevated them through academic rigor, creating a vital bridge between tradition and contemporary scholarship. This should show us how important for us to make our faiva more meaningful not only to us Tongans but out foreign counterparts who have a huge impact and contribution to our indigenous entertainment.
Are We Raising Performers or Future Punake?
For years, our whānau have poured passion into Polyfest, with talented students mastering the movements of haka—yet where are the next generation of punake? Despite their dedication, few emerge as true composers and cultural bearers. Why? Because they’ve been taught to perform, not to understand. Without learning the names, meanings, and deeper skills behind each haka, these students leave school with untapped potential. The result? We rely on the same few punake year after year, while gifted youth—our cultural future—miss the chance to grow into masters themselves. This isn’t just a loss for tradition; it’s a wasted investment in our people.
