Tu'ipelehake

The Tuokinaipelehake (or Tuokinai Pelehake to be more consistent with similar titles, like Tuokinai Tonga, Tuokinai Haokinaatakalaua, etc.) is a high ranking, traditional chiefly title from Tonga. There have been several holders of the title over the years, including princes and prime ministers. It is Tongan custom to refer to the holder by his customary title, only adding his personal name if confusion may arise. An example of this would be: Tuokinai Pelehake (okinaUluvalu).

The estates of the Tuokinai Pelehake are:
* A few plots in Vavaokinau, close to Leimatuokinaa (Vaihoi), Holonga and Neiafu (Fatai)
* Some areas in Haokinaapai, on Foa
* A large area in Hahake district on Tongatapu, centred around the village named after him: Pelehake upo to okinaAlaki. Tonga's main airport, Fuaokinaamotu interational airport, is also situated on his estate and not, as the name misleadingly suggests, in neighbouring Fuaokinaamotu.

Origin

All noble titles in Tonga were established with the constitution proclaimed by king Tāufaokinaāhau Tupou I in 1875. Lekaumoana in the list below was the first holder of the new title as such. However, most titles, Tuokinai Pelehake included, are of an older to much older age. They were just not formalised until then. The fact that they were held by the most powerful chiefs of that time has saved them. Hundreds of minor titles were abolished and have disappeared since.

The Tuokinai Pelehake title goes back to the first Tuokinai Tonga, okinaAhookinaeitu, the youngest son of Tangaloa okinaEitumātupuokinaa. His oldest brother, Talafale, fell out of grace and was bestowed the titles Tuokinai Pelehake and also Tuokinai Faleua, a backup in case the Tuokinai Tonga line would die out. Note that the original Tuokinai Pelehake title therefore derives its authority from the Tuokinai Tonga, even though, since it came to George Tupou II, is has been essentially linked to the Tuokinai Kanokupolu.

Holders of the noble title

Lekaumoana

okinaUluvalu

He was the son of Lekaumoana

Filiaipulotu

He was the son of okinaUluvalu

Toutaitokotaha

Siaosi Fatafehi Toutaitokotaha, 1842 — 1912.He was the son of Filiaipulotu and the father of King George Tupou II.He was Prime Minister of Tonga in 1905. After his death the title remained vacant as the king had not really need for it, nor had his successor Sālote Tupou III.

Fatafehi

Sione Ngū Manumataongo Tukuʻaho (7 January 1922 — 10 April 1999), was the youngest son of Sālote Tupou III and was educated in Tonga and Australia. He attended Newington College, Sydney, (1941-1942) [Newington College Register of Past Students 1863-1998 (Syd, 1999) pp201] and an agricultural college in Queensland. Fatafehi married Melenaite Tupoumoheofo Veikune (13 November 1924 — 16 March 1993) on the same day as his older brother, the Crown Prince (in that time still called Tupoutookinaa-Tungī) married Halaevalu Mataokinaaho okinaAhomeokinae. That was the famous double royal wedding ("taokinaane māhanga") of 10 June 1947. He received the title Tuokinai Pelehake (Fatafehi) from his mother in 1944, and he also received the runner up highest title of Tonga of Tuokinai Faleua (king of the second house).

From a non-traditional side, he was knighted as CBE. He inherited from his mother an artistic side; he was a well known poet and composer.

His career was with his brother in the government. He was first governor of Vavaokinau (1949–1952), later of Haokinaapai (1952-1953), next he held various ministerial portfolios in cabinet, until he took over as Prime Minister when his brother had to vacate the post on becoming king in 1965. He remained in this post until he had to withdraw in 1991 because of serious health problems. His last years were spent in a rollchair on a life support system.

He kept the both titles of Tuokinai Pelehake and Tuokinai Faleua for so many years, that they became synonymous with him. But after his death, only the former was conferred to his son, while the latter returned to the king.

okinaUluvalu

Sione okinaUluvalu Takeivūlai Ngū Tukuokinaaho (7 October 1950 — 6 July 2006 (5 July in USA)) was Tuokinai Pelehake from the death of his father until his own death in a car accident near San Francisco, California. He played a key role in mediating between the Government of Tonga and striking civil servants in 2005. At the time of his death he was in the USA for consultations with Tongans living there to present ideas for political reform to his uncle, the king. Prince okinaUluvalu and his wife, Princess Kaimana, died without children.

They were buried at langi Nāmoala in Muokinaa on 21 July, apparently as a reminder of the title's Tuokinai Tonga heritage, and not at Malaokinaekula in Nukuokinaalofa where all kings find their rest.

Mailefihi

When a title holder dies without heir, the title returns to the king, who then will decide what to do with it. In this case he decided to give it, on 21 July, to okinaUluvalu's younger brother, Viliami Tupoulahi Mailefihi Tukuokinaaho (17 June 1957 — ). Mailefihi lost his right to the title 'prince' and any possible claim to the throne when he married Mele Vikatolia Faletau against the wishes of his uncle the king. Children are a daughter Taone Tukuokinaaho Ramanlal and a son Sione Ngū Tukuokinaaho. His (second) marriage in 1996 was with Maokinaata Mookinaungaloa, when she had just won the yearly miss Heilala beauty pageant. And likewise low was his third marriage with okinaEneokinaio Tatafu, a dropout from okinaAtenisi university. According to Tongan law such a person is considered dead as far any royal succession concerns. It does not, however, impede the acquisition of another title. In late August 2006 he also won in a byelection the parliamentary seat which had become vacant by the death of his brother.

References

Bibliography

*E. Wood-Ellem; Queen Sālote of Tonga; and several other books
*Tonga Chronicle newspaper, 3 August 2006

External links

*http://www.uq.net.au/~zzhsoszy/states/tonga/tuipelehake.html
*http://www.matangitonga.to/article/tonganews/royalty/mailefihi010806.shtml