In this article, we discuss "heliaki," the use of metaphoric language in Tonga (Kaeppler, 2007), and its relationship to literacy. Viewing "heliaki" through the lens of critical literacy (Freire & Macedo, 2005), we argue that performances of "heliaki" not only represent an indigenous approach to reading and writing the word/world, but may also exist as a culturally relevant strategy for conducting critique. Recent reports on literacy in Tonga (The World Bank Group, 2012) define and assess Tongan students' literacy rates within a framework largely developed outside of indigenous onto-epistemological orientations to literacy, focusing nearly entirely on functional literacy. Acknowledging the cultural importance and critical potential of "heliaki" can nurture the development of pupils' and teachers' creative, critical literacies, and consciousness (Freire, 1985), providing the impetus for enhanced civic participation and greater social inclusion in Tonga and throughout the Pacific.