Mary R. Durham

Lolotonga hono fakapalanisi ʻe Mele Lisiate Tuahema e ngaahi fie maʻu ʻo e moʻuí ʻi ʻapí, ngaahi uiuiʻi faka-Siasí, ngāue maʻuʻanga moʻuí, mo e ngaahi fatongia kehe talu mei heʻene nofo malí, mo ʻene fakatokangaʻi ko e taimi ʻokú ne hanga ai mo hono husepānití ʻo fakamuʻomuʻa e ʻEikí, ʻe lelei leva e meʻa kotoa pē. Naʻá ne pehē, “Ko ha meʻa fakaʻofoʻofa ia. Kapau te ke falala, ʻe faitāpuekina koe ʻe he ʻEikí.“

Ko ha kaveinga ia kuo tuʻo lahi ʻene mātā ʻene toutou hokó. Naʻe ui ia ke hoko ko e palesiteni ʻo e Kau Finemuí he uōtí lolotonga e ngāue hono husepānití ʻi he kau palesitenisī fakasiteikí. Ne na ngāue fakataha kimui ange mo hono husepānití ʻi hono ui ia ke ne tokangaʻi ʻa e Misiona Tokiō Siapaní mei he 2000 ki he 2003. Te ne hoko ʻeni ko e tokoni ua ʻi he kau palesitenisī lahi ʻo e Palaimelí, kae kamata ngāue ʻa hono husepānití ko ha Fitungofulu Fakaʻēlia.

Naʻá ne pehē, “ ʻI he taimi ʻoku tau kāfataha ai mo e ʻEikí ʻi he ngāué, ʻe faingofua leva e meʻa kotoa pē.”

Naʻe fāʻeleʻi ʻa Mele Lūsia Lisiate ʻi he ʻaho 15 ʻo Māʻasi 1954, ʻi Poatasimifi, Vesīnia, kia L. Sitīveni Lisiate ko e Siʻí, pea mo ʻĀnete Lisiate. Lolotonga e feinga ʻene tamaí ke maʻu hano mataʻitohi fakafaitoʻó, naʻe hiki ai e fāmilí ki Miniapolisi, Minisota kimuʻa pea nau toki nofo ʻi Sōleki Siti, ʻIutaá.

Naʻe tanumaki ia ʻe he tui mo e ʻofa ʻene ongomātuʻá mo hono kāingá, ʻo ne ʻilo ai ʻa hono moʻoni ʻo e ongoongoleleí. Naʻe pehē ʻe Sisitā Tuahema, “Ko ha meʻa fakafiefia ke moʻui ʻaki e ongoongoleleí. Naʻe ʻikai faingataʻa. Naʻe fakafiefia ia.“

ʻI heʻene kei finemuí, naʻe ongo mālohi kiate ia ʻa hono mahuʻinga ʻo e kumi ha talavou moʻui taau ke mali mo iá pea naʻe hoko ia ko ha kaveinga ʻo ʻene lotu fakaʻahó mo ʻene ʻaukai fakauiké. Hili ʻene ʻi he ako māʻolungá, naʻá ne ako he ʻUnivēsiti Pilikihami ʻIongí ʻi ha sikolasipi tauʻolunga, peá ne feʻiloaki ai mo Maʻake Tuahema, naʻe ako ia he ʻUnivēsiti ʻo ʻIutaá. Naʻá ne pehē, “Tuai-e-kemo kuó u fakatokangaʻi ʻene angaleleí.”

Naʻe mali ʻa e ongo meʻá ni ʻi Sune ʻo e 1974 ʻi he Temipale Sōlekí. ʻOku ʻi ai ʻena fānau ʻe toko fitu.

Kuo hoko ʻa Sisitā Tuahema ko ha palesiteni Fineʻofa ʻi he siteikí, tokoni ʻi he kau palesitenisī fakauooti ʻa e Fineʻofá, faiako Tokāteline ʻo e Ongoongoleleí, palesiteni ʻo e Kau Finemuí ʻi he uōtí pea naʻe toki hoko kimuí ni ko ha mēmipa ʻo e poate lahi ʻa e Palaimelí.