In a moment steeped in history, identity and redemption, the people of Lau will today witness the installation of Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara as the new Tui Nayau — a chiefly title that once belonged to his late father, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara.
For Lau, the Tui Nayau is more than a traditional leader, he is the spiritual and cultural heart of the vanua, a custodian of ancestral wisdom and a symbol of unity. Today’s ceremony marks not only the revival of a sacred title after more than two decades, but the return of a son of the islands who once lived in exile.
It is a homecoming long awaited, one where tradition meets resilience, and where a chief reclaims the mantle, he was born into. For the people of Lau, it is a day of tears, pride and belonging.
Susana Biumasi and Nainasa Vosabeci were children when Hurricane Meli struck, followed by devastating waves that tore through their village.
“The huge waves followed Hurricane Meli and we’re told it was a tsunami so my father took us to the church because it was a concrete building and he thought it would protect us,” Susana said.
“But it didn’t happen and when the church walls broke down, the waves pushed us into the village lawn that was already filled with water.
“To survive that night, I hung onto a tree trunk that floated in the water and I hung on it until daylight.”
Her sister Nainasa sustained serious injuries.
“I was with my friend when the waves took us and we grabbed whatever we could to stay afloat,” she said.
“We floated down the village lawn and got stuck at a coconut tree which saved us. But another strong wave swept us out to the plantation.
“In the dark I yelled out her name but no response. Then I heard my friend crying. She was buried under a pile of debris that sat on dry ground because the waves had all returned to sea.
“God is good. He saved us for this day,” said Nainasa.
