The production of the film, which holds the distinction of being the first Disney animated feature to release an Indigenous-language version with its English counterpart, includes contributions from a Tongan academic expert.
Patricia Fifita, an assistant professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies at Oregon State University, posed for a portrait in this undated photo provided by Oregon State University. An Indigenous Pacific Islander of Tongan heritage, Fifita served as a cultural consultant on Disney’s “Moana 2” to help ensure the respectful representation of Pacific Islander cultures and traditions in the movie. Oregon State University/College of Liberal Arts
Patricia Fifita, a Tongan assistant professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies at Oregon State University, played an important role as a cultural consultant for the “Moana 2” Disney movie.
The film, first released last month, has achieved a notable box office gross of $608.6 million globally, of which $308.6 million was generated in the United States and Canada.
Walt Disney Animation Studios produced the animated musical adventure film for Walt Disney Pictures.
Moana 2 continues the enchanting journey of the original 2016 film. In this sequel, Moana (voiced by Auli’i Cravalho) sets out from her home island once again to reconnect with the ocean’s lost people.
Dwayne Johnson, renowned for his career as a US professional wrestler, lent his voice to the character of Maui, Moana’s companion, in the animated film.
While many Pacific island legends depicted Maui as one of their ancestral demigods, Professor Fifita said that in Tongan myths, Maui lived in the village of Koloa, located in Tonga’s Vava’u islands.
Moana is Tongan for “deep sea” or ocean.
Fifita was asked during an interview with Oregon’s OPB News to discuss her most important contribution and sharing with the movie producers.
The Professor said: “I did emphasize some specific cultural aesthetics that were representative of Tonga, around the design and shape of the vakas, the long-distance going canoes”.
Professor Fifita said seeing the diversity of vakas showcased in the movie was important.
“You can really see that there was a beautiful display of vakas.
A still from “Moana 2.”Disney
“And you can see distinctly there is a canoe that looks similar to the traditional canoes that come from the Solomon Islands and from Fiji.
“And so, it’s really wonderful that the film highlights that diversity not only in the imagery but also in the message of the film”.
Moana 2 (PG) is now playing at NZ cinemas.
The film’s global premiere was accompanied by “Moana 2 Reo Māori,” a special release in theatres in New Zealand featuring voiceovers in the Indigenous Polynesian language.
The title translates to “Moana 2 Māori language.” The language is sometimes referred to as just “te reo” or “reo Māori.”
“Moana 2 Reo Māori” becomes the first Disney animated feature to premiere as an Indigenous language directly alongside its English-language counterpart.
The movie broke several records, including the highest global opening weekend for an animated film, the highest opening for a Walt Disney Animation film on Thanksgiving, and the highest five-day gross for an animated film.
A man convicted of indecent assault in Tongatapu was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
The Lord Chief Justice Malcolm Bishop was shocked at discovering the man was a worker at a church, implying that the case highlighted the contrast between his position and his criminal actions.
The court was told that this was a serious assault that occurred initially while the complainant was asleep.
“I have been provided with evidence to substantiate the distress which the complainant suffered and is still suffering includes counselling over a protracted period”, Mr Bishop said.
“What is astonishing is that you are said to be a man of impeccable character. A worker in the church respected by all and apparently devoted to work amongst the youth of the church.
How someone of that character can behave as you did is incomprehensible”.
He sentenced the prisoner to serve 36 months of imprisonment with the last 18 months suspended for 18 months on the conditions that:
a. He does not commit any further offence punishable by imprisonment
b. He is placed on probation during the period of the suspended sentence
c. He must reside where directed by a probation officer
d. He undertakes suitable counselling as directed by the probation service
Mr Bishop also said” “I find the appropriate sentence for the housebreaking count is 18 months’ imprisonment given that the intrusion did not result in substantial damage must be served concurrently with the count of serious indecent assault.
Finally, I’m make an order that nothing shall be published which might lead to the identification of the complainant herself, her family, her church or otherwise pursuant to s119 of the Criminal Offences Act”.
Australian heavyweight boxing champion Justis Huni, who is of Tongan descent, extended his undefeated run with a second-round TKO victory against Robutti.
Huni (L) defeated ‘giant Argentine’ by knock out
The Brisbane-born boxer holds a record of 11-0, while his opponent’s record drops to 11-7.
Entering as a heavy underdog, Leandro Robutti delivered some big shots but was ultimately outclassed by Huni.
The hometown favourite calmly worked through the fight before delivering a string of punches to the head.
After the first round, where both fighters had their chances, Huni showcased his impressive speed in the second round.
His agility enhances his performance in the ring and captivates the attention of fans and analysts alike, contributing to ongoing conversations surrounding his potential and skill set.
Huni unleashed a flurry of powerful punches, each connecting with a resounding thud against Robutti.
The blows landed with such force that the towering Argentine staggered back, his knees buckling as he dropped heavily to one knee, a grimace of pain etched across his features.
The moment’s intensity showcased Huni’s remarkable speed and strength, leaving the crowd in awe of his dominance in the ring.
UPDATED: The disputes involving one of the strongest ex-student associations in the kingdom have escalated to legal proceedings.
Pita Hopoate (L) and ‘Epalahame Taukei’aho
Kaniva News understands that officials within the Mormon Church’s Liahona and Sainehā high school alumni association have sought judicial decision following disputes over the organization’s constitution and the roles of the president, Epalahame Taukei’aho.
According to various reports, Taukei’aho has been accused of making decisions that did not align with the constitution.
Pita Hopoate, the Chair of the Board of Directors, went public last year and claimed they had been trying to contact Taukei’aho to resolve the issues but to no avail.
It is understood Taukei’aho brought the lawsuit against the Board of Directors after he was allegedly demanded to resign.
We have been told that recent meetings between the two parties in Tonga included holding a reconciliation, but it did not work out as they had hoped.
The incident divided the organization’s members, with one report claiming that the association had invested up to TOP$ 5 million.
Some members sided with Hopoate, while others stood by Taukei’aho.
The attack on a man lying motionless in a Tongatapu village has sparked widespread outrage across social media platforms.
Videos and images circulating online show what appeared to be an injured man lying on the ground while receiving assistance from bystanders.
The footage also appears to show that while that assistance was in the process, another man approached and struck the victim with his hand.
Facebook commenters alleged the incident occurred near Makaunga and Talafo’ou villages.
Users have expressed shock at the incident, with many calling for justice and urging authorities to take immediate action.
The incident occurred following residents of the eastern vicinity entertaining the new Christmas lights, which were recently unveiled on their streets.
Streamed videos captured from vehicles on the move showcased that streets were alive with festive spirit bringing joy and a sense of togetherness to the residents of Tongatapu 10,
Commenters on Facebook said it was unfortunate that the incident involving the man detracted from the joyous experience of families and visitors gathering to appreciate the Christmas preparations and displays.
MP Mateni Tapueluelu claimed at the time that this was an advice from the king, which the Minister of Internal Affairs, Lord Vaea, then conveyed to the nobles.
We contacted the Prime Minister and Lord Vaea for comment at the time.
Last month, a leaked internal memo, seen by Kaniva News, purported to have come from the chief executive of the Ministry of Lands claimed the ministry’s minister, Lord Tu’i’afitu, was expected to resign after the king allegedly withdrew his confidence. Hu’akavameiliku later told journalists that he was in discussions with the noble about his resignation.
This afternoon, the caretaker Prime Minister Samiu Vaipulu confirmed in a press conference in Nuku’alofa that three Ministers have now resigned.
They were Lord Fohe, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forests; Lord Vaea, the Minister for Internal Affairs; and Lord Tu’i’āfitu, the Minister of Lands.
The reasons behind these nobles’ resigning after Hu‘akavameiliku’s resignation are still unclear.
Five ministerial positions, including those held by Hu’akavameiliku, are currently vacant. This does not include the Minister for Fisheries, for which the nominated candidate has been awaiting the king’s approval since last year.
The position became vacant following the death of former minister Semisi Fakahau in October 2022.
New Prime Minister
Tonga is scheduled to elect the new prime minister on Christmas Eve, following a 14-day interval after Hu’akavameiliku’s resignation.
The Speaker, Lord Fakafanua, has invited nominations for Prime Minister Designate to be submitted to his office at the Legislative Assembly of Tonga by 4.30pm on Monday, December 23, 2024.
What do you get when you cross a pharmacist, a lawyer, an accountant, a carpenter, an emergency doctor, an anesthetist, a biomedical scientist, an officer of the New Zealand Defence Force and a dentist?
Ruby Tukia is off to Auckland after graduating with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery on Saturday.
Give up? It’s the Tukia whanau, including Ruby who claimed the dentist title when she graduated with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery with credit from Otago on Saturday.
As the ninth child in a family of 11, Ruby jokes that her siblings had already taken her other career preferences, so dental felt like the right choice.
Her journey is rooted in three key pillars: faith, family, and education.
At an early age, Ruby’s family moved to Mount Roskill, Auckland after her father saw the opportunities for a better lifestyle and education in Aotearoa.
“I think the biggest thing, like other Pacific families, was the studying aspect. If you wanted your child to have decent health care or tertiary opportunities, your parents had to be on some type of visa. My Dad saw the study environment here and knew it was better than most countries,” Ruby says.
Her Father, a pharmacist, encouraged his children to pursue careers in healthcare – while seven of them have and one more enters Otago medical school next year, the other three took different, but still reputable paths.
Her interest in dentistry was “driven by the lack of knowledge of it”.
“My initial interest in dentistry was driven by the lack of knowledge of it and that’s a discussion that I had with my parents, we did not know a lot of the industry because there is not really a big push in Tonga.
“So, my brothers and I sat down with my parents and the laid-out options were, Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy. I then made the decision that I would try a Bachelor of Oral Health to test the waters then I’ll know whether to pursue Dentistry after my three years.”
Ruby Tukia addresses the crowd at the Pacific graduation breakfast on Saturday.
Her Mum has kept the family “humble” and reminded them the “key to everything is faith in God”.
“The major reason why this is possible is praying, God, and having these degrees mean nothing unless you have God in play.”
Her upbringing has also ensured Ruby is no stranger to hard work.
“Most of my siblings went to Tonga High, but I went to Queen Salote. My parents, being strong in their religion, wanted at least one of us to attend that school, so, me and my two younger brothers went to Queen Salote and Toloa – we were the guinea pigs,” she jokes.
“Until you grow up in the Islands, you will never have the same experience of how hard it truly is. We would go into the bush, plant our own kumala (kumara) —it wasn’t easy. My Dad made sure we experienced these realities so that we would know what hard work really is.”
It was working in Oamaru for a short time that confirmed her dentistry pathway.
“I had no idea how large the Pacific population was in this rural area.
“An interaction when greeting an elderly woman in the waiting room of the clinic with ‘mālō e lelei’ completely changed the trajectory of our session and before I began her examination, she opened it up with a prayer, it was an experience that I cannot put into words, it was just different.”
Ruby is contracted to work in Auckland for 2025 and plans to expand her experience to rural areas and then eventually, volunteering in Tonga – giving back to the communities that helped raise her.
“It’s cool because Queen Salote and Toloa have a dental clinic so I would like to volunteer at there, I am not the greatest candidate but even if it’s just to mop the floors or clean the windows, I’ll be there.”
Curiosity from tragedy led Dr Melenia Kaitaeifo to medicine.
Melenia Kaitaeifo graduated on Saturday with a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery.
She was just 8 years old when one of her older brothers died at the age of 17 in Auckland, from what they now know was a traumatic brain injury.
“My older brother’s passing was a huge tragedy for everyone who knew him. I wasn’t old enough to comprehend what had happened but what pushed me to pursue a career in medicine was curiosity. Why can’t we save him? Is there anything we can do to save him? What other options do we have? These questions played in my head like a broken record for years,” Melenia says.
Despite the drive of “curiosity and tragedy”, she arrived at Otago still not completely sure that medicine was the right path.
“However, I decided to give it a go, and I am so glad I did because I now stand tall and firm that this is the right path for me.”
Melenia graduated on Saturday with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. She starts work at Middlemore Hospital in the new year where she is determined to start making the system better for Pacific patients and their families.
“I think my family just don’t like going into hospital or being treated in the healthcare system because they don’t comprehend everything. We all seem to have had poor experiences where healthcare is involved or in the way that we’ve perceived the interactions.”
In fact, it wasn’t until Melenia was at medical school that she fully understood what had happened to her brother more than a decade earlier.
“I did all my own research and put together myself what actually had happened. I had to do it all myself because my family walked out of that hospital understanding nothing that the doctors had told them.
“It is a well-known fact that Pacific and Māori people have the worst health outcomes.
“There are a multitude of things that are contributing to this, and a lot of work is needed to help address and improve this and I am so excited to finally join the team and help improve those outcomes,” she says.
Melenia’s cultural identity shaped her approach to work alongside patients everyday, she says.
“I show up as myself, a young Tongan health professional and the way I practice medicine and interact with patients is secondary to my cultural identity. It’s in the way I introduce myself, that I am respectful to the people I interact with, in the way I am able to read body language appropriately.
“Being a community driven person means that I am able to provide holistic care always and have strong communication skills as well as being culturally competent.”
On one occasion she was able to translate for a man who was admitted to hospital. She believes her Tongan presence made his experience more bearable.
“He just kept saying like, malo, malo (thank you) and he just seemed grateful like the whole time. And because he was able to talk to me about everything, he felt more comfortable to ask me questions,” she says.
“I grew up in a household that instilled in us the importance of God being at the centre of everything we do, and secondly, the importance of education. I grew up in a family that was community focused, continually serving others and helping people.
“I would say it is in the scaffolding of my life that has led me to where I am today, and I am forever proud to be a young Tongan female doctor that will finally be able to give back to my people and my family.”
All her “defining moments” during her time at Otago have involved Pacific patients.
“The most beautiful thing is when you see patients progressively get better and can be discharged home. Those are moments that solidify my passion for medicine.”
Melenia Kaitaeifo (middle) pictured with her parents by her side who are all smiles celebrating their daughter’s achievement at medical school.
But she would not have been able to achieve any of this without her faith and the support of her family, she says.
“My family support has been 100,000 percent on. Every step of the way I have been blessed with continuous family support.”
Moving away from family was not a decision Melenia took lightly, but she found family and their support – whether that be advice, home-cooked meals, groceries, company, help during exam time, transport, or a bed – wherever she was in Aotearoa.
“In conclusion, family support looked like paid bills when I couldn’t cover them. It looked like mum flying to Dunedin every exam season so that I could have home cooked meals and clean laundry. It looked like cousin hangouts to unwind from all the uni stress. It looked like free flights home during Covid. The best support was the continuous protection through prayer from the get-go.”
And family is still a priority for Melenia as she starts her career.
“I am indebted to my biggest cheerleader, my sister. She took on all the responsibilities that an older sibling should just so I could execute our vision. So, I plan to spend as much time as I can with my family to make up for my years of absence!
“I have family coming from Tonga, Australia and America and from around New Zealand and I can’t wait to celebrate with them and laugh our way into 2025.”
Melenia has words of advice for any Pacific students considering medicine.
“Don’t be discouraged to step into this space, particularly if you’re like me and will be the first in your family. It can be daunting but embrace your unique qualities as a Pacific person and bring it to the table.
“You are needed and wanted. You have the ability to make a huge impact and influence change. You can be a leader and healer that will uplift and bring hope to our people. We’re all rooting for you.”
