The week before last we introduced you to the humble village of Navolau in Naitasiri, home to the people of the yavusa Verata.
An elder of the tribe, 93-year-old Jonacani Tilalati had explained to us, over a tanoa of yaqona, how his ancestors crossed the mainland from Verata to settle at Malabe along the Wainibuka river and then establishing themselves at four sites along the Wailevu (Rewa) river before finally settling at the current location know today as Navolau.
In our earlier Discovering Fiji piece we visited the two ancient village sites of Navunitavola and Nalota.
This week we crossed the Wailevu to visit the other two ancient village sites of Navakalewa and Dravuni.
Upon descending from the location of sautabu at the edge of Nalota, village headman and guide, Jo and I arrived at the edge of the river where my Na iLalakai colleague, Viliame Ravai and two other companions from Navolau were waiting with a punt that was to take us across to our third stop — Navakalewa.
Unlike the previous two sites, which were located at least 400 to 500 metres from the river and perched on an elevated area, Navakalewa and Dravuni were located just by the river’s edge.
“The river most likely was right by the village, the Wailevu has become shallow and receded now, but back then it was twice the size it is now,” Jo said.
We hopped off the punt and made our way towards Navakalewa, which was roughly half the size of Navunitavola. Though it was not that big, it was surrounded by two extremely deep trenches on both sides and towards the far end of it was a fresh water stream that flowed from a place the people of the Yavusa Verata call “Vatu ni Binovi”.
It is at this pool where totemic eels known as the ‘binovi’ live. They are distinct from other species of eel, as they are relatively tame but grow to almost two to three metres in length. According to Jo, the binovi live in that particular body of water and can only be seen once the stone known as the “Vatu ni Binovi” is visible.
“There is a special ceremony that we perform to carefully get the binovi out of the water. The slippery fish are massaged gently until they eventually die, then we string them up and bring them back to village,” Jo said.
“We were told that the men never carried knives, axes or sharp objects when around the eels and they were only prepared for eating once reaching the village.
“In a way, if one of them is harmed close to the pool, the others will know and start attacking whoever is there in the water,” Jo explained.
Turning back to Navakalewa, I realised that the village may have been located close to the river allowing the large Drua war canoes that once sailed up and down the Wailevu to berth right by it.
Why? Jo revealed that it was known as “koro ni valu” or war village.
It was also evident in the bamboo plants which grew along the trenches around Navakalewa, which could be from the long bamboo spikes that once lined it, as a defence mechanism, similar to the ones at Navunitavola.
The centre of the village, however, where I imagined the bure vakaviti one sat proudly, was today largely unimpressive, it was flat and clear, however, Jo highlighted that it was now a grazing area for village cattle.
We crossed over to Dravuni which was directly adjacent to Navakalewa and it instantly made us feel we were stepping into a bamboo haven. The village area was larger and large bamboo clusters grew in perfect rows, with a roughly two-meter space between them.
“Did someone plant these here?” I asked Jo.
“No way, what you see are the offshoots of the bamboo which were used in building the bure which once stood where they are growing now,” he replied.
It all made perfect sense, the size and sheer breadth of these clusters of bamboo clearly illustrated that they had been there for a very long time.
Given that the land surrounding the village was well irrigated and fertile from the rich silt deposits from the river, the villagers of Dravuni planted all sorts of fruit trees, flowers and medicinal plants on the outskirts of the village that still stand today.
This was probably to ensure self-sufficiency and avoid travelling across the Wailevu to harvest crops, vegetables, and pick fruits. As we left Dravuni and set foot on the fertile farming ground, Jo told us it was time for lunch.
I sat down with my colleague Vili, while Jo and the two other youths who accompanied us set out to prepare a special feed.
In about 35 minutes, they had gathered before us, breadfruit, ripe guavas, oranges, green coconuts and a pile of firewood.
“Uto tavu (grilled breadfruit) and coconut it is,” Jo decided. A fire was lit, the breadfruit grilled until black all over then peeled to reveal warm sweet goodness. Our meat substitute was coconut flesh.
This lunch was so fresh and organic, the reinvigoration I felt upon washing the food down with coconut water was indescribable. I could only say I literally felt the energy of 10 men.
As we sat there resting and looking out towards the Wailevu flowing down towards Rewa, I shared with Jo how resilient and resourceful the people of the yavusa Verata were, he reciprocated my observation and went to explain that war and the availability of resources were the two key factors that influenced his ancestors.
“You see, all four village sites are located just by the Wailevu, it shows just how connected our ancestors were with this river, it was a lifeline and a mode of transportation,” he said.
The journey of the Yavusa Verata to settle where they are now, as well as the sacred bonds they share with the neighbouring tribes signify how links of ‘veiwekani’ (kinship) were forged long before the colonial administration drew up provincial and district boundaries — this is what we must try to maintain and preserve.
- History being the subject it is, a group’s version of events may not be the same as that held by another group. When publishing one account, it is not our intention to cause division or to disrespect other oral traditions. Those with a different version can contact us so we can publish your account of history too — Editor.
