Foua Tofiga: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 04:39, 17 February 2009

Born in 1920. Tuvalan.
Came to work for the WPHC in 1939.
Was working in Sir Harry's office in 1941, but heard nothing about the material from Niku.
Helped to pack up the WPHC Archives for shipment to Tarawa and Hanslope Park.
Tofiga is upset with a "coverup" of the true history of Niulakita, the ninth island in Tuvalu (which, if I understood him correctly, means "a stand or cluster of 8"). Tofiga's community had already begun to colonize the island. The British government gave the people of Vaitupu permission to settle Niulakita so long as they cut copra and earned some money to pay for the island. A later administration decided to have Niulakita settled by the community from Niutao. The Vaitupu settlers were "cleared off the island like prisoners. They were treated as if they were trying to steal someone's island." But the fact is that they were there first, even before the British took control of the region, and they had a legitimate contract with the British allowing them to remain there.

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 * Came to work for the [[WPHC]] in 1939.
 * Was working in [[Luke| Sir Harry's]] office in 1941, but heard nothing about the material from Niku.
+* Helped to pack up the [[WPHC Archives]] for shipment to [[Tarawa]] and [[Hanslope Park]].
+* Tofiga is upset with a "coverup" of the true history of Niulakita, the ninth island in Tuvalu (which, if I understood him correctly, means "a stand or cluster of 8").  Tofiga's community had already begun to colonize the island.  The British government gave the people of Vaitupu permission to settle Niulakita so long as they cut copra and earned some money to pay for the island.  A later administration decided to have Niulakita settled by the community from Niutao.  The Vaitupu settlers were "cleared off the island like prisoners.   They were treated as if they were trying to steal someone's island."  But the fact is that they were there first, even before the British took control of the region, and they had a legitimate contract with the British allowing them to remain there.