Haafeva is a small island in the

Haʻapai Haʻapai is a group of islands, islets, reefs, and shoals in the central part of Tonga. It has a combined land area of . The Tongatapu island group lies to its south, and the Vavaʻu group lies to its north. Seventeen of the Haʻapai islands are ...

group of

Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...

, but still the main island of the

Lulunga Lulunga is an island group and a district in Haʻapai administrative division of the Kingdom of Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 ar ...

archipelago. Kolongatata is the name commonly given to the village on Haafeva and is a reference to Haafeva's exposure to strong winds. The inhabited area of Haafeva can be divided into Hahake, Hihifo, Tua Kolo, Loto Kolo and Uta. The Island has a population of 192.

Geography

Haafeva is 42 km southwest of Pangai in the Haapai group of islands at Latitude (DMS) 19° 56' 60 S and Longitude (DMS) 174° 43' 0 W.

History

Haʻafeva is the home estate of the chiefly line of Tuuhetoka (now merged with Lasike). It was Moatunu, one of their ancestors, who once saved Tāufaāhau I from losing a decisive battle and even death at the

Battle of Velata The Battle of Velata was fought at Tau'akipulu, Haʻapai, Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is ...

in 1826. When Tāufaāhau came to Haafeva to ask the chief for help with his war against

Laufilitonga Fatafehi Laufilitonga (24 August 1797 – 9 December 1865) was the 54th and last Tui Tonga, a dynasty of kings in Tonga during the Tui Tonga Empire. Biography Only little is known about Laufilitonga's life. Laufilitonga was the oldest so ...

, the last Tui Tonga to be, the chief did not want to help him, having his allegiance with the other. But when his sister threatened to go instead, he switched loyalty, and fought close to Tāufaāhau. Then the latter was hit on the head by several attackers and lay unconscious on the ground. The Haafeva chief fought off all enemies until Tāufaāhau became conscious again. Later this warrior was named "Tuu-he-toka" ("Standing while the chief is sleeping"). Had Tāufaāhau been a commoner instead of a chief, the proper term would be ''tuu-he-mohe''; had he been king, ''tuu-he-tōfā'' would have been used. The area around the island was also the site of the 1789

Mutiny on the Bounty The mutiny on the ''Bounty'' occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship, , from their captain, Lieutenant (navy), Lieutenant William Bli ...

. The island was damaged by a tropical cyclone in March 1963. In December 1980 the ferry ''Fetu’umoana'' capsized near Haʻafeva, with the loss of eleven lives.

Archaeology

Haafeva is home to an excavation site dubbed 'Mele Havea', after Mele Havea, whose house is nearby. Hundreds of pieces of early Eastern Lapita pottery were unearthed there in 1996 and 1997 along with various other artifacts of early settlements. Carbon dating places these artifacts at approximately 2690 to 2490 years BP.

Ferry sinking

Haafeva was to have been the destination of the ill-fated , an inter-island ferry that sank on 5 August 2009, claiming many lives. Most of those killed were women and children as it is usual in Tonga for men to sleep on the decks of boats while the children and women shelter inside.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ha'afeva Islands of Tonga Haʻapai