In a deep gesture of Pacific unity and respect, traditional and royal leaders from across the region converged in Fiji this week to honour the installation of Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara as Sau ni Vanua ko Lau.
Māori Queen Ngā Wai hono i te pō received a full traditional welcome at the Great Council of Chiefs complex yesterday, while Tongan royals King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u were honoured at State House with a traditional ceremony and Fiji’s highest civilian award — the Honorary Companion of the Order of Fiji.
Their presence marks more than protocol, it is a powerful tribute to shared ancestry, enduring bonds and the sacred weight of chiefly obligation.
Spokesperson for the Maori Queen, Rahui Papa, said the first Maori Queen Teataira Mikahu shared a close friendship and whanaungatanga (kinship) with Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara and Ro Lady Lala Mara. He said it was this friendship that led to the creation of the renowned Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture or FestPAC. This marks the first time a Māori royal has attended a chiefly installation in Fiji.
History unfolds further today on the island of Lakeba in Lau as the Tui Nayau, Ratu Tevita Mara, is formally installed as Tui Lau and Sau ni Vanua ko Lau — two of Lau’s most revered chiefly titles.
