Siaosi Fatafehi Toutaitokotaha/en
When the British high commissioner sir Everard im Thurn came in December 1904 to Tonga to put order in the mess, king Siaosi Tupou II had quickly to nominate new ministers. It is not quite clear how long Siaosi Tuʻipelehake, the father of the king, was actually prime minister. Perhaps a few days until Sione Tupou Mateialona was found. But still it is tradition to have his name mentioned in the official lists. But he then did become the treasurer.
In any case, in January 1905 Tonga became a British protectorate, with the government essentially regulated by the resident British consul, Hamilton Hunter. Tonga was lucky that the British did not straightout annex it. But they did not want to have also the responsibility of the care of the population on their shoulders.
Fatafehi's paternal grandmother Tupou Veiongo, was also the mother of the last Tuʻi Tonga, Sanualio Laufilitonga. The latter wanted on his death in 1865 all prerogatives of his high office going to Fatafehi, which would make him, traditionally seen the most important man of the land. But Fatafehi did not want to antagonise his maternal grandfather king Siaosi Tupou I and relinquished to him most of the honour. Still he kept enough to make the Tuʻipelehake the second most important chiefly title of the country. He kept his own kava ritual (in the Tuʻi Tonga form) and was also known as Tuʻifaleua and ʻEikihāʻele.
It is not quite clear whether all this, said to have originated with Talafale long long ago, was indeed already rooted in myth, or the myths were made up at the occassion.
Since 1865 both he and Tupou I were to be addressed with the royal register (the language reserved for the Tuʻi Tonga).
- I.C. Campbell; Island kingdom; Canterbury press, 2001
- E. Wood-Ellem, Queen Sālote of Tonga, Auckland university press, 1999
