Tai ira te moan ang.

“Do not follow the first breeze.”

A caution against acting on a first impulse; wait and think before reacting.

Kateira ma rabakaura bon kinaakira.

“Our culture and knowledge are our identity.”

A people's customs and accumulated knowledge are what define who they are.

Te mauri bwa te tautau.

“Respecting the guiding hand brings spiritual protection.”

Honouring the guidance of elders and those who lead safeguards wellbeing.

E tabu te aomata.

“The person is sacred.”

Every individual carries an inherent dignity and worth that must be respected and protected.

Te Mauri, Te Raoi ao Te Tabomoa.

“Health, peace, and prosperity.”

Kiribati's national motto, borne on the Coat of Arms, expressing the nation's guiding aspiration for its people.

“Whatever is agreed within the United States today, with China, it will not have a bearing on our future, because already, it's too late for us.”

Spoken during a 2014 CNN interview, reflecting Tong's view that global climate negotiations, however important, could no longer reverse the sea-level rise already threatening Kiribati.