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There is an air of excitement surrounding the iTaukei (indigenous people) of Fiji this week as their traditional leaders meet for the first time in 16 years.
More than 2000 people, including New Zealand’s High Commissioner Charlotte Darlow, gathered on the chiefly island of Bau – about 35km from the capital Suva on Wednesday – for the opening of the Great Council of Chiefs, Bose Levu Vakaturaga.
Bau last hosted the chiefs’ meeting in 1982, which was attended by the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip during a royal visit to Fiji – the couple’s last.
In his address, Fiji’s President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere called on the chiefs to “serve the people, not to be served”.
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The Great Council of Chiefs or GCC was established by the British colonial rulers as an advisory body in 1876 – two years after Fiji was ceded to Queen Victoria.
But in April 2007, the council was suspended due to an unworkable relationship with the military government of Frank Bainimarama who came to power through a coup in December 2006.
The GCC was formally abolished by decree in March 2012. Its building was destroyed by fire in late 2019, and the government said there were plans to rebuild the meeting house.
Fiji is also celebrating Ratu Sukuna Day this week. A high chief, the late Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna was the architect of modern Fiji.
Ratu Wiliame said the chiefs were “now challenged in their decision-making as traditional leaders to safeguard, collaborate and promote inclusivity”.
The president called for unity in the chiefs’ council, saying there lay challenges and changes ahead.
“We are chiefs in our own right – we have subjects, we are inheritors of our land, sea, and its flora and fauna.
“When we meet, we bring with us the hopes and the needs of our people and our land that depend on our vision in unifying our wise deliberations that shall lead to inclusive decisions that encompass all that we treasure as a people and a nation.
“The GCC must focus on two principles: We need to be conscious of the existence of those who will challenge the status quo; and secondly, to encourage our people to work together for our advancement as a people, where no one is left behind,” Ratu Wiliame said.
Bau high chief, Turaga Bale na Vunivalu na Tui Kaba, Ratu Epenisa Seru Cakobau, said the opening of the GCC marked a new beginning for the people of Fiji.
Ratu Epenisa, named after his great-great-grandfather and Fiji’s only king, was installed as Bau’s paramount chief and head of the Kubuna Confederacy on March 10.
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta visited Bau on March 17, becoming the first high-level official to meet the Vunivalu.
Mahuta (Ngāti Maniapoto and Ngāti Manu) presented Ratu Epenisa with a mere pounamu (greenstone patu, club).
Ratu Epenisa said Fijians shared a deep cultural connection with the Māori people, “one that dates to when Māori ancestors voyaged Hawaiki and had to find refuge on the island of Bau after their waka Tākitimu (canoe) was met with an unfortunate event.”
Mahuta said its was an “honour and privilege” to travel to Bau island and meet Ratu Epenisa.
“He hōnore, he korōria, he maungārongo ki te Matatini o te whenua, he whakaaro pai ki ngā tāngata katoa – Pai Mārire,” Mahuta posted on her Facebook page, which translates to: “Honour, glory and peace to the many people of the land, with prosperity bestowed upon all, amen!
“What made this visit particularly special was that the last time someone from home visited the island was when the late Te Arikinui and Whatumoana attended the funeral of the late Ratu George Cakabau. In the photo I saw of her paying respects, she wore a kahukiwi kākahu and a parekawakaea.
“Bau has history, and you can feel the presence of the ancestors on the land and the mana of chiefly presence and connection.
“We had a kava ceremony, speech making and an exchange of gifts with some informal time to get to know the role of the Great Council of Chiefs under the new government. Vinaka vakalevu [thank you],” Mahuta said.
Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said the country’s relationship with Aotearoa had strengthened after Mahuta’s visit to Bau.
In its first sitting on Wednesday, the council endorsed the reinstatement of a lease distribution policy with the iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB).
The policy was removed by the former FijiFirst government in 2011 which introduced the “equal rent distribution”. Then every member of the mataqali or landowning unit received the same amount from lease payments, regardless of their status.
Fiji’s Minister for iTaukei Affairs, Ifereimi Vasu, told journalists that the new policy – at a reduced percentage – would see the iTaukei Board, which oversees all native leases, take its 10% poundage fee, with the remaining funds to be distributed as 5% for the Turaga iTaukei (village chiefs), 10% for Turaga Qali (village elders), 15% for Turaga ni Mataqali (clan leader) and 60% to be shared equally among the remaining members of the landowning unit.
Celebrations to mark the return of the chiefs’ council and Ratu Sukuna Day are set to end on Monday.
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