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Survivors of the bus crash that killed three members of the Mailefihi Siu’ilikutapu college brass band touring party were not showing disrespect to the deceased by continuing their tour, the president of the college’s alumni association said yesterday.
Rev. Mele Suipi Latu, who is president of the college’s alumni association in New Zealand, told Kaniva News the decision for the college’s brass band to continue fundraising in New Zealand was no disrespect at all to those who died as a result of the Christmas Eve crash.
Rev. Latu said head tutor Leotisia Malakai told her she wanted the tour to continue before she died. Malakai died of injuries received in the crash on January 1.
Student Sione Taumalolo, 11, wife and mother Talita Moimoi Fifita, 33, died on December 24 when the bus in which they were travelling with the band crashed on State Highway Two south of Gisborne.
Kaniva News reported on December 29 that the survivors were offered the chance to fly back to Tonga with the bodies of Taumālolo and Fifita, but elected to stay.
The announcement that the band would stay in New Zealand infuriated people who commented online, saying the organisers’ decision showed a lack of respect for the deceased.
Some said the organisers put money first before the souls of the dead.
“To me – and this is my view – it is important to help those who really need help”, Rev. Latu said.
She said in an earlier Facebook statement that the band came to New Zealand with a mission to raise TP$200,000 to help the school in its 70th anniversary.
Rev. Latu said most of the college staff were in Tonga and Vava’u to fulfil the college’s duties at the funerals of the three people who died.
She said the brass band did its utmost in New Zealand while the bodies of Sione Taumālolo and Talita Moimoi Fifita were in New Zealand to complete what was culturally and responsibly required of them.
Rev. Latu said the Bible said the dead should be left to bury the dead.
To her this meant the band had done its part for the dead and now they had to complete its mission.
“The dead are dead and life has to continue,” Rev. Latu said.
The decision has been criticised by many people on social media.
However, she said most of the people who had criticised the decision to keep touring had not “come on board” and helped with the fundraising.
She said the churches which were willing to donate were told to feel free about how they wanted their donation be presented. They could ask to have the band play hymns while they presented their donation or they just do it without the band.
She said some churches wanted the band to perform and some had chosen to do it without the band.
While the bodies of Taumalolo and Fifita were in the mortuary, the rest of the group, including those who escaped with minor injuries, performed for Gisborne’s Methodist parish.
The furore over the tour continuing was stoked yesterday morning after a video was uploaded to Facebook showing the band playing some music while churchgoers danced and fakapale (offered money for the performance) at a Glen Innes Methodist church.
Funeral taboo
It is traditional and became law in Tonga that whenever there were funerals in a town or village, normal businesses and certain social activities have to be cancelled.
The public is expected to show respect to the funeral by wearing ta’ovala and black clothes. They have to keep noises down when talking in public and any entertainment must be stopped and can only resume three days of the burial services.
Singing can only be hymns and religious songs and hiva kakala (love and popular music) are strictly prohibited.
There were recent changes to the taboo of funeral in Tonga and the practice of fakafaingofua (relaxing cultural taboos) came in.
In some villages in Tonga, if a fundraising or social function had been organised and somebody died on the day it was scheduled, the organisers could go to the family of the funeral and ask permission to conduct their function. The request was usually accepted because of the costs already spent on the event.
In New Zealand Tongan hiva kakala were allowed to be sung during vigils and wakes for the deceased.
They were mostly in accordance with whatever instructions the deceased, mostly elderly people, had left with their family. They might tell them they wanted hiva kakala sung at their wake, rather than hymns.
Controlling of noise is no longer a matter of importance among Tongan communities overseas as other countries do not have funeral taboo laws. Noises in public places and businesses will continue as usual.
When Late King Tupou V died in 2012 Tonga should have observed the traditional and lawful taboos for 100 days.
However, His Majesty King Tupou VI announced the state mourning would only last 12 days. He later said observing the taboo would not help the nation’s economy.
The following video was recorded yesterday at the Methodist church in Glen Innes during the band’s fundraising.
The main points
- Survivors of the bus crash that killed three members of the Mailefihi Siu’ilikutapu college brass band touring party were not showing disrespect to the deceased by continuing their tour, the president of the college’s alumni association said today.
- Mele Suipi Latu, who is president of the college’s alumni association in New Zealand, told Kaniva News the decision for the college’s brass band to continue fundraising in New Zealand was no disrespect at all to those who died as a result of the Christmas Eve crash.
- Latu said head tutor Leotisia Malakai told her she wanted the tour to continue before she died. Malakai died of injuries received in the crash on January 1.
- Student Sione Taumalolo, 11, wife and mother Talita Moimoi Fifita, 33, died on December 24 when the bus in which they were travelling with the band crashed on State Highway Two south of Gisborne.
For more information
Gisborne bus wreckage retrieved as survivors prepare to play memorial concert tonight
