Contexts - Rough Guide to Fiji - page 321

Traditional customs
One of Fiji's great achievements has been the retention of traditional customs in everyday
life, not only within the village community but also throughout the business and political
world. The most visible of these traditions is yaqona drinking . The drink, known as kava
across the rest of the South Pacific, is obtained by pouring water through pounded roots of the
Piper methysticum plant. It was once a tradition reserved only for high priests and chiefs as
a means of communicating with the ancient spirits. In times gone by, the yaqona roots were
chewed by young maidens to make them soft and then grated and squeezed through hibiscus
fibres into a wooden or clay bowl known as the tanoa . By the late 1800s, yaqona drinking
had become the social event it is today and it remains very much at the heart of traditional
Fijian culture. Ceremonial yaqona gatherings are usually followed by feasting and a tradi-
tional meke performance of dance and song.
Yaqona is always drunk to mark the most important celebrations : the first birthday of the
first-born child, puberty, marriage and death. Each features elaborate feasts and gift present-
ations, which all mataqali members should attend and contribute towards. Money for village
necessities is usually raised by a soli , a community fundraising event, which takes place in
the nearest city or town and involves a meke dance performance or the selling of handicrafts.
TABUA
The tabua , the tooth of a sperm whale, is a much prized possession in Fijian culture. Usu-
ally fashioned into a necklace with coconut fibre, tabua were traditionally given for atone-
ment or as a gift between chiefs to request a bonding relationship. Before the whaling days
of the 1820s, whales' teeth were extremely rare and other items such as the barb of a stin-
gray or the shell known as cava were used as the tabua . But with the slaughter of thousands
of whales during the mid-nineteeenth century, whales' teeth began to circulate around the
islands and their symbolic status was established as the norm. Today, tabua are still used to
settle disputes between villages and are often presented at wedding ceremonies.
Fiji-Indians
First brought to Fiji as indentured labourers, Fiji-Indians today make up 38 percent of the
population. Indian influence can be seen throughout the islands, especially in the towns and
cities of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu where small shops and businesses are almost exclusively
run by Fiji-Indians. You'll also find Indian food is extremely popular in Fiji, with almost
every small town boasting a curry house. However, despite repeated campaigns for equal
rights, Fiji-Indians cannot buy freehold land or even call themselves “Fijian” (see What's in
a name? ) . Given these circumstances, this large minority tends to operate as a society within
a society and today many Fiji-Indians are looking for new opportunities overseas.