Ancient Polynesian and Tongan history clearly states that we come from Vaihi, translated as the faraway land. Our ancestors from Vaihi first landed on ‘Ata Island near Tongatapu. The name ‘Ata has a direct connection to the Maya. ‘Ata in Mayan means Actual Time of Arrival, the word ‘Ata became a common word and name among Tongans and Polynesians from the past and has remained a word among Polynesians until this day.
The founders of the great Polynesian Empire went from ‘Ata to Tongatapu. Upon landing on Tongatapu, they named the residence of the Maui Clan Vaihi. There are several other locations throughout the Pacific. In Ha’apai, there are two locations called Vaihi, with one location in Vava’u. In the discovery of Samoa, the main island in Samoa was also named after Vaihi, called Savai’i today. This pattern was also duplicated in Hawaii’s discovery, where the largest island was called Vaihi, which is modern-day Big Island Hawaii. There are areas in Tahiti, New Zealand, the Cook Islands, and Niue where islands and places were called Vaihi and were altered over time to Havaiki, Avaiki, etc.
The political structure of Vaihi was a Kingship political structure. This is the political structure that the Tongan Empire’s founding fathers brought to TOnga and was later transferred throughout Polynesia beginning in 1,000 BC. This results in 3,000 years of Tonga being governed by Kings.
So many names and words were brought from Vaihi 3,000 years ago that we still use today in Tonga and throughout the Pacific. Some of these ancient Vaihi words include Manoa, Kali, Tasini, Mala, Pipi or ‘umu, ‘Ata,’ ita, sipa, tula, \ ‘ahau, Tamale. Tamale is the oldest title throughout Tongan history. ‘Ahau became a long-standing traditional name of the Tu’i Tonga. ‘Ahau means in Mayan king or high priest; All these various names are derived from Vaihi and are directly connected to Mayan, Nazca, and the Inca origins.l
I grew up in 2 farming and agricultural families in Tonga, and I am a farmer. It was not until after I migrated to America that I discovered that many of the crops and foods we planned and are in Tonga were almost all from Vaihi or America. The Polynesian empire’s founding fathers brought these crops and food products from the Americas to Tonga 2,500 years before Europeans discovered Vaihi in 1492 and named Vaihi the Americas in 1507.
In return, the Ancient Fathers of Polynesia brought from the islands of Polynesia the Moa (Chickens), pigs, and coconuts to Vaihi. The Ancient Tongan Empire was in contact with Vaihi in the early AD.
Tongan Plants brought from Vaihi:
- Faina Tonga & Faina Ha’amoa – Pineapple
- Lesi Tonga, Lesi ‘Initia, and Lesi Meleni – Papaya
- ‘Apele Tonga & ‘Apele ‘Initia – SourSop & Tonga Apple
- Vaine Tonga, Vaine ‘a e Kuma, Pasione – Passion Fruit
- Siaine Tonga & Pata Tonga – Plantain
- Vavae Tonga – Cotton
- Moli Tonga – Orange
- Polo Tonga & Polo Fifisi – Peppers
- Talo Tonga – Taro
- Tapaka Tonga – Tabacco
- Temata Tonga -Tomatoes
- ‘Onioni Tonga – Onions
- Kava Tonga – Kava
- Koko – Cocoa
- Kape – Giant Taro
- Kuava – Guava
- Kumala – Sweet Potato
- Koane – Corn
- Manioke – Cassava
- Manitele Pinati – Peanuts
- ‘Avoka – Avocados
- Hina – Squash
- Pateta – Potato
These connections are the connections that foreigners should explore and study regarding the origins of Polynesian Culture regarding its connection to the great Polynesian EMpire’s cultural connections to Vaihi rather than Lapita Pottery; Linguistically connect of a few Austronesian words to Taiwan & China. There is not enough of a connection of a few Austronesian words to explain the unique cultural connections that are astronomically, politically, scientifically, economically, and Agriculturally tied to Vaihi.
I have been researching the origins of my people for almost my whole life. I have never found a single piece of evidence that convinces me that my culture and people originate from Taiwan. According to top the Civilization and ancient oral history of the TOnga and Polynesia regarding the religious, political, social, scientific, economic, and we can now add new DNA discoveries.
The Tongan Empire that spread throughout Polynesia is built off the same culture and structure of the Mayans, Nazca, and the Inca in America.