Fijian tradition and ceremony is a way of life that has evolved as the Fijian nation has modernised over time, with various external influences from Pacific neighbours, and the European and Asian society. This general overview of various aspects of Fijian tradition, social structure and ceremony, much of it from the Bauan Fijian tradition although there are variations from province to province, uses "Fijian" to mean indigenous Fijians or I TaukeiMarshall David Sahlins, Apologies to Thucydides, p. 230. rather than all citizens of Fiji, and the Fijian terms are most often of the Bauan dialect. Many social intricacies depend on one's inherited social position and the occasion one is confronted with: each will have a particular social etiquette.
Social structure Traditionally, each Fijian villager is born into a certain role in the family unit or Tokatoka. Various heads of the family will administer and lead the family unit within the village community. Each chief of the village will in turn lead the people to fulfill their role to the Vanua.
Each village will have several family units / Tokatoka Harry Goulbourne, Race and Ethnicity, p. 26. which are part of one clan or Mataqali. Several Mataqali will make up the larger tribe or Yavusa.R. M. W. Dixon, A Grammar of Boumaa Fijian, pp. 1-3. Several Yavusa will belong to a certain land mass and comprise thereby the Vanua (confederation of Yavusa) Dr Asesela Ravuvu (1983, p. 76) describes the Vanua as:
The living soul or human manifestation of the physical environment which the members have since claimed to belong to them and to which they also belong. The land is the physical or geographical entity of the people, upon which their survival...as a group depends. Land is thus an extension of the self. Likewise the people are an extension of the land. Land becomes lifeless and useless without the people, and likewise the people are helpless and insecure without land to thrive upon.
The Vanua is headed by a Turaga i taukei,Martha Kaplan, "Embattled People of the Land", in Neither Cargo Nor Cult, p. 25. the most prominent chief from the most prominent family. To explain further, a Vanua is the largest collective group of people associated with a particular territory or area of land. A Vanua is divisible into a group of Yavusa / tribes: a Yavusa is a group of Mataqali / clans: a Mataqali is a group of Tokatoka / family units. Within the Mataqali making up one Yavusa one Mataqali will be predominant and head that Yavusa as a whole. Similarly, one Tokatoka will head that Mataqali and one member of that Tokatoka will be Senior Chieftain / Turaga i Taukei of that Vanua.
Matanitu is a confederation of Vanua, not through ancestry or traditional ties, but rather by alliances formed politically or in war and/or united by a common need.
The feast and the club
Within the Fijian Bauan belief system, all Fijians fall into one of the two following categories which will indicate their position and role in the community:
1. Liga-ni-Magiti (hand of the feast)Marshall David Sahlins, Islands of History, p. 87. (8) - 3 Turaga (e.g. Ratu/Adi) positions); & 5 Bete {e.g. Matanivanua} positions.
2. Liga-ni-Wau (hand of the club) (7) - 3 Bati (e.g. Tora); 2 Matai (e.g. Daulevu); 2 Dau (e.g. Tunidau) positions.
The two categories are further divided into subcategories which are indicated by a number. There is Liga ni Magiti, which is category one and is indicated by the number 8 (Walu), which then has two subcategories; first 3, which is Turaga overall, containing the Ratu and the Adi (Fijian Royalty). These are considered born leaders and administrators. Then, secondly, subcategory 5 of Category 1 is the Bete - priests or heralds; these traditionally are the spokesmen, councillors, advisors of the land and the spiritualists.
Category 2, Liga ni Wau, is indicated by the number 7 (Vitu). Liga ni Wau has three subcategories. First there is 3, the Bati, traditionally Warriors, they are the wagers of war, the keepers of the peace, and the instruments of discipline on behalf of the Turaga. Then there is subcategory 2: Matai - a general term for skillful persons, (e.g. carpenters, craftsman, house or canoe builders). The last subcategory, 2 Dau, is the general term for an expert of some kind (e.g. dau-ni-vucu [Poet], dau-ni-yau [treasurer]). It is said socially, “Ke na Dau qori”, meaning “He is the expert”.
Relationship terms within Fijian society
A first question generally in Fiji is “Where are you from?” so people may ascertain what relationship they hold with you and how will they interact with you. There are various relationship terms in Fiji. These include:
"Tauvu". Tau (friend); Vu (Spirit); having the same Vu, root or founder. Basil Thomson (1908:113) suggests “that groups in Fiji who are tauvu or kalou-vata ie worshippers of the same god, have a common origin”. 0 Tauvu are allowed reciprocal rights of taking each other's goods and coarse joking with each other, though this is not used inland in Viti-Levu. The following are some Tauvu groupings:
Lomaloma and Moturiki also to Yadrana village on Lakeba Island and also to Moala Island Lomaiviti and Cakaudrove Cakaudrove and Bua Lakeba and Noco Lau and Rewa Cakaudrove and Tailevu Ra/Nadroga/Kadavu/Ba Macuata/Naitasiri Serua/Kadavu Nadroga/Kadavu Nadi/Kadavu Ono-I-Lau/Bau Island Ono, Kadavu/Ono-I-Lau Ono-I-Lau/Oneata
Other terms "Tako-Lavo". This relationship relates to people of Colo from Inland Viti Levu e.g. Serua, Namosi areas, The meaning of Tako-Lavo is the Father {Tako} Son {Lavo} relationship. "Kaivata" or "Kai" may be used generally across the board to all Fijians, if they identify themselves within the same Province. "Kai-noqu" may be used when one Fijian is generally addressing another Fijian that they share the same blood somewhere in their lineage.
The term "Vasu" in Fiji refers to an individual's maternal ties to a village, Matagali etc. If a child is of a woman of rank he/she is a Vasu Levu to that particular area. If both mother and father are Fijian, he/she is a Vasu I Taukei. If both mother and father are Fijian and both are of a very senior chiefly rank from respective areas, then the child's Vasu connection is referred to as Turaga na Vasu. Intermarriage through the Vasu was used to expand kingdoms and unite old enemies or strengthen family links.Matanitu, Chapter 1, p. 36.Fiji and the Fijians, Chapter 2, pp. 34, 35.
An example If a Fijian was Kai Rewa and Vasu i Lau (paternally from Rewa District of Rewa Province and maternally from Lakeba, Lau), then he/she would be considered from Rewa, which is of the Burebasaga confederacy and Lakeba of the Lau Province, which is of the Tovata confederacy. With respect to his/her matrilineal side, being that of Lakeba, Lau Province of Tovata, the following applies:
If he/she were to take his/her father's side and purely acknowledge his/her lineage from Rewa Tikina, Rewa Province, of the Burebasaga confederacy the following would apply:
He/she would say "Naita" to those from Tailevu and Yasayasa Vakara and "Tauvu" to those from the Lau group.
Relationships within the Fijian family There is great intricacy of social interaction among families and close tribes, between brothers and sisters, cousins, uncles and the like. The Fijian concept of "family" does not align with the Western notion of a normative family. Extended family members will adopt roles and titles of a direct guardian. The iTaukei (Indigenous Fijians) culture is not based on biological lineage but instead on a child's link to a spiritual ancestor. This has proved to be somewhat of a hurdle when attempting to apply Western culture in a Fijian landscape, such as the use of a predominantly Western criminal justice system.
Megan Lee, in her paper Life in a Fijian Village while studying social structure and organization of Naivuvuni Village states: “The kinship system is an essential aspect of Fijian life. The ways in which people interact with each other is based upon how they are related to each other within the family unit. Respect and avoidance relationships are critical to the kinship system. Respect is based on three main concepts: age, sex, social distance and status. The older a person is, the more respect they command, regardless of sex or social rank. The amount of respect displayed also depends on the amount of social distance between people. People who interact with one another on a regular basis tend to be more relaxed and less strict about the proper respect relationships. People who do not see each other as often and are less familiar with each other follow the expected rules more stringently.”
The following terms (with variation between provinces) are used among close family members:
The term "Yaca" is used to refer to one's "namesake" when a child in memory of a relative who has passed on. Children are also named after a living relative. The term is even more loosely used today among friends if you share the same name, though this is not used in its correct context.
Anne E. Becker in her book Body, Self, and Society: the view from Fiji writes:
In the event that a kin relationship cannot be conjured from the meeting, the respective parties will invoke one of many other relationships that associate them in some way for instances they may be mutual namesakes (Yaca) or their respective regional ancestral spirits (Vu) May have been friends so by syllogism they are Tauvu and address each other as Tau.
The term "Tavale" is used by those who are cross cousins for example the son or daughter of a father's sister or mother's brother, both used for close and long distant relatives.
Megan Lee in her paper "Life in a Fijian Village", in Chapter 2, Social Structure and Organization of Naivuvuni Village, writes:
Traditionally, it was from this group of relatives that a man would choose his wife although today this practice is not usually followed. Male and female cross cousins refer to each other as tavale. Men also refer to female cross cousins as tavale and women call men by the same instead of using their real name. A woman refer to another female cross cousin as tavale and dauve to a brother or cousin's wife. Similarly, a female refers to her male cross cousin's wife as "karua", which means second wife. Cross cousins also have the responsibility of burying one another when they die.
Also William Halse Rivers in his book The History of Melanesian Society states:
In Fiji the term of the coastal people are determined by their cross cousin marriage, viz., Tavale, davola and da1tuve but among the mountain people there are number of other terms including daku, veitabui, vaidakavi, veilavi and vikila though Tavale of the coastal people is frequently used.
"Tata, Nana, Nei" and "Momo". Parents of cross cousins are respected because when a parent needs help the most immediate person to help would be his own sister or her own brother. Parents of cousins are treated the same as biological parents, a child's mother's younger sister is referred to as nana Lailai or little mother. If she is older than the child's own mother, then she is referred to as Nana levu or big mother. Likewise, the child father's brothers are called Tata Lailai and Tata Levu according to seniority.
A child's father's sister is referred to as Nei or aunt whereas a child's mother's brother is referred to as Momo. The relationship with the parents of one's cross cousins are relaxed but they are very respected while keeping in mind that respect must be shown Momo and Nei because they are the father's sister or mother's brother .
The above are but simple examples and further intricacies exist.
Fijian ceremonies Fijian social interactions are filled with ceremony of varying degrees. Depending on the occasion and situation, three key ceremonies, which accord with other cultures, are: birth, death, and marriage.
Births