This week marked a defining moment in Fiji’s history that many have been waiting for as the title of Tui Nayau was passed down through one of the country’s most revered traditional lineages.
Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara is the son of the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara and Ro Lady Lala Mara, the late Roko Tui Dreketi, the paramount chief of the Rewa Province and the wider Burebasaga Confederacy, a position of great traditional authority.
Ratu Tevita a former military officer, was formally installed as the sixth Tui Nayau, in front of thousands of people that traveled to Lau from all parts of the world to witness this special occasion, 21 years after Ratu Mara’s passing in 2004.
This grand installation is a celebration that has not only revived a title held in deep reverence across Lau, but also echoed the legacy of Ratu Mara, who was installed in a similar but more elaborate ceremony of its kind.
Ratu Tevita, paid homage to Ratu Mara one of the most influential leaders in Fijian history by delivering a speech that mirrored the solemn words he gave more than half a century ago.
It was a tribute not only to heritage, but to the sacred burden of chiefly leadership in Fiji.
Below is the late Tui Nayau, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara’s speech in the vernacular to his Masi (Elders) after his investiture as Tui Nayau in Narocivo in 1969.
“Sa qai vakayacori oti na cakacaka bibi vakaturaga vakavanua ni veibuli ka mai vakayacori vei au eke. Dou sa raica na kena bibi, dou sa raica na kena dredre ka dou sa kila tale ga na kena talei na vakasama vakavanua i taukei ni cakacaka oqo. Au sa mai buli me Tui Nayau, ka dou sa dui gunuva vata tale ga kina e mataqu e daidai nai vakadei vakavanua ni nomudou i tutu, ka dou na kacivi ka kilai voli kina me yacova na mate. Ia nai tutu e tu vata kei na kena i tavi. Na i tavi e tu vata kei na kena cakacaka. Na cakacaka e vinakati kina na dodonu. O kemudou kei au, me macala votu sara e matamudou nikua, ni sa caka oti oqo na veivakadeitaki se bubului vakavanua, ni sa tu na noqu i tavi ka tu na nomudou. Ena i tutu ka dou sa vakadeitaki kina nikua, dou sa na yaco kina mei taqataqa ni vosa ka taka mai kina na kena lewa vei koya ka veiliutaki. Na kena vakayacori na vosa ni lewa oqori sai koya me na nomudou i tavi na raica ka qarauna me caka, ka caka ena yalo dina kei na dodonu. Ena sega wale ga ni taucoko kina na nomudou vakayacora na cakacaka ni nomudou i tavi, dou sa na vakaitavi sara tale tikoga kina ena kena vueti na nodra i vakarau ni bula na yavusa se koro ka vakanamata vakavanua ki na nomudou veivakameautaki. Dou kakua ni lolou se nanumi kemudou ga vakataki kemudou ena nomudou dui vale, ena gauna e dodonu me tau kina na lewa ni veika raraba ka baleta na lewe vuqa. Dou kakua ni volo se kelo ena dua na mua dodonu e nanuma na veitotaki, ni sai koya oqori na ka dukadukali ka veicati matua kei na i tutu rai raraba kei na veiliutaki. Ni caka vakadodonu na nomudou i tavi vei ira na lewe ni koro se yavusa, dou sa donu kina ena mata ni Kalou nai taukei ni dodonu, ka sautu kina na vanua raraba me yaco kina na marau kei na tiko veilomani vei keda kece. Dou mani mai jiko a masi ni vanua ko Nayau, sa caka oti rawa na veibuli kau vosa vakalekaleka kina meu tataunaka ka vakadeitaki kemudou me qaravi numudou i tavi, sa vaka ya na kena levu.”
A translated version of Ratu Mara’s speech:
We have just completed this chiefly solemn ceremony of my installation as Tui Nayau. You have witnessed its sacredness, challenges and cultural significance to our people and our vanua today. You have also in my presence vowed through your acceptance of your roles as elders to serve our people and the vanua until your death.
These roles come with responsibilities to serve with integrity, and it is not an easy task ahead. We need bold leaders who will serve honestly. You and I have vowed before our people to take on these responsibilities at this ceremonial installation today.
This means that you will carry out your responsibilities tasked upon you by your chief.
You will have to see to it that what the leader/chief says is carried out in truth, integrity and honesty for the sake of good leadership.
This will ensure that you play out your roles in leading our people peacefully whether it is for our clans, tribes, or villages as a whole.
Do not be weak or selfish leaders that just think of yourselves and your families when you should be making decisions on behalf of our people and our vanua.
Do not favour injustices as it does not augur well with good and sound leadership.
When you lead and serve your people justly and wisely you will gain God’s favour and this will manifest into leadership that will follow God’s blessings upon our land and our people.
In the presence of our elders today I would like to part with these words and hope that it will bring upon us a sense of great leadership today for us and for our future.
Thank you all for listening.
