article

Land tenure and social organisation in Tonga

Journal of the Polynesian Society68 • Published In 1959 • Pages: 93-114

By: Nayacakalou, R. R. (Rusiate Raibosa).

Abstract
This article was written as the 'first of several papers examining the relationship between land tenure and social organisation in three Pacific Island communities - Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa' (p. 93). The author discusses the historical background and current statutory framework of Tongan land tenure, a sample village, acquiring 'api' - a plot of land, distribution of village land, land use and labor, kinship and land use, and land tenure and village structure. The source provides a useful discussion of how Tonga's feudal class system affects both kinship patterns and land use.
Subjects
Tillage
Property system
Real property
Acquisition and relinquishment of property
Renting and leasing
Income and demand
Mutual aid
Classes
Household
Kin relationships
Lineages
Community structure
Community heads
Legal norms
culture
Tongans
HRAF PubDate
2006
Region
Oceania
Sub Region
Polynesia
Document Type
article
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Martin J. Malone; 1978
Field Date
Dec. 1957 - Jan. 1958
Coverage Date
ca. 1957-1958
Coverage Place
Town of Nuku'alofa, Tongatapu Island, Tonga
Notes
By R. R. Nayacakalou
Includes bibliographical references (p. 114)
LCCN
08012644
LCSH
Tongans