Welcome to Tonga
Malo e lelei!

Tonga's maritime roots are deep and far-reaching. Tonga was settled about 3,000 years ago by people who made Lapita pottery. Over the next thousand years, voyaging became less frequent. Then, in the 13th century, Tongan chiefs began to exert a powerful influence far beyond their own shores. Great vessels plied their way between the islands of Fiji, Rotuma, Samoa, and Niue, in a complex system of chiefly marriages and trade.

Early Europeans were quite impressed with the size and abilities of Tonga's double-hull canoes. Some could carry between 100 and 150 people. Because Tongan forests were limited, they traveled to the Lau Islands of Fiji and traded fine mats, bark cloth, weapons, and warriors for access to the timbers.

At this island station learn the traditional Polynesian stories of Maui.
Welcome to Samoa
Upstairs Gallery of the Hawai`iloa Exhibit

Back to the Hawai'iloa page
Back to the Past Exhibits Page
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Revised on August 29, 1996 by mcb