Hisitōlia ʻo e Siasí
Seini ʻElisapeti Mēningi Sēmisi

“Seini ʻElisapeti Mēningi Sēmisi,” Ngaahi Tefito ʻi he Hisitōlia ʻo e Siasí

“Seini ʻElisapeti Mēningi Sēmisi”

Seini ʻElisapeti Mēningi Sēmisi

Ko Seini ʻElisapeti Mēningí (fakafuofua ki he 1822–1908) ko e taha ia ʻi he longaʻi fānau ʻe toko nima pe lahi ange naʻe fāʻeleʻi ki ha ongomātuʻa ʻAfilika ʻAmelika tauʻatāina ʻi Konekitikati ʻi he taimi naʻe taki pōpula ai ʻa e tokolahi taha ʻo e kakai ʻuliʻulí ʻi he ʻIunaiteti Sitetí.1 Naʻá ne kau atu ki he Siasi Fakatahaʻanga Kēnani Foʻoú ʻi heʻene kei finemuí ʻi he 1841, ka ʻi ha māhina ʻe 18 mei ai, ʻi he faʻahitaʻu momoko ʻo e 1842–43, naʻá ne papitaiso ai mo e niʻihi ʻo hono fāmilí ki he Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní. Naʻe loto leva ʻa Seini mo e niʻihi kehe ʻi hono fāmilí ke nau kau fakataha mo e Kāingalotu ʻo Nāvuú, ko ia naʻa nau fononga ai mei Konekitikati ki Niu ʻIoke, ʻo nau palani ke nau folau ʻi he vaka sitimá mo e vaka kanalí fakatouʻosi. Ka neongo iá, naʻe fakasītuaʻi kinautolu ke nau heka ki he vaká koeʻuhí ko honau matakalí, ko ia naʻe pau ke nau lue ai ʻi he maile ʻe 800 naʻe toé. Naʻe fakafehuʻia ʻe he kau maʻu mafai fakalotofonua ʻi Peolia, ʻIlinoisí ʻa e fāmili Mēningí tokua ko ha kau pōpula hola pea nau fie maʻu leva ha fakamoʻoni fakapepa ke fakamahino honau tuʻunga tauʻatāiná. Naʻe hoko ʻa e lau lanú ko ha fakafeʻātungia ne fepaki mo Seini ʻi he toenga ʻo ʻene moʻuí.

laʻi tā ʻo Seini Mēningi Sēmisí

Tā ʻo Seini Mēningi Sēmisí.

ʻI he angalelei ʻa e Laipeli Hisitōlia mo e ʻĀkaivi ʻa e Siasí

ʻI he tūʻuta ʻa Seini ʻi Nāvuú, naʻe vave ʻaupito ʻene fakakaungāmeʻa kia Siosefa mo ʻEma Sāmitá. Naʻá ne nofo mo kinaua peá ne ngāue ki hona fāmilí. ʻI ha taimi ʻe taha naʻe fakaafeʻi ai ʻe ʻEma ʻa Seini ke ohi ia ko ha tama ki he fāmili Sāmitá ʻaki ha sila ʻo e lakanga fakataulaʻeikí.2 Naʻe fakafisingaʻi ʻeni ʻe Seini, he naʻe ʻikai mahino ki ai ʻa e founga ʻikai ngalikehe mo foʻou ko ení, ka naʻá ne tui taʻetoeveiveiua ki he fatongia fakaepalōfita ʻo Siosefá. Naʻá ne fakamoʻoni kimui ange ʻo pehē, “Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ʻa e Palōfita ko Siosefa Samitá. Ko e tangata lelei taha ia kuó u mātā he māmaní. … Naʻá ku fakapapauʻi ko ha palōfita ia koeʻuhí he naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ia.”3

ʻI ha ngaahi fepōtalanoaʻaki mo Siosefa mo ʻene faʻeé, ʻa Lusi Meki Sāmita, naʻe ako lahi ange ai ʻa Seini fekauʻaki mo e Tohi ʻa Molomoná mo hono liliú peá ne maʻu ha mahino mo e fakaʻapaʻapa ki he ngaahi ouau fakatemipalé.

Naʻe mali ʻa Seini mo ʻAisake Sēmisi, ko ha tokotaha ʻuliʻuli tauʻatāina kuó ne papi ului mei Niu Sēsi. Naʻá na mavahe mo hona foha ko Silivesitaá mei Nāvū ʻi he 1846 ke nau fononga fakahihifo mo e Kāingalotú. ʻI Sune ʻo e taʻu ko iá, naʻe fāʻeleʻi ai ʻa e foha ʻo Seini mo ʻAisake ko Sailosí. ʻI he taʻu hono hokó, naʻe fononga atu ai ʻa e fāmilí ʻi he ngaahi potu tokaleleí ʻo nau tūʻuta ki he teleʻa Sōlekí ʻi he faʻahitaʻu fakatōlau ʻo e 1847. Naʻe toe ʻi ai mo ha fānau ʻe toko ono kehe ʻa ʻAisake mo Seini, pea ko e toko ua pē ai naʻá na moʻui fuoloa ange ʻia Seini. Naʻe ngāue mālohi ʻa Seini mo ʻAisake ke tokonaki maʻa hona fāmilí ʻo hangē pē ko e kau muʻaki nofo mai ki he Teleʻa Sōlekí. Naʻe ngāue ʻa ʻAisake mo hoko he taimi ʻe niʻihi ko e tokotaha fakaʻuli saliote maʻa Pilikihami ʻIongi, pea naʻe fakahoko ʻe Seini e takai mo hono ngaohi ʻo e valá, mo fai ʻa e foó ʻo hangē ko ia naʻá ne fakahoko ʻi Nāvuú.

Naʻe hoko ha fetōʻaki ʻi he nofomali ʻa ʻAisake mo Seiní ʻo na iku vete ai ʻi he 1870. Naʻe toe mali leva ʻa Seini ʻi ha taʻu ʻe ua mo ha tangata pōpula kimuʻa ko Felengi Peakini, ka naʻe ʻikai fuoloa kuó ne toe hoko pē ko ha mātuʻa mo e kui tāutaha. Naʻe hoko ʻa e fusimoʻomo fakapaʻangá mo e mate ha fānau ʻe toko tolu ke toe foki ai ʻa Seini ʻo ngāue. Naʻá ne ngaohi mo fakatau atu e koá, lolotonga hono fakangāueʻi e toko ua hono ngaahi fohá ke hoko ko e kau ngāue. ʻI he 1890, hili ia ha taʻu ʻe 20 e mavahe ʻa ʻAisaké, naʻá ne toe foki mai ki Sōleki Siti, ʻo fakafoʻou ʻene mēmipasipi ʻi he Siasí, pea toe fakaleleiʻi ai hona vā mo Seiní. ʻI he taimi naʻe pekia ai ʻa [ʻAisaké] ʻi he hili ha taʻu ʻe taha mei ai, naʻe fakahoko hono meʻafakaʻeikí ʻi he ʻapi ʻo [Seiní].

Neongo e ngaahi faingataʻa ʻi he moʻui ʻa Seiní, ka naʻá ne kei pikitai pē ki heʻene tui ki he ngaahi akonaki ʻo e ongoongoleleí peá ne mahuʻingaʻia ʻi heʻene kau ki he Siasí. Naʻá ne foaki ki hono langa e temipale mo kau ʻi he Fineʻofá mo e Kautaha ʻa e Young Ladies Retrenchment.4 Naʻe tāpuekina lahi fau ʻa Seini ʻaki ʻene aʻusia e ngaahi meʻafoaki ʻo e Laumālié, kau ai e ngaahi meʻa-hā-maí, ngaahi misí, fakamoʻui ʻi he tuí, mo e lea ʻi he ngaahi lea kehekehé. Naʻá ne tohi ʻi he konga kimui ʻene moʻuí ʻo pehē, “ʻOku toe mālohi ange ʻeku tui ki he Ongoongolelei ʻo Sīsū Kalaisí ʻi he ʻahó ni, ka ʻikai, ʻoku lava ke u pehē ʻoku mālohi ange ia ʻi he ʻaho ne u fuofua papitaiso aí.”5

ʻI he vahaʻa ʻo e 1884 mo e 1904, naʻe faʻa fetuʻutaki ai ʻa Seini mo e kau taki ʻo e Siasí—Sione Teila, Uilifooti Utalafi, Sina D. H. ʻIongi, mo Siosefa F. Sāmita—mo feinga ke maʻu ha ngofua ke ne maʻu hono ʻenitaumeni temipalé pea mo silaʻi.6 ʻI he taimi ko iá, naʻe ʻikai ngofua ke kau ʻa e kakai tangata mo fefine ʻuliʻuli ne kau ki he Siasí ʻi he konga lahi ʻo e ngaahi ouau fakatemipalé. ʻI he 1888, naʻe fakamafaiʻi ai ʻe he palesiteni fakasiteiki ko ʻEngikasi M. Kēnoní ʻa Seini ke ne fakahoko e papitaiso maʻa hono kāinga kuo pekiá.7 Naʻe aʻu pē ki ha taimi ne fakaʻatā ai ʻe he kau taki ʻo e Siasí ke sila ʻa [Seini] ʻi he fakafofonga ki he fāmili ʻo Siosefa Sāmitá ʻi heʻene hoko ko ha tuʻunga kaunanga ʻi he 1894, ko ha meʻa makehe kuo hoko. Neongo naʻe ʻikai ke ne maʻu ʻa e ʻenitaumeni ʻi he temipalé pe sila fakafāmilí lolotonga ʻene kei moʻuí, ka naʻe fakahoko ʻa e ngaahi ouau ko ení ʻo fakafofongaʻi ia ʻi he 1979.8

Naʻá ne pekia ʻi he ʻaho 16 ʻo  ʻEpeleli, 1908, ʻi hono taʻu 95, ko ha tokotaha Siasi faivelenga. Naʻe lipooti ʻe he Deseret News ʻo pehē, “Naʻe ʻi ai mo ha niʻihi kehe naʻe fakatokangaʻi lahi ange ʻenau tuí mo e faivelengá ʻia Seini Mēningi Sēmisi, pea neongo ʻa e māmani fakatōkilaló naʻe lau ngeau hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻá mo hono ngaahi mahení.”9

Maʻuʻanga Fakamatalá

  1. Naʻe taki pōpula ‘a e faʻē ʻa Seiní ka ne fakatauʻatāinaʻi ia ʻe he lao fakatauʻatāina ʻa Konekitikatí. Naʻe fāʻeleʻi mai ʻa Seini ʻi ha kuonga tauʻatāina, ka naʻe fakalao e taki pōpulá ʻi he vahefonuá ʻi he hili e mavahe ʻa Seiní. Ki he moʻui fakalūkufua ʻa Seiní, vakai, Henry J. Wolfinger, “A Test of Faith: Jane Elizabeth Manning James and the Origins of the Utah Black Community,” in Clark Knowlton, ed., Social Accommodation in Utah (Salt Lake City: University of Utah, 1975), 126–75 and Quincy D. Newell, “The Autobiography and Interview of Jane Elizabeth Manning James,” Journal of Africana Religions, vol. 1, no. 2 (2013), 251–91.

  2. Zina D. H. Young letter to Joseph F. Smith, Jan. 15, 1894, Church History Library, Salt Lake City.

  3. “‘Aunt’ Jane James,” in “Joseph Smith, the Prophet,” Young Woman’s Journal, vol. 16, no. 12 (Dec. 1905), 551, 553.

  4. Eighth Ward Relief Society Minutes and Records, 1867–1969, Eighth Ward, Liberty Stake, Aug. 20, 1874; Oct. 20, 1874; Dec. 21, 1874; Jan. 20, 1875; Mar. 22, 1875; May 20, 1875; Nov. 20, 1875, vol. 1, Church History Library, Salt Lake City [Naʻe ʻiloa ʻa Seini ʻi ha kiʻi vahaʻataimi nounou ʻaki e hingoa fakaʻosi ko e Pēkiní]; “Ladies Semi-monthly Meeting,” Woman’s Exponent, vol. 22, no. 9 (Dec. 1, 1893), 66. Naʻe foaki ʻe Seini ha paʻanga ki hono langa ʻo e Temipale Seni Siaosí, Lōkani, mo Manatai, peá ne tokoni ki he Misiona ʻa e Kau Leimaná (Kau ʻInitiá). Vakai, Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery, “Jane Manning James,” Ensign, Aug. 1979, 29.

  5. Jane Elizabeth Manning James autobiography, circa 1902, dictated to Elizabeth J. D. Roundy, Church History Library, Salt Lake City, 22.

  6. Jane E. James letter to John Taylor, Dec. 27, 1884; Jane E. James letter to Joseph F. Smith, Feb. 7, 1890; Jane E. James letter to Joseph F. Smith, Aug. 31, 1903.

  7. Angus M. Cannon letter to Jane E. James, June 16, 1888; see also Tonya Reiter, “Black Saviors on Mount Zion: Proxy Baptisms and Latter-day Saints of African Descent,” Journal of Mormon History, vol. 43, no. 4 (Oct. 2017), 100–123.

  8. Jane Elizabeth Manning Semisi autobiography, circa 1902. Naʻe talakaetohi ʻe Seini hono piokālafí ʻi Sōleki Siti fakafuofua ki he vahaʻa ʻo e 1902 mo e 1908; Ronald G. Coleman and Darius A. Gray, “Two Perspectives: The Religious Hopes of ‘Worthy’ African American Latter-day Saints before the 1978 Revelation,” in Newell G. Bringhurst and Darron T. Smith, eds., Black and Mormon (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2004), 54. Vakai foki, Quincy D. Newell, “The Autobiography and Interview of Jane Manning James,” Journal of Africana Religions, vol. 1, no. 2 (2013), 256, 275 (note 34).

  9. “Death of Jane Manning James,” Deseret News, Apr. 16, 1908.