values in the new zealand curriculum - Ministry of Education

uniqueness and collective responsibility to others and that this responsibility is their
obligation inherited by theirs and our papa'anga.
Thaman (2004), Viaoletti and Viaoletti (2003), have described the importance of founding
Pacifica values (understood broadly) through genealogical, land, family and more
generally collective connections or social responsibilities. From a health perspective,
Taufe’ulungaki (2004) argues that for Pacifica peoples, health involves the
interconnections between the spiritual, mental and physical health, and that the
interdependencies of Pacific community similarly mirror this holistic conception.
Well-being and health refer not just to individuals but also to communities, the
environment in which they live, and the relationships that bind them together. This
set of interdependent relationships is what I mean by ‘fonua’ in Tongan, ‘vanua’ in Fiji
and ‘whenua’ in Māori. In other words, ‘fonua’ is a Pacific conception of community”
(p. 3).
Fonua has been described as “land where one’s roots are firmly placed; where one grew
out of or sprung out of; parents or ancestors. Place of origin. In Samoa, tupuanga is
genealogical lineage” (Vaioleti & Vaioleti, 2003, p. 1).
Alongside fonua, the idea of va or relationship space is important since it places the
emphasis on the relation or connection, as opposed to the more Western preoccupation
with individual inputs and outcomes.
In Tongan culture ‘relationship’ is described by the concept ‘va’. Literally it means
‘space’. But in Tongan communities, relationships or the space between any two
individuals, groups or between communities and nature are defined by the context
in which the interaction occurs. Thus, when the context changes, the relationship
changes also, even [in] the case of the same two individuals or groups and
maintaining, nurturing and developing that va so that it remains strong and flexible
is behaving appropriately in each and every variation of the context. The well-being
or health of the community is measured, therefore by contextualised and acceptable
behaviour and actions that are meaningful, worthwhile and beneficial to others
(Taufe’ulungaki, 2004, p .7).
Vaioleti and Vaioleti (2003) explain tauhi vaa further by stating that it can be:
Values in the New Zealand Curriculum: A Literature Review 45