Modern life in Tokelau relies on the boat- usually meaning the MV Tokelau, seen above bringing supplies and people from Samoa. But modern life in Tokelau retains much of the Tokelauan culture and way of life- faka Tokelau.
Faka Tokelau means, the “Tokelauan Way”- the traditional way of life and community spirit found in the atolls of Tokelau. Faka Tokelau means different things to different people, and your interpretations of it are welcome: malo@canoeTokelau.com generally at the centre of it is a notion of the sharing and inclusive ways of the family group (the kaiga) and the wider village community in Tokelau. Tell us what it means for you!
Related to Faka Tokelau are the wonderful myths of Tokelau:
Lu
(A story of how Lu pushed the sky to the heavens with the assistance of the winds, and how he discovered the secret of fire)
There was a couple whose names were Tiki and Talaga. They had a son whose name was Lu. After they had cared for him and when he had grown up, the man would go fishing and the woman would stay home to weave and look after their son. In those days no one was able to sit up straight and a woman would always bend her back and weave mats.
One day the boy was lying down and sang the following song:
Hapaipai te lagi a te atua ( Lift the sky of the god) mamao ake ki luga (higher up)
Lu te kena lu te kena (by Lu’s pushing)
Lu began to push the sky with his feet, then his hands until the sky could not be reached by Lu with his hands or his feet. Then Lu got up went and grabbed a coconut branch to support the sky up and sang:
Hapaipai te lagi a te Atua ke mamao ake ki luga
Lu te Kena Lu te Kena
As the sky went higher it could not be reached by using the coconut brach so Lu went and got the lafo to touch the sky and he sang:
Hapaipai te lagi a te Atua ke mamao ake ki luga
Lu te kena Lu te kena
As the sky went higher the lafo could not reach the sky and Lu went to grab a long stick to touch the sky and he sang:
Hapaipai te lagi a te atua ke mamao ake ki luga
Lu te kena Lu te kena
According to legend, when the long stick could no longer push the sky higher, Lu summoned the winds and together they blew to support the sky in its present position. Lu gave the 4 cardinal points of the compass their wind names. Taumuliava, Lakilua, Laki, Fakatiu, Palapu, Tokelau, Fakalua, Luatu, Tonga, Hema, Sulu, Tefa, Lafalafa.
When Lu grew up he would go away and come back home, then he would go to motuhaga, then return, the next day he would go further. Then one day he went to a place where he met a ugauga, and the ugauga told Lu when tomorrow comes come back and visit me, Lu then agreed. The ugauga told him, go and visit that outer islet for there you will surely find an aitu (spirit).
By this time Lu had grown up and when he went to visit he saw a fire, as he approached he saw an aitu. The aitu said Lu, where are you going? Lu said im just visiting, the aitu said go away or I will kill you. Lu said, no I am coming to watch what you are doing. The aitu said, go away or I will swallow you. Lu said I will not go away. The aitu replied, we shall then wrestle. The aitu threw Lu onto a branch, Lu got up and they wrestled until the aitu became tired and then Lu threw the aitu to the ground strangled the aitu then the aitu said, Lu spare me and I will show you how to make a fire! Lu said tell me! The aitu said:
E maua te afi i te puapua. E hika te afatea e maua ai te afi. E hika te lolo e maua ai te afi. E hika te tausunu e maua te afi. Ko na lakau uma e maua i Tokelau e maua ai te afi.
Translated; when you scrub wood together from the puapua or any other wood found in Tokelau you will be able to create a fire. When Lu turned around the aitu had died. Lu returned home to his parents Tiki and Talaga. Now they could create fire!
The aitu (spirits) Hemoana and Fenu
( a story of how Fenu and Hemoana stole resources from each other)
There was an aitu of Nukunonu whose name was Hemoana. Fakaofo also had an aitu whose name was felu. Hemoana was sitting and Hemoana heard the sea rustle. When Hemoana approached, Hemoana saw the Fakaofo aitu take a cup of water and at once persued the Fakaofo aitu Fenu. The chase went all the way to a motu in Nukunonu named Motuakea. Hemoana caught up and smacked the cup from Fenu’s hands and it spilled but the cup was still tightly grasped by Fenu, running as fast as he could with the cup to Fakaofo. There is still a vai (waterhole) in Motuakea to this day that is used by Nukunonu when there is drought.
One day Hemoana was thinking that she wanted to get a kie from Fakaofo which grew in Fakaofo but not on Nukunonu. Hemoana then went to Fakaofo and looked to see if Fenu could be seen. When Fenu was not around Hemoana stole the kie and took it to Nukunonu. That is why the kie now grows in Nukunonu and used to make mats and handicrafts.
Before, Fakaofo people use to come to Nukunonu to take the kie with them back to Fakaofo to grow because they no longer grew there. In 1942 3 men came to Fakaofo, Peato and Vito took with them the lakie to Fakaofo and it is why the kie now grows on Fakaofo.
(laukie is a special coconut leaf used in making handicrafts)
