Customary Proceedings

I could have chosen a better topic to accompany the change in name of my blog but I felt this was worthy enough. Sometimes it feels as though I'm looking for a tool that fits the job.......hmm
It is a talked about issue nowadays for the Itaukei communities how we are coping with our traditional obligations as opposed to our domestic or family responsibilities. Nowadays the main factor is how hard one is able to cope with the costs of attending to these obligations and upholding our traditions. This has lead to the attempted reseaches by various institution to bring to light the issues surrounding these complications of the Itaukei way of life. The question is, are traditions based or governed by a set of rules that determines its acceptance in a society or is it made to depict the nature of that society and its surroundings or is it a divine structure that we adhere to with strict attention to its details. Sometimes I ponder and realise this is just our doing.
During a talanoa session we had a discussion on how difficult it is to find a Tabua(whales tooth). To those who don't know, it is an item of great reverance in the Itaukei culture and holds its status in the hierachy of Fijian traditions. The gravity of the gathering or traditional obligation would determine its presence and sometimes how one perceives it to be. So we talked about how at different Itaukei customs the presentation of tabua would also allow the other side to return the gesture. In doing so every one goes back with something unlike in other customs as in mine the Tabua once presented does not anticipate such gesture. Though a marked difference it is still the Itaukei tradition and one would notice the difference in traditions even within Fiji.
After that small talanoa session I thought long and hard of why do we have that difference. Well heres my attempt in trying to shed some light on this subject. The presentation of the Tabua back to the presenting party is a show of respect and acknowledgement of their presentation. On the other hand there's the possibility that certain traditions are sometimes associated with their geographic location. It would be reasonable to note if Fijians from inland, the mountanous regions, would derive such tradition to avoid the scarcity of Tabua and ensure it's presence, hence the question Tabua could only have found their way up there if there was trade in exchange for big timbers that were used to build big bures and war canoes with the coastal tribes or those who have lived out in the islands with their links intact to the mainland and links which was as clear as day in those times for the frequency of their travel and visit.  

Lets end there for today...   

A City Indeed

During our photo control work around western Viti Levu, it was the first time for me to see and set foot back in a place where a lot of stories of Fijian history resides. That place is Rakiraki or the yasana of Ra. All of my preconceived ideas and wrong expectations about the place was quickly transformed into curious questions as to why this beautiful and breathtaking place had so many negative attachments to it. The stories of the Kalou ni Draki, the witchcraft pratices, criminals and the recent disappearance of the Lata sisters somehow draws my attention back to a conversation I had with this man from Nakorotubu in Ra about a statement that Ratu Madraiwiwi( Ratu Sukuna's father) made during his term as the 1st Roko Tui Ra; this people or their land is never to be a strategic part in Fijis development now and in the future. Then it reminded me of the exile of the Na Vosa Vakadua from Drauniivi a Fijian history not seen by our educators as worth teaching, I for one feel disgusted about all this nonsense, this Fijian history which needs to be taught in school of what reality is and what really happened to the changes in time and how those changes affected us Fijians, if it had been taught I cannot even imagine how differently our young ones would seen dvelopment and advancement. We don't need weak educators, if can't bite the bullet on certain issues then we will continue to be a whining nation whining and whining. Back to Ra. The first impression of the place and the many islands floating beside it just made me realise of how blessed our ancestors was, if this was truly the first place they settled in.
Recently the story of the girl found in a yacht bound for overseas led me to question as to how they got caught now and not then, is this political, why did they get caught now, I thought of calling my friend in Rakiraki Mr George Shiu Raj who might be able to lend a few insight as to why this is happening in Rakiraki but no I just went with my gut instincts on this and something surely wasn't sitting right in my stomach.
While there during the field work I saw just how magnificent the place was, we went to a trig next to a Telecom substation and all I could see was breathtaking, every story that I used to hear has just been put to shame. It was just perfect, the weather was fine, clear sun, less clouds and I could only imagine if that was how it looked when it was settled, those blesssed people. Nakauvadra laid on the right and the array of islands laid along the coast. Then we went inland nothing seemed to change, fertile land, healthy people and boisterous children. I have never seen a place so blessed that I felt that this people have been denied something for so long.
Its location, the close proximity of it to Vanua Levu makes it an ideal place for a central  port in Viti Levu or link between the two islands. Not only that there is even closer links between the people itself they could have been traversing those waters daily back in the days as Bua is visible from Rakiraki. I believe a city is to be built there, Waila is to close to Suva can't have that. If ever there was a place to initiate the Look North policy Rakiraki would be the platform for that. Rakiraki has the potential to sustain its new development.

If ever there was a time to put Bauan supremacy aside and really think about the advancement of ITaukei and our nation as a whole then this is the time for those who really care about their land and start thinking about this in the long run and seriously for the furtue of our nation.

Don't choke on that.