The honorable Prince Tungi of the Kingdom of Tonga (pictured right, seated) visited the Polynesian Cultural Center on Friday, May 14 and BYU–Hawaii students were able to take part in and attend the event. The Prince was on Oahu for a family member's graduation from the University of Hawaii.
"It was really a huge honor," said Audrey Nonoa, an employee at BYU–Hawaii's International Student Services Office.
Arnold Lavaki, a junior in information technology from Tonga, said he it was "a privilege. Back home we hardly interact with the royal family." To see the prince here made Lavaki feel an added measure of pride in being from Tonga.
The ceremony began with gifts of leis welcoming the prince. A talking chief representing the president of the PCC then announced a gift from the students at BYU–Hawaii. This ceremonial gift to honor the prince was a roasted pig ready for eating and a wish that Prince Tungi would feel the love of Christ during his visit. Other gifts were given, including a traditional Tongan gift, the kava plant.
The prince was recognized for coming from a particularly royal blood line, including his father, the King of Tonga, and his mother of royal heritage in Samoa. This close tie with Samoa is one that the people at the PCC's Samoan village are very proud of, and they sent the chief's daughter to give their offerings to the prince. She gave him a staff representing authority to lead and direct with honor and respect. They also gave him a lei representing endless wisdom and a fue, a braded coconut husk attached to an intricately carved wooden handle. The fue is the fountain of language and it inspires the speaker while also bestowing knowledge.
Students at BYU–Hawaii then performed a dance composed for Prince Tungi and students from Kahuku High School followed performing a dance about youth in love. "The dances brought the Tongan spirit and the Tongan culture," said Lavaki.
Said Kap Teo Tafiti, the senior ambassador for the PCC, "[the ceremony] was appropriate, that's what the Polynesian Cultural Center is all about." It followed culture and protocol in its pure form, which is important since this could be the only ceremony of this type that many attendees will ever see.
The entire ceremony was monumental and an exciting time for everyone involved, said Nonoa, because the last member of the Tongan royal family to come to Laie was the king himself.
The talking chief representing the prince said the gifts and presentations had gone beyond what was expected, and that they were deeply appreciated. As the talking chief said, "this day will not be forgotten."
–Photo by Aissa Mitton