Some historical records show that the fishing tradition began about 40,000 years ago.
Analysis of the skeletal remains of a 40,000-year-old modern human from East Asia called the Tianyuan man has shown that “he” consumed fish on a regular basis.
Furthermore, past archaeological finds such as shell dumps, discarded fish bones and paintings inside caves indicate that seafood was an important source of food and were gathered for subsistence living by early humans.
In the Pacific, the superior knowledge of seamanship and skills in canoe building among our ancestors continue to wow the world. Both these superior knowledge and skills allowed them to be great seafarers and fishermen too in the world’s biggest ocean.
In old Fiji, both men and women gathered fish. Seafood gathering was so important that it became a specific traditional role (ie gonedau).
While men were experts in gathering fish from the sea, the women’s area of specialisation was in gleaning food from the reef, mudflats including mangrove swamps and freshwater streams.
Before the arrival of modern fishing tools, early Fijians caught fish in large numbers, especially for traditional occasions using the yavirau, a net of sorts made from intertwined strands of vines and coconut fronts.
In the province of Bua, a rather peculiar fishing tradition was already in practice during the days of tribal wars, pagan worship and cannibalism.
Women could gather large amounts of fish, but they had to gather them naked. You will obviously ask why and how did this strange practice start?
This was the very reason The Fiji Times visited the village of Nakawakawa, eleven years ago — to speak to women there and document this very rare practice.
Nakawakawa is a three-hour ride from Labasa town, the largest town in Vanua Levu, in the province of Macuata.
It is nestled within the district of Wainunu, famous for its tea, rubber, coffee and copra plantations during the British colonial days.
Bua as a whole, though regarded as Fiji’s least developed province, rose to fame during the sandalwood trade of the early 1800s.
The village is perched on a hill, surrounded by rich vegetation and a few kilometres from the coastline.
Here, the main sources of income include fishing and the commercial farming of dalo, yaqona, and other root crops and vegetables.
Men are engaged in farming for subsistence living and commerce, while women are often expected to look for meat protein found in abundance in nearby mangrove swamps, reef flats and small freshwater streams near the village.
To experience Nakawakawa’s traditional nude fishing method, this newspaper was taken to streams near the village by a group of women led by Adi Vanioni Ramarieta.
It was a fine day to gather fish, so the team left the village in the morning and headed to a place down south called Vurevure. Navurevure is not the typical by-the-roadside creek or river that children love to dip in.
It has a semi-sacred status and exudes an eerie feeling when you pay a visit.
Being there makes you feel you were being watched by invisible traditional keepers of the land.
Ancient Fijians believed in the spirit world and waterways had their special keepers or owners.
These shape-shifting custodians were largely elderly women who walked around with a grandchild on her back called “veibuni” (granny and grandchild).
They protected the natural environment and occupied mostly rivers, streams and swampland.
The rule is, no village woman could go and catch fish at Navurevure without first requesting the traditional approval from the head of mataqali Nasava, the tribe that owns the fishing ground.
In 2010, when The Fiji Times made the visit, it was Teresia Diranamu, 73, who had that authority because she was the head of the tribe at the time.
Diranamu said Navurevure was visited only on special occasions that required the presentation of fish, such as feasting and traditional gatherings.
In the olden days, when strict customary protocols were followed and respected, every woman who went to Navurevure was required to strip naked before dipping into its cold waters.
The belief was, the male keeper of the place found pleasure in ogling at women’s bare bodies and would reward them handsomely by allowing them to return home with a big catch.
He was known to be wedewede, a term that describes someone who proudly shows his or her affection for the opposite sex.
Should one woman in the group fail to follow the requirement of skinny dipping, the fish would mysteriously disappear from Navurevure and they would return home emptyhanded.
Taboos like this were revered in ancient Fiji. Not following them resulted in punishments like encountering strange diseases, bad weather and even death.
Diranamu said another strict taboo was observed by men.
They were not allowed to be within two miles from where the women would be fishing in Navurevure.
Their presence would bring “drava” meaning “an unsuccessful fishing trip”.
In a few places in Fiji where certain rituals or customary practices were strictly performed by men or women only, members of the opposite sex were often part of the taboo. For example, in the tradition of vilavilairevo or firewalking, performed by men, they were required to abstain from sex and pregnant women are not allowed near the lovo pit.
Punishment was the “little spirits” or “veli” would refuse to lie on the hot stones to protect firewalkers, and, as a result, the feet would be burned during firewalking.
Before getting into Navurevure, the head of mataqali Nasava or one of his/her children was required to carry four green coconuts, cut them open and pour coconut juice or “wai ni bu” into a body of water near a heap of rocks as a show of respect to the powers that be called “vakatawa ni vanua”.
While the spirits drank the juice, coconut flesh would be eaten by the fisherwomen.
Reaching Navurevure was not a walk in the park. It required walking through overgrown shrubs and swampland where, in some places, legs would sink in “solove” up to the knees.
When the team from this newspaper and the group of women from the village visited the place, the women cracked jokes and made fun along the way to appease the deity and warn him they were approaching.
They instantly knew there would be plenty of fish caught on that day because our female reporter from the Labasa office was among them.
“There would be a lot of fish today,” Ilisapeci Sera remarked on their way to the fishing ground.
At Navurevure, all the women, including our staff, took off their clothes and jumped into the cold water.
They moved around in a circle three times and dove underwater with their small fishing nets called “taraki”.
Navurevure had a number of places where fish w a s caught, so the women captured plenty of fish at every spot they went to.
Women took thick swamp mud and dissolved it in the stream. The water turned into a dark colour.
This was a technique used to disorient the fish and make them lose their way so that they could be easily trapped.
The day resulted in a good catch because the keeper was happy and satisfied that all traditional requirements were followed and a beautiful “vulagi” had visited Navurevure for the visit time.
The strange story from Nakawakawa is just one of the many unique stories that abound in our villages all around Fiji. These tales are waiting to be explored, told and retold.
Due to respect for Christian principles and values, fish gathering from Navurevure and the peculiar traditional Fijian rites and customs that go with it, are today looked at with indifference by some.
People tend to link the rituals of fishing nude and pouring coconut juice to witchcraft and devil worshipping. On the other hand, others believe it is unique in every way, passed down through many generations for the benefit of the younger generations of today.
Many aspects of traditional Fijian life survive in today’s modern world. You can see them on display during elaborate and flamboyant customs associated with marriage, chiefly installation and death.
Today, the modern women of Nakawakawa may be allowed to visit Navurevure wearing some form of clothing, showing that the traditions of catching fish naked are not strictly adhered to and are slowly disappearing.
But to the traditional women of Nakawakawa and the Nasava tribe who still hold this story and its protocols close to their heart, the fishing practice is a rarity and would be treasured now and in many years to come.
(This story was translated and adapted from an article in the Nai Lalakai titled “Na Sili Luvaiwale”. It was published on Friday, May 21, 2010)
- 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
