Walking the Line between Anga Fakatonga and Anga Fakapalangi: My experience researching the life of a Tongan king

Abstract

In this chapter I discuss the challenges of writing the biography of a fellow Pacific Islander and elaborate on the approach I adopt. The issues I confront are not unique but are variously shared by other contributors. During a visit to Tonga in early 2012 I was told by a Tongan friend that as a person of Pasifika heritage. I did not quite fit the mould of being a palangi in Tonga because I share a common connection as a native of Polynesia. At the same time, however, because I was not Tongan I was also not considered an insider. Show more