Reading

One of the things that I found so interesting  to keep the traditions alive in the culture Tonga is there traditional songs. As they sing there traditional songs they put there hands out into a gooey, paste and then spread the paste over a sheet of material on the table.



The second thing that I found so interesting  is that it’s a long way from the Kingdom of Tonga, which is about 2,000 kilometres north of New Zealand.

The third thing that I found interesting is that  the group is learning about Tongan culture and how to make ngatu, a cloth made from bark. Ngatu is known as tapa in many Pacific countries like the islands.

The fourth thing that I found so intresting is that Ngatu is made from the bark (tutu) of the paper mulberry tree (hiapo). Making ngatu is called koka‘anga. Ngatu is very important in Tonga. It is used for blankets, mats, clothes – and even kites.

Last of not least the thing that i found interesting is that Over four months, the group has made twenty large pieces of ngatu. Each woman takes a piece home. At home, they plan the design and then paint the ngatu. They might use designs of turtles, fish, birds, and animals. They might include the Tongan flag. Each piece of ngatu tells a story.