Tolai
Encyclopedia
The Tolai are the indigenous people of the Gazelle Peninsula
and the Duke of York Islands
of East New Britain
in the New Guinea Islands region
of Papua New Guinea
. They are ethnically close kin to the peoples of adjacent New Ireland
and are thought to have migrated to the Gazelle Peninsula in relatively recent times, displacing the Baining
people who were driven westwards.
The majority of Tolais speak Kuanua as their first language (~100,000). Two other languages are also spoken as first languages: Minigir and Bilur, each with approximately 2,000 speakers.
The Tolais almost universally define themselves as Christian
and are predominantly Roman Catholic and United Church
. Christianity was introduced to the island when Methodist ministers and teachers from Fiji
arrived in the New Guinea islands region in 1875. However, in 1878 when some of the tribespeople ate 4 of the missionaries, the Englishman
who led the missionaries, George Brown, directed and took part in a punitive expedition
that resulted in a number of Tolais being killed and several villages burnt down.
In August 2007, the descendants of Tolai tribespeople who ate a Fijian minister and 3 Fijian teachers in 1878 publicly apologized for the incident to Fiji's High Commissioner, Ratu Isoa Tikoca. The apology was accepted. At the event, Papua New Guinea's Governor-General Paulias Matane told the crowd he appreciated the work of the early Fijian missionaries in spreading Christianity in the islands region.http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22254565-5006506,00.html
Notwithstanding the Christianization of the Tolais for more than a century, old beliefs and traditions still persist, e.g. the belief in the female spirits of the Tubuans with secret ceremonies performed by initiates; as well as the belief in sorceries to either gain someone's love or to punish an enemy.
The Tolais are divided into two moieties. Membership is determined by matrilineal descent. Sexual intercourse with someone from one's own moiety is strictly forbidden and it used to be severely punished. The culprits were eaten prior to the advent of Christianity and even today, if a Tolai boy and a Tolai girl from the same moiety fall in love, their only chance is to elope and settle where they are unknown.
Gazelle Peninsula
Gazelle Peninsula is a large peninsula in northeastern New Britain, Papua New Guinea, at ....
and the Duke of York Islands
Duke of York Islands
The Duke of York Islands, , are a group of islands located in East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. They are found in St George's Channel between New Britain and New Ireland islands and form part of Bismarck Archipelago...
of East New Britain
East New Britain
East New Britain is a province of Papua New Guinea, on the north-eastern part of the island of New Britain and it also includes the Duke of York Islands. The capital of the province is Kokopo, not far from the old capital of Rabaul, which was largely destroyed in the 1994 volcanic eruption...
in the New Guinea Islands region
Islands Region
The Islands Region is one of four regions of Papua New Guinea comprising the Bismarck Archipelago and North Solomon Islands located north-east of the mainland...
of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. They are ethnically close kin to the peoples of adjacent New Ireland
New Ireland (island)
New Ireland is a large island in Papua New Guinea, approximately 7,404 km² in area. It is the largest island of the New Ireland Province, lying northeast of the island of New Britain. Both islands are part of the Bismarck Archipelago, named after Otto von Bismarck, and they are separated by...
and are thought to have migrated to the Gazelle Peninsula in relatively recent times, displacing the Baining
Baining
The Baining people are among the earliest and original inhabitants of the Gazelle Peninsula of East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. They currently inhabit the Baining Mountains into where they are thought to have been driven by the Tolai tribes who migrated to the coastal areas in comparatively...
people who were driven westwards.
The majority of Tolais speak Kuanua as their first language (~100,000). Two other languages are also spoken as first languages: Minigir and Bilur, each with approximately 2,000 speakers.
The Tolais almost universally define themselves as Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and are predominantly Roman Catholic and United Church
United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands
The United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands is a merged denomination dating from 1968 consisting of the former London Missionary Society , the relatively marginal Presbyterian church and the Methodist mission The United Church in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands is a...
. Christianity was introduced to the island when Methodist ministers and teachers from Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
arrived in the New Guinea islands region in 1875. However, in 1878 when some of the tribespeople ate 4 of the missionaries, the Englishman
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
who led the missionaries, George Brown, directed and took part in a punitive expedition
Punitive expedition
A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a state or any group of persons outside the borders of the punishing state. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavior, but may be also be a covered revenge...
that resulted in a number of Tolais being killed and several villages burnt down.
In August 2007, the descendants of Tolai tribespeople who ate a Fijian minister and 3 Fijian teachers in 1878 publicly apologized for the incident to Fiji's High Commissioner, Ratu Isoa Tikoca. The apology was accepted. At the event, Papua New Guinea's Governor-General Paulias Matane told the crowd he appreciated the work of the early Fijian missionaries in spreading Christianity in the islands region.http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22254565-5006506,00.html
Notwithstanding the Christianization of the Tolais for more than a century, old beliefs and traditions still persist, e.g. the belief in the female spirits of the Tubuans with secret ceremonies performed by initiates; as well as the belief in sorceries to either gain someone's love or to punish an enemy.
The Tolais are divided into two moieties. Membership is determined by matrilineal descent. Sexual intercourse with someone from one's own moiety is strictly forbidden and it used to be severely punished. The culprits were eaten prior to the advent of Christianity and even today, if a Tolai boy and a Tolai girl from the same moiety fall in love, their only chance is to elope and settle where they are unknown.
Prominent Tolais
- Sir Ronald Tovue (former premier of East New Britain)
- Sir Alkan Tololo (First citizen chancellor of UPNG & Unitech, later Vudal)
- Sir Rabbie NamaliuRabbie NamaliuSir Rabbie Langanai Namaliu, GCL, CSM, KCMG is a Papua New Guinea politician. He served as the fourth Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 1988 to 1992 as leader of the Pangu Party...
(former Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea) - Sir Paulias MatanePaulias MataneSir Paulias Nguna Matane GCL, GCMG, OBE, KStJ , formerly a career civil servant, was the eighth Governor-General of Papua New Guinea from 29 June 2004 to 13 December 2010.-Personal life:...
(Governor General of Papua New Guinea) - Sir Henry ToRobert (former Governor of the Bank of Papua New Guinea)
- Sir John KaputinJohn KaputinSir John Kaputin was the foreign minister of Papua New Guinea from 1992 until 1994 and from December 1999 until 2000. He is a co-founder of the Melanesian Alliance Party. He was named Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St...
(Secretary General of ACP-EU - 2005 to present) - George TelekGeorge TelekGeorge Mamua Telek, commonly known simply as Telek is a singer from Papua New Guinea.Born in 1959 in Raluana, East New Britain Province, Telek is one of the few Papua New Guinean singers to gain international fame. Telek sang with various bands in Papua New Guinea early in his career - most notably...
(singer) - J. Martin, president and CEO of ASATOCYL (Asociación de atontados de Castilla y León), from Ponferrada (Spain), is famous for his haigas and his "galochas".