Linda K. Burton

Palesiteni Lahi ʻo e Fineʻofá

ʻI he kei taʻu hongofulu tupu ʻa Linitā Kasā Pētoní naʻe fakafokifā haʻane fakatokangaʻi ha meʻa ʻi he lolotonga ha houalotu ʻa e Siasí ʻi Kulaisiseesi, ʻi Nuʻu Sila. Naʻá ne pehē, “Naʻá ku ʻilo ʻoku moʻoni ʻa e ongoongoleleí. Naʻá ku toe fakatokangaʻi foki ta naʻá ku ʻosi ʻiloʻi maʻu pē.” ʻE tokoniʻi ʻeni ʻe he fakamoʻoni ko iá ia ʻi heʻene ngāue ko e palesiteni lahi ʻo e Fineʻofá.

Naʻe fāʻeleʻi ʻa Sisitā Pētoni ʻi Sōleki Siti ʻi ʻIutā ʻi he USA, kia Māsilī C. pea mo Mōlisi A. Kasā, pea naʻe taʻu 13 ʻi he taimi naʻe hiki ai hono fāmilí mei ʻIutā ke tokangaʻi ʻe heʻene tangataʻeikí ʻa e Misiona Nuʻu Sila Sauté. Naʻe ako ʻa Sisitā Pētoni—ʻa ia ko e fika ua ia ʻi he fānau ʻe toko ono—ʻi he Kolisi ʻa e Siasí ʻi Nuʻu Silá pea feohi ai mo e kau finemui mo e kau talavou taʻu hongofulu tupu ʻo e Siasí ʻi he Pasifikí. Naʻá ne foki ki Sōleki Siti ʻo ʻikai ngata pē heʻene manako ʻi he ngaahi anga fakafonua mo e ngaahi tukufakaholo kehekehé kae toe tautautefito ange ʻene ʻofa ki he ʻEikí pea mo hono fāmilí.

Naʻe lolotonga ako ʻa Sisitā Pētoni ʻi he ʻUnivēsiti ʻo ʻIutaá ʻi he taimi naʻe fetaulaki ai pea mali mo Kuleiki P. Pētoni ʻi ʻAokosi 1973 ʻi he Temipale Sōleki. Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa e ongomeʻá ni ke ʻoua ʻe toe toloi ha ʻi ai haʻana fānau; pea naʻe fāʻeleʻi e lahi taha ʻi heʻena fānau ʻe toko onó ʻi ha meimei taʻu ʻe taha mei ai.

Naʻe lava ʻi heʻene ngāue fakataha mo hono husepānití ke nofo pē ʻi ʻapi mo ʻena fānaú kae ngāue hono husepānití ʻi he fakatau kelekelé. Naʻe akoʻi e ongomātuʻá ni ʻi he ngaahi fuofua palopalema fakapaʻangá ke na fakatuʻamelie ʻi heʻena sio ki he kahaʻú peá ne [uaifi] pehē “koeʻuhí naʻá ma ʻiloʻi ne ma lavaʻi ha faʻahinga meʻa faingataʻa ʻi he tokoni ʻa e ʻEikí.”

Naʻe fakahoko ʻe he fāmilí ha fanga kiʻi folau mālōlō ʻeveʻeva pea mo fiefia ʻi heʻenau fakatahá. Naʻe ʻosi ngāue ʻa Sisitā Pētoni ʻi he Kau Finemuí, Palaimelí, mo e Lautohi Faka-Sāpaté pea ʻi he poate lahi ʻo e Palaimelí mo e Fineʻofá. Naʻá ne ngāue fakataha mo hono husepānití ʻi heʻene tokangaʻi ʻa e Misiona Kōlea Soulu Uēsité mei he 2007 ki he 2010. Naʻe fakatokangaʻi ʻe Sisitā Pētoni ʻi he malaʻe ʻo e ngāue fakafaifekaú—ʻo tatau mo ia naʻá ne aʻusia ʻi he ngaahi taʻu kimuʻa ʻi Nuʻu Silá—ʻoku mahulu hake ʻa e ʻofá ʻi he leá mo e anga fakafonuá.

ʻOkú ne ʻamanaki ʻi heʻene ngāue foʻoú ʻe toe fakaʻaongaʻi ha meʻa naʻá ne ako mei hano kaungāmeʻa ʻi Kōlea: “Te nau ongoʻi hoʻo ʻofá.”