OUR traditional knowledge systems face pressure from modern influences, says iTaukei Affairs Minister Ifereimi Vasu.
He told the inaugural Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge (ITK) conference in Nadi yesterday of the importance of the need for meaningful talanoa on protecting ITK systems.
“Our ancestors were both intelligent and resilient in adapting to crises endured for centuries,” he said.
“However, our vuku ni vanua or traditional knowledge system faces pressure from modern influences, thus the move to talanoa regarding this dilemma and finding the way forward and mechanisms embedded in this week’s conference.
“The lessons learned throughout our history have taught us that our ancestral wisdom was challenged since our contact with the outside world from the introduction of Christianity to colonialism, to western education schooling, to adapting development models that are not familiar with our communalistic ways of solesolevaki. This, in many ways, contributed to culture and language loss.”
Mr Vasu said the iTaukei language was once seen as not important — leading to the introduction of new languages including English and French.
“In most recent times with new technology, globalisation has added pressure on our young people, adding to the disconnect between cultural communities and contemporary ways of life.”
Mr Vasu said it was undeniable that for a long time culture and tradition were seen as a barrier to development.
“But in the last decade or so we have seen big positive changes in the way culture is viewed in relation to development, the education of our children, climate change resilience, land development, building of road infrastructures among others.
“For me, the many issues we encountering today as indigenous people is a reflection of our weakening veiwekani with our culture and tradition.
“In the same vein, a lot of Pacific researchers have confirmed that our vuku ni vanua system, especially ancestral wisdom, can provide solutions to real world issues that plague our society.”
The theme of the three-day discussions is Na Vuku ni Vanua (traditional knowledge): Charting Our Cultural Destiny in a Changing Pacific Climate Environment.
