Background Ramblings

Some say that our forefathers sailed to these islands of Fiji in a couple of migratory expeditions. They say that these migrations took place over a period of a couple of centuries begining 3000 years ago.

There is a lot of confusion over where we came from. Here are a few versions. Take your pick.

Some say that we are closely related to the indigenious people of Taiwan and that we came through Micronesia. I have yet to see my first dark skinned Taiwanese though. Perhaps our journey past the equator gave us a permanent tan.

Meanwhile, some others say that we island hopped from the islands to our west (PNG, Solomon Is. & Vanuatu) until we reached Fiji. Sounds like the most probable but is too boring for some people who prefer as much drama as possible.

Some people are pretty sure that we came from Africa, from around Lake Taganyika (fish bag in Fijian). Lutunasobasoba a powerful chief and navigator is said to have guided his people in their huge ocean going canoes  to their final landing place at Vuda (Our source) on Viti Levu's western coast.

They say that we once were cannibals. This was before the first missionaries arrived and put a damper on the party.

Back then, a typical day in the life of a single man like me involved doing night shift guard duty (the night before) to make sure that no young women or children of ours was carried off by the enemy warriors of the neighboring tribes. At first light ( if I survived the night), a few of us would stealthily scout the immediate perimeters of our village and gardens to make sure that nobody was lying in wait to ambush any un-suspecting gardener or fisherfolk of ours. If we survived that, the all-clear was given and it was time to change the guard and go down to the beach to check the moka (stone and reed fish traps).

Breakfast was a good sized fish from the moka with yam cooked in my mother's earthenware pot. After breakfast, it was time to go and help build the new chief's bure (house). It would start of with the laying of the foundation of the principal posts which in this case would include a couple of able bodied enemy warriors unfortunate enough to wander into our ambush the day before.

After helping with the chiefs house it would be time to go to the gardens (warily & quietly) to dig for some dalo (taro) for dinner and then catch a nap (dreaming of the foundation laying) so that I will be fresh for guard duty for the next night shift.