Tribewanted: Vorovoro

After trying to pin him down for the last two weeks, Tevita and I finally found time for a cuppa and a good yarn. He was in a talkative mood, and here’s what he had to say:

It has been a while since my last blog. The island is always busy and it is hard to make time sometimes, but it is important for me to be heard and get my voice online and keep up to date. Things happen every day that make me proud, that I want to share. I am looking forward to my first lesson on the laptop with the Chief today, and I hope to write the next blog myself!

September and October was a big time for building relationships on the island, and with the whole of northern Fiji. We have traveled to villages as a tribe and we are showing them what Fijian life is really like – they have forgotten. Fijian people need to do more things to celebrate the traditional life and Fijian ways. The rest of Fiji does not do this enough so we have to come from Vorovoro and show them how.

In October we went to Nadori, to the Macuata District meeting and celebration. All the tribe were going to perform the meke, and the girls learnt 3 new mekes from Va. But Va had some time off in the days before the trip, so the girls decided to practice on their own, even without me singing! This I the first time this has happened and I was very touched. I was so happy that you did it on your own, making sure you were ready to perform on the big day. Before, visitors would come to Vorovoro to see the tribe meke, but now we take it to them. Tui Mali receives many invitations for the tribe to come and dance at events – they want to see it with their own eyes.

When the announcer on the day introduced the tribe he said it was a big challenge for you…. But I knew you could do it. People are always asking, “How can these people learn so much about our culture?” They are amazed that the tribe know how to meke, that you wear your sulu chambas, pocket sulus and bula shirts, that you respect the tradition of greeting by calling “Ho-yaaaa/ manavanduuuu”. Many Fijians don’t respect these traditions any more. When the villagers first meet the tribe they say they feel ashamed that they do not enter the villages as we do, and that they cannot perform the meke. In this way Tribewanted is bringing Fiji back to Fiji. The tribe can inspire the people of the north to remember their ways.

Tui Macuata is the big chief of the north, above Tui Mali. After the meke he got up to go and talk to Tui Mali – this is unusual. He said that the whole northern Fiji is proud, that Tui Mali is the chief of the world! He said to Tui Mali “I look up to you now, I respect you. You have made the whole of the north proud. Before you said that Mali was forgotten by the government, but you are lucky and God was listening. He sent the world to come and see you. Now, you are the big chief in the north. What you have done to bring people together is very hard, but you have set us a good example.”

I think Fiji will soon turn its face around to Vorovoro to learn how to do things. I am preparing myself. I am ready to tell everyone, to show the government, to talk to them about the real Fiji. If Team Fiji and I can do it here, the rest of Fiji can do it. If they need a school, we have one here and I already have the teachers ready – the Team AND the tribe. I can sit back relaxed knowing that the tribe can know teach sevusevu and meke because they have it in their hearts.

We are all learning from each other, the tribe and the team. I want to thank Team Fiji for their time teaching and sharing, but learning too. And to Jim, Ben, Amy, and Dan. Work can be difficult, but we make it easy here. We are learning a more sustainable life and we understand managing our food and living more effectively. Vorovoro reminds us who we should be; it reminds us and teaches the young Team our traditions every day. They wouldn’t learn this working in hotels, or at the saw mill, but you people share your hearts with us. We have lived in Fiji with the Indian people for over 100 years, but we still don’t know what’s inside them. We still don’t live together, eat together, drink grog together, the way we do with the tribe. They don’t come to our villages to learn or share, even though many of them were born here.

Last month Tui Mali was given a new boat by the government and we held a traditional boat blessing down in the village. These ceremonies were important many years ago, but they are dying out now. Tui Mali told me that he has four boats now and previously the traditional blessing has not been carried out properly by any other village in Mali. He was very touched to see what the tribe did for his new boat to show their respect. The boat is called ‘Rawa Vacava’… or ‘How can it be?’ This is the big question. I asked him why he called it this and he said he wanted to let people see that it CAN be done. The people don’t have to listen to Tui Mali for an answer…they can see the answer when the tribe comes together, all of us. It can happen now when we sit and work and eat together, when we hold hands. The answer can only be seen in Vorovoro. Nothing is hard and we can do anything if we have a strong community and relationship.

I have a new house now in the village, my bure, which the tribe helped to build. Back in my district I am a chief, but my village has not built me a house, even though it is the custom. The tribe has, and I thank them for that; we respect each other. Over the next month we need to get the island ready for Christmas and New Year. This has been a good year to celebrate! We have waterproofing to do for Ben and Amy’s houses, and new seeds to plant in the garden before the rains get too heavy. When some of the Team leave for Christmas they need to take happy feelings with them, knowing that the tribe are safe and have everything they need. This will be a good month, and I am happy, I am happy now.

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