The people of Qoma Island (Fiji) for generations have been traditional fisherfolk for the Ratu mai Verata, the overlord of Verata, an ancient kingdom in today’s Tailevu province. They also serve the Ratu mai Dawasamu and are administratively under the Ratu of Namena with the present system of provincial administration. All come under today’s Tailevu province on eastern mainland Vitilevu. They are renown for their traditional knowledge of fishing in observing the ocean currents, wind direction, the sky, understanding their fishing zones, the seasonal and temporal nature of fishing activities. It is their traditional obligation to present turtle to the chiefs of Verata and Dawasamu. There are established traditional protocols; from catching turtle to its presentation process, its taboos and strict adherence to elders who will be leading the delegation.

About 3000 years ago, a group of highly mobile ocean-going foragers arrived in Fiji from the west, bringing with them a distinctive pottery tradition that archaeologists now call Lapita. Although pottery styles and decoration have changed over time, the art of pottery-making has persisted in the Fiji islands to the present day. The village of Nakoro in Noikoro district, central Vitilevu is located at least 20 miles from the nearest village in Tholo West. In the Fijian village of Nakoro, traditional pottery-making was used in barter in former times. It is still bartered to- day, but to a very limited extent. An elongated form of kuro (cooking pot) has been exchanged for mats with some people of Tholo West. Noikoro is famous for its elongated cooking pot. Clay deposits vary from district to district. In Nadroga, terracotta clay is at foot level or found on river banks. The cleaning of clay differs from one district to another. In Noikoro, male assistance is needed, as clay has to be carried on horseback. The clay deposit is in Vusu, an old village site about one and a half miles away from the present village.

Throughout the Pacific, kava is synonymous as the elixir or drink of the gods. Known in various words ranging from kau, sakau, kava, ava and yaqona, the ritual commonality is similar. This video revisits the sacred kava ritual from a retelling of the indigenous spirituality and worldview as far as yaqona, chiefs, mana, power and the people are involved.

Vakaurua is a traditional iconic mat for the island of Nairai.

A few islands in Fiji and the Pacific are said to have submerged in the last hundred to thousand years ago. The island of Vuniivilevu is believed to have submerged in the year AD1200 in the Motoriki waters, Lomaiviti (2005). It is one of the islands that is regarded to have been inhabited first before other settlers arrived. Early migrants were said to be tall, muscular and tough and this could be proven with the skeleton that was found in Naturuku, Motoriki in 2002. What was also remarkable about this skeleton was the excellent state of preservation of the skull. It was of a female who would’ve been tall, muscular and tough and was believed to have lived in Motoriki around 800BC (2007). The abrupt collapse of Vuniivilevu would’ve generated waves to nearby islands and one such example is the waves rushing up the valley from Bureta which saw the presence of sea-fish in pristine freshwater rivers. Their ancestor god Rakavono then speared a turtle, a shark, and a ray, all of which immediately turned to stone and can still be seen there, at a deep place in the river called Muloi, near Nasaumatua village, Lovoni, close to the center of Ovalau. When passing through the Davetalevu passage, travelers are forbidden to make noise, and to throw rubbish into the ocean in respect of the sunken island. Certain people who have disturbed the peace at the Davetalevu passage had their boat capsized and are now buried at Uluibau village in Motoriki. A considerably large number of people in Fiji came from Vuniivilevu and dispersed when the island submerged. This includes the villages of Uluibau, Nasauvuki in Motoriki (Rokowaqa, n.d. 1926; Rakadragi, 1979; Draunidalo, 1990; Vulava, 1996); Tuatua village in Koro, the chiefs of Vuna in Taveuni (Rakadragi, 1979); Navure clan in Sawaieke and a group of people in Vadravadra, Gau (Vulava 1996); and also the village of Naimalavau (Vulava 1996). Some reached as far as Kadavu.

Tabekasere is traditional basket made from a local species of bamboo. It is an iconic heritage craft in Navatusila, a highland tribe on mainland Vitilevu, located about 4 - 6 hours away from Suva.

The SAKOSAKO DRAUNA is a food tradition expression by the Naduruvesi sub-clan in Nabuna Village. It is a food dessert made from dalo (Colocasia esculenta), and coconut milk. The uniqueness of it is such that the dessert have a whole green dalo plant, severed in its raw state, as dessert.

LAPITA In 1917, Maurice Piroutet a French geologist discovered pottery shards along the coast of Fouē in the province of Konē in New Caledonia. The design was similar to the tapa motifs in the Lau group today. The pottery fragments were named after the beach from it was found. The name then was extended to all places in the Pacific in which the shards were found. HOW OLD ARE THE RELICS. There is geological and archaeological evidence of a certain group of people who navigated the Pacific Ocean with distinctive pottery design known as Lapita. Science and carbon dating can determine the age of a relic and the year in which the owner inhabited an island. WHO WERE THE LAPITA PEOPLE? Researchers found that prior to the habitation of the Pacific, a group of people called the Austronesians existed. They are identified through their language family. During those days, the language was not so diverse as today. 3,500 years ago they navigated the Pacific Ocean with their double-hulled canoes called the Drua. Evidence stipulated that these people originated from South China. They brought with them a distinctive pottery design, domesticated animals such as pigs, chicken, dogs and geminated trees such as breadfruit. They are the inhabitants of today’s Madagascar, South East Asia, Bismarck Archipelago near Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Samoa, Hawaii, Rapanui and New Zealand.

Ancient sounds in Fiji is still echoed in traditional chant, traditional dances, polyphony, and sacred psalms. It is found to be unique from western sounds and sounds in many parts of the world. Most current Fijian music has adopted western sounds, this includes church hymns, folk songs, serenades, and also Tongan sounds which is practiced in serevakalau known as Polotu and also pesi (Lauan folksongs). Aporosa a traditional cartographer form Beqa stated that there was no Fijian alphabet, but instead was the practice of oral transmission through traditional dances. Lyrics, cartographer and sound were transmitted through vision (Bulivou, 1985). Once ancient sounds were not composed, it was inherently transmitted through the vanua as a gift, and intrinsically maintained its mana in the vanua livelihood.

Kota is a Fijian delicacy that is commonly produced in the maritime islands as well as the coastal areas, and has been passed down the generations. This is simply a fermented product made from grated coconut soaked in seawater for several weeks or even months to get its unique taste. In the picture, women of Qoma island are wrapping grated coconut in banana leaves to be soaked in sea water during high tide.

This is a story about an indigenous Fijian musical instrument from the ancient past. This is the nose flute known in the indigenous language as dulali or bitu ceguvi. This performing art has disappeared altogether from Fiji, save for a village in Tailevu province, one of the 14 provinces in Fiji. Tailevu is located on mainland eastern Vitilevu and the village we are visiting where this art form is kept alive is located at the norther part of the province. The village is called Nananu. We are visiting a 73 year old man at the time of the shot (2011). Kaveni is the only person who has kept alive the art of playing the nose flute, an art that dates back in the mists of time to the days of its legendary ancestor Ramacake. Ramacake was Pan in the local mythology specializing in the pan flute. Its melodious strains was an irresistible charm on maidens who pined over it every morning.

Fiji is blessed because of its rich and diverse culture and traditional protocol. The manifestation of these cultures and traditional protocols are embedded in the indigenous language. It is also embedded in the traditional protocol the ceremony of nurturing child. This ceremony expresses the love of the vanua towards a child; outlines the ways of the vanua on how a child should be nurtured and cared for. It seeks the blessing of the vanua toward the child so they may grow and have a prosperous life and serving their community.