Turaga na Rasau

Prior to Fiji's colonial days, Fiji had many different Vanua with their own Paramount Chieftain which exercised no authority over the other; a saying from the island of Kadavu aptly summarises it "Nomu Turaga o sega na noqu Turaga" or "Your Chief is not my Chief" also the people of Beqa Island were of a similar opinion saying "Qali Cuva Ki Lagi"[1] or "Subject only to heaven" and would bow to no outside Chieftain, but at the turn of the 20th century aspects of the traditional social structure remained, but for administrative purposes three main Matanitu were solidified and formed[2][3] as they were the dominant consolidated powers at the time being that of Kubuna, Burebasaga and Tovata.

[5] Fijian regional and inter-regional chiefly titles vary in name and history and each tribal unit will have its own unique title with its history, mythology and Folklore and as tribes interacted in trade or in war, their unique stories and histories became intertwined, there is evidence of this across the Fiji island Group and also with Fiji's closest Pacific neighbor and sometimes friendly foe Tonga, the following section of this article covers that of the Turaga Na Rasau as far as its traditional jurisdiction, translation, composition and location.

The Rasau is still reluctantly viewed as the Chieftain for Lomaloma Tikina and the villages that are situated in this area and this is still recognised in NLTB records.

[6] The Yavusa Toga of Sawana village are an exception as they are the direct descendants of Enele Ma'afu and his conquests and are independent of the Rasau.

Future decisions of the Rasau's authority will have to be decided and passed through provincial and tikina meetings and documented with NLTB records.

Ratu Keni Waqalekaleka Ugadregadrega Naulumatua II is most senior in line for the title[5] although the traditional installation has not taken place.

In a direct transliteration, Ra is a prefix in many titles (Ramasi, Ramalo, Ratu) and Sau is simply 'Chief' it also has the same meaning in Rotuma and Tonga (Hau).

The title of the Turaga na Rasau, according to the tokatoka Valelevu of Yavusa Buca says its origins are from the eldest descendants of the Mythological Chief and Master Sailor Ratu Lutunasobasoba, the Ratu ni Vanua and Roko Kubunavanua, the Sau-ni-Vanua, and that is where the anointer word Ra-Sau comes from,[10] however the Lutunasobasoba legend has many variations depending on the province and village and its authenticity has been questioned and said to be the fabrication of European missionaries other villages in the province of Ra say he was an outsider who arrived with his people and was such a trouble maker that he was banished from Nakauvadra, however it is viewed the legend still remains part of the social and ceremonial fabric of Fijian ceremony and folklore but whether there is archaeological or historical evidence to prove the great Migration Myth or not, history does show that the Rasau Originates from Kubuna,[7][11] more importantly from Bau Island which is part of Bau Tikina from the Roko Tui Bau Vuani-ivi descendents, which is on the main Island of Viti Levu through the eldest line of descendents of Ratu Vueti as noted down by traditional Bauan historian the late Ratu David Toganivalu[12][13] of the Masau while doing a comparative study of the link to the Rasau with Ratu Viliame Fonolahi Keni,[4][5][14] titles they both held in the order as mentioned, they found that at one stage in old Fiji the Masau were the heralds of the Rasau.

It is believed that through Oral history[17] passed down amongst the Tokatoka Valelevu of the Rasau that all Fijian tribes generally derived from Vuni-ivi-Levu (an Island that once lay between Viti levu and Vanua Levu which later sank) and also Nakauvadra,[8] and Burotukula[18] Yasayasa Moala, and thence spread out to occupy the various lands and islands which now all come under the banner of Viti.

Kubuna is known as a confederacy or Matanitu in Fiji but in pre-colonial times Kubuna was a place name with that in mind, as recorded in Bauan pre colonial history, It was at Kubuna that the great ancestral Chief, Ratu Vueti[20] Koroi-Ratu mai Bulu, Serui-Ratu mai Bulu, the first Roko Tui Bau Vuani-ivi, (according to legend he was the fourth (4) generation from Ratu Lutunasobasoba)[10] who established the Kingdom of Kubuna, and formed one of the earliest known Fijian settlements after hostilities ceased the people of Nakauvadra and the victorious Bauan army upon leaving the Mountains and finding their way to the sea made a Cairn named Ulunivuaka[21] and later called it Bau in honour of Ratu Vueti and his achievements.

(it was named after a shrine in the Nakauvadra hill range in the province of Ra)[10] He took the titles of Roko Tui Bau Vuani-ivi and Koroi Ratu Maibulu.

[4][11][16] The following section outlines the continuation of a journey and the battle of two Chieftain and their tribes the losing senior Chief then settles in the far flung Lau Islands while his subordinate then seizes power, this is to show the early history of the Rasau.

The Namara people who later joined their early travellers now of Levukana village on Lomaloma, were left behind at Vuna and they fled to the mountains lest the Bauans should pursue them.

Tanoa with his men and Ratu Raiwalui with his followers unexpectedly met at sea not far from Mago Island and a battle royale ensued in which the Vuaniivi lost about a hundred men, including their chief[23] Ratu Raiwalui, the Roko Tui Bau Vuani-ivi, the first "Ra-Sau" of Delainakorolevu Lomaloma.

They put up little resistance eventually surrendering and as a peace offering, presented a woman of chiefly rank, Adi Sugavanua of the Vuaniivi, Vusaratu clan, who was taken to Bau and became the wife of Naulivou.

Naulivou and Tanoa secured supremacy of Bau[25] and their growing strength brought many victories across Fiji which brought the Island Nation into a new era of History which eventually saw a reluctantly united Fijian Nation under the rule of Ratu Seru Cakobau, the Rasau and his people remained in Lomaloma and their descendents live there to date.

Please note: this lineage numbers in order of descendants and its progression from Roko Tui Bau Vuaniivi into the Rasau.

Notability is a position of exalted widely recognized importance, as recorded history in Fiji is limited, there may have been many that would have been notable men or women and likewise there would have been many Chieftain of the line of the Rasau that were worthy of notice Like Ratu Raiwalui, Ratu Poasa Vakadewavanua and Ratu Jese Waqalekaleka[5][8] to name but a few and the documents to allow for great detail on these individuals are few and far between or unobtainable, however Rasau of more recent history seem to have had anthropological articles written on them or contributed to anthropological research in the early part of the 20th century and were documented and are held in record and their stories can be shared, the most well documented life of the Rasau of Recent history was of Ratu Keni Naulumatua he contributed to works by anthropologists Arthur Maurice Hocart in his books "Lau Islands" and "Fijian Heralds and Envoys"[32][33] as well as Mr Alex Phillip Lessin in his book "Village of conquerors"[34] and participated quite actively in the early days when Fiji was a young colony.

Each Yavusa, Matagali and Tokatoka in Fiji identifies itself by a name and also by identification with certain plants and animals,[39][40] A possible correlation would be totems or even a Coat of arms if they so wish to make it a visual emblem, which have a different historical significance to each family unit or tribe.

Every tribe belongs to a specific structure within a Vanua, while Vanua not only refers to land area it also embodies beliefs, common ancestors and spiritual connections,[41] but in this case could be simplified to translate as a small kingdom, in the Vanua of Lomaloma which is part of the greater Kingdom or Yasana of Lau of which the following defines Ratu Keni's tribe and family unit to whom he belongs, traditionally speaking across Vanuabalavu they only have Yavusa and Matagali no Tokatoka the exception being with the Vanua of Lomaloma: Yavusa (Greater tribe)(Vusaratu Vuaniivi) Buca, Mataqali (smaller tribal unit within the Yavusa or clan)(Vusaratu Vuaniivi) Buca, Tokatoka (family unit within clan), Valelevu (translated means big house).

The following is the specific totems or coat of arms for Ratu Keni Naulumatua of Tokatoka Valelevu: Vua-ni-Kau (fruit of the tree) Ivi (Tahitian Chestnut)[42] / Manumanu (animal) Koli (Dog)/ Ika (Fish) Saqa Leka (Giant Trevally - caranx ignobilis))[43] / Salusalu (floral garland) Bua Ni Viti (Fagraea berteriana)[42] / Tutuvakavanua (Elders of the kingdom) Turaga (his position/place in the Kingdom).

Ratu Keni served with The Fiji Labour Detachment in France in the First World War[35][44] and was a decorated soldier; his good friend who won the French medal of honour was Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna[44] At the end of the war they toured Europe playing the steel guitar and singing in cafes[8] before returning home to help build their nation.

Mere Tuisalalo's older sister Lusiana Qolikoro had a relationship with Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba, Turaga Na Tui Nayau high Chieftain of the Island of Nayau and Lakeba in the Lau Archipelago, and their son was Ratu Sir Kamisese Kapaiwai Tuimacilai Mara, who served for decades as Prime Minister and President of Fiji.

[51] Once the Yaqona is mixed and the torchmasters (Daunicina) have held the flaming torches (the torches are held whether day or night[51] ) up to the Yaqona as it pours from the bowl back into the Tanoa and the herald exclaims “Wai Donu” then the Takala and Matakilomaloma approach carefully the candidate being installed with 3 pieces of Masi (Bark cloth) and ask him to stand,[8][51] they then tie the cloth one on the left and one on the right arm, then the herald stands and ties the third piece of masi on his right arm, once the arms are bound with masi both the herald and the Sau are seated.

The Dog has been a spiritual representation for Yavusa Buca in particular tokatoka Valelevu from time immemorial[8] the origins for this tradition are now forgotten.

In early records the Rasau was just referred to as Sau[8][33] and the priest of spirits;[8][33] if a battle was to be fought with Mualevu, the people of Buca and Lomaloma would bring him offerings of Tabua and as many as a hundred Tapa cloth[8][33] this, Rasau at that time had a large dog referred to as Tuilabelabe or Tuinaividrawalu who would bark in the direction of the Army that would be defeated and based on this the people of Buca and the Lomalomans would decide to fight.