Fiji

Bula...and welcome to the Polynesian Cultural Center's islands of Fiji. For thousands of years the Fijians have formed a link between Melanesia and Polynesia on their beautiful islands, which are located almost 2,500 miles to the west-southwest of Hawaii on the border of the Polynesian Triangle. About half of the population of modern Fiji is of East Indian descent, giving the island nation a unique cosmopolitan flavor. By the way, the appropriate response to bula, which is an expression of good health, is bula vinaka.

The indigenous Fijians today are widely known for their warmth and friendly smiles, but historically they were infamous as ferocious warriors and cannibals. Even as those aspects of Fijian heritage have faded into the distant past, modern Fijians have held on to many other aspects of their traditional culture — language, architecture, food and customs — which they share with visitors to the Polynesian Cultural Center. We guarantee you'll be heartily welcomed by the Fijians.

Island activities:

Five times each afternoon — at 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 and 5:30 — the Fijians present in-depth demonstrations on their ancient culture:

Learn the significance of the lali or log drum, how important the coconut is in cooking, and other aspects of Polynesian island life. Review the wide array of historical weapons and implements involved in waging war upon neighboring islands and villages; that the cowry shells on the ridge mark a house as belonging to a chief, and that only the chief could enter that house through his door. Everyone will also enjoy making Fijian music with derua, a bamboo percussion instrument; or try a game of cibi (pronounced "thim-bee").

The "village" houses:

Fijians greet visitors to their village near the lali — a large log drum or gong that is played with heavy mallets or even a small tree branch. But the most dominant feature of the village is the bure kalou, which literally means "spirit house" or temple. With its high-reaching roof, the bure kalou is truly a landmark and one of the most unique structures at the Polynesian Cultural Center. In ancient times the traditional priest would go into such a temple to commune with the gods (sorry, visitors are not allowed to climb up to the bure kalou).

The ridge of the vale levu is marked with cowry shells to signify it as the chief's house, and visitors must never use his door to enter. The vale ni bose or meeting house is an important center of activities and meetings. The na bure, or simply the "house," is a family dwelling, typical of what is still used in some parts of Fiji today; the vale ni qase is where grandparents and grandchildren stay during the day; and the vale ni kuro or kitchen area includes coconut and food preparation demonstrations.

The Polynesian Cultural Center gives a delightful introduction to the culture and people of Fiji.

Fiji: the crossroads of the Pacific

The Republic of the Fiji Islands is an independent nation, the majority of which is located just over the western side of the International Date Line, near the equator. Most indigenous Fijians are actually Melanesians, but for several thousand years Fijians have been sailing to, interacting and intermarrying with Polynesians, especially the people of Samoa and Tonga and other smaller island groups near there. Like the Polynesian people of Samoa and Tonga, modern Fijians have held on to many aspects of their traditional culture: For example, most still speak Fijian, as well as English, and many Fijians still live in the types of houses seen at the Polynesian Cultural Center. They also prefer to wear the traditional wrap-around sulu or sarong, especially on formal occasions.

Just under half of the population of Fiji are the descendants of contract laborers imported from India by the British government over 100 years ago. Fiji today still maintains some aspects of its historical British association, including a parliamentary style of government — which is advised by the Great Council of Chiefs, driving on the left-hand side of the road, and a deep love of rugby and soccer [football].

Location:

Fiji is located west-southwest of Hawaii about two-thirds of the way to New Zealand. It straddles the 180° meridian line, from which the new day is calculated. For convenience, and to allow all of Fiji to be in one time zone, the International Date Line detours to the East around Fiji.

Geography:

Fiji consists of approximately 300 islands ranging from coral atolls to high-rise sub-continental land masses, about 100 of which are populated. Viti Levu, with the capital located on the eastern end at Suva, is the main island and also the site of the international airport on the western end at Nadi [sometimes written Nandi]. Vanua Levu is the second largest island, but beyond the urban centers on Viti Levu, it and most other islands in the country are relatively undeveloped.

Fiji has a land mass of 18,270 sq. km. It is slightly smaller than New Jersey. Its two main islands are categorized as sub-continental, and have vast tropical forests and even a gold mine, contrasting with other Polynesian islands which typically have few natural resources beyond tropical forests and the sea.

Population:

Fiji has a population of approximately 870,000, 51% of them indigenous Fijians with their Polynesian admixture and 44% of Indian descent. The remaining percentage is a comprised of Europeans, other Pacific islanders, Chinese and others.

European discovery and history:

Archeologists know the predecessors of the Fijians first came to these islands over 3,000 years ago, and their ancestors eventually moved on to Tonga and Samoa. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman accidentally discovered Fiji in 1643. British Captain James Cook also sailed through the islands in 1774, but credit for the first significant European exploration usually goes to Captain William Bligh: He sailed past "the Feejees" following the famous mutiny on the Bounty in 1789 and returned several years later in his quest to punish the mutineers. Shipwrecked sailors, sandalwood traders and Christian missionaries followed. When paramount chief, Ratu Seru Cakobau, converted to Christianity in 1854, intertribal warfare and cannibalism soon ceased.

As hereditary Fijian tribal chiefs watched the encroachment of European colonialism among the Pacific islands in the the 18th and 19th centuries, they collectively elected to associate with Great Britain in 1874. The first British Governor-General of Fiji, Sir Arthur Gordon, formalized the Great Council of Chiefs and ensured these traditional leaders would maintain control over almost all the land in Fiji, a situation which still basically exists today (contrasted with some other traditional Polynesian lands which eventually could be bought and sold by anyone). From 1879 to 1916, the British government imported indentured Indian laborers to work on sugar cane plantations and in other industries. After the indenture system was abolished there, about 60% of the Indians chose to remain in Fiji, where their descendants live today as small farmers and business owners.

In 1970, the citizens of Fiji elected to become an independent nation.

Languages:

Fijian is an ancient Austronesian language that is related to its more modern "cousins" such as Tongan and Samoan. Historical linguists often trace a language's roots against such cousins by noting which sounds and features have been kept or dropped, determining that newer languages and dialects tend to have fewer sounds and features. In this simplistic explanation, therefore, linguists have shown that Fijian is much more ancient than Tongan or Samoan, which are likewise even older than Tahitian and Hawaiian.

Today, Fijian (in various dialects) and English are widely spoken, along with various Indian and other Pacific island languages.

The sounds represented by several written Fijian letters are different than their English counterparts. More specifically, the consonant 'b' is pronounced as an 'mb' sound, even at the beginning of a word; and the consonant 'd' is pronounced as an 'nd' sound, also even if it comes at the beginning of a word. Hence, the written word Nadi (where the international airport is located) is pronounced as if it were written 'Nandi' (non-dee).

There are three other differences: 1) The sound represented by the Fijian letter 'g' is an unreleased g-sound, as in the English word "singer," even if it comes at the beginning of a word; 2) the letter 'q' is pronounced in Fijian with a released-g sound, as in the English word "finger," again even if it comes at the first of a word; 3) and the letter 'c' is actually pronounced as an English 'th' as in the word 'that.' Consequently the name Cakobau, one of Fiji's great traditional chiefs, is sometimes written and is more correctly pronounced "Thakombau."

Fijian Houses:

Many Fijians today live in typically modern houses that you might expect to find in any warm tropical country. There are also beautiful resorts and hotels; but traditional Fijian architecture still exists in many rural areas of the country, as demonstrated by the following collection of Fijian houses at the Polynesian Cultural Center:

Lali hut: Visitors entering Fiji are usually greeted at a small shelter which protects the lali, a large wooden gong or drum that is used to signal events, call villagers together, announce the arrival of important guests, warn of emergencies, and gather people for religious observations. A similar lali is located at the front entrance of the Polynesian Cultural Center. Traditionally, the largest lali were beaten day and night for certain funerals until all observations were completed. Smaller lali are often used with derua or bamboo musical instruments to accompany singing and dancing. Other Polynesian people use similar wooden gongs, such as the Samoan lali and the Tahitian to'ere.

Fijians and other Polynesians also use the conch shell as a trumpet to signal events. For example, fishermen use the conch shell to notify people of a good catch. The Fijians, unlike many other Polynesian cultures, always cut the hole for blowing the conch on the side of the shell rather than at the end.

Bure Kalou — literally the "spirit house" or temple: Because this structure traditionally housed the ancestral gods, it was always the tallest building in a Fijian village. Strings of white cowry shells hang from the peak of the roof to indicate the highest form of respect. In the bure kalou, the bete or priest would sit at the bottom of a long strip of white masi or bark tapa cloth hung from the ceiling. He was the only person allowed there, and was considered a medium through whom the god spoke via the masi cloth. When a chief wanted to be successful in leadership or in battle, he would take food offerings and sacrifices to the bure kalou regularly and consult with the priest.

Vale Levu: The chief's "great house" always occupied the most prominent position in a traditional Fijian village. It was also the largest structure, and was elevated above all other buildings except the bure kalou. Its chiefly stature was further marked with white cowry shells on the doors and at other various points, both inside and outside the house. The high and steep-pitched roof is designed to drain rainwater quickly and efficiently. It also allows for good ventilation and air circulation, important factors in warm and humid climates.

Of the four doors in the vale levu, commoners and servants used the front one to enter; the chief's wife and family used the two side doors; and the back door was reserved for the exclusive use of the chief. Anciently, any person beside the chief who entered through that door was put to death. As a remnant of that tradition, it's still common to see Fijian men standing guard with war clubs at important events.

The chief's house was also the most decorated in the village, with finely crafted masi or tapa cloth used extensively. The masi features typical Fijian geometric stenciling and motifs patterned after nature. Many patterns are associated with the particular village where the masi is made. Anciently, the patterns often had genealogical significance and were used as a recording device of a family's progenitors.

The chief's bed is made of piled-up pandanus mats topped with masi. Frequently, a bamboo frame was utilized, again filled with layers of mats to ensure softness. The headrest on the bed was typically made of bamboo or hardwood and was designed to keep the head elevated above the body. This was necessary because Fijians believed the head was the location of the chief's mana or power. The lower bed was used by the chief's wife and children. If the chief practiced polygamy, the favored wife and her children slept there. The other wives and children were sometimes provided separate sleeping quarters.

The chief would receive his guests and entertain them at the opposite end of the house, which also featured his artifacts and weapons.

Vale ni Bose or "Meeting House": A building of this size would serve a Fijian community as a ceremonial center for both official and private occasions. Ceremonial use might include the welcoming of another chief, discussing official matters, or carrying out the yaqona or kava ceremony. During any official meetings, women and children were forbidden to enter. Only the chief and his counselors were permitted inside. At other times, women and children could use the vale ni bose as an arts and crafts center. Baskets and other useful household items would be woven here using pandanus leaves. The thinner and closer the weave, the more valuable the crafted product.

Vale ni Qase: The "old folks home" is where grandparents stay during the daytime with grandchildren so they can pass along the oral traditions they learned from their grandparents...for this is the way island cultures without a written language traditionally passed knowledge from one generation to another over the centuries gone by.

Na Bure or simply, the "house": This structure is a typical family dwelling patterned after those along the humid coast of the Viti Levu group of islands and represents the finest example of Fijian workmanship found anywhere in the world outside Fiji. Because Fiji consists of over 300 islands spread across a wide expanse of ocean, Fijian house structures differ from location to location due to local customs and the availability of building materials.

The na bure is constructed with layered reed walls lashed together with coconut fiber magimagi or sennit. As in all Fijian structures, the use of masi or tapa cloth dominates the interior. Fijian masi differs from the rest of Polynesia tapa in its fine geometrical and symmetrical designs. The masi design colors are also usually darker in hue.

The roof is thatched with sugar cane leaves. To keep the thatching free of insects or animals which might otherwise feed on the leaves, the Fijians often light a fire which lasts for a number of days that causes clouds of smoke to rise into the thatching. This long-lasting fumigation method keeps the thatching pest-free.

The salusalu demonstration hut features the making of Fijian neck wreaths, or salusalu. The basic circle of the salusalu is made out of the bark of the vau or wild hibiscus plant. Women prefer to use natural-colored strands. They cut the bark into 10-inch lengths which are then folded in half and tied at the fold resulting in a half-inch thickness and forming a tassel. Approximately 22 tassels are needed to complete a salusalu. The tassel is refined by stripping it into fine threads using a t-pin. More tassels are added to braided lengths at appropriate intervals until a desired size is completed.

To decorate the salusalu, the women add flowers, leaves and feathers. Sometimes they will attach a bow or streamers to further enhance the salusalu, which are worn during festivals, birthdays, anniversary celebrations, holidays, and other special occasions.

The vale ni kuro or kitchen area: Like other Polynesians, Fijians traditionally prepare their food in a lovo or earth oven, which is essentially a steam cooker that uses pre-heated rocks and the moisture from leaves and/or banana stumps. After the rocks are heated and any remaining charcoal removed, leaves and pieces of banana stumps are laid on top of them, then the food, followed by more leaves to seal in the steam. In cases of large items such as pigs or turtles, heated stones are also sometimes put into the body cavities to ensure thorough cooking. Lovo — which are the Fijian equivalent of the Hawaiian imu, the Samoan umu or the Maori hangi (they call the food cooked there umu) — usually take several hours to cook a family-sized meal, and longer for bigger meals.

Fijians traditionally eat a variety of fruits and vegetables such as breadfruit, sweet potatoes, bananas, tapioca, taro, and papaya. Edible sea life such as fish, turtles and shellfish are boiled, grilled or baked in the lovo along with other meats such as chicken, pork, beef, etc. Wild pigs and free-running chickens are found throughout Fiji.

In Fiji the usual day began very early with work on the plantation. By mid or late morning, the men were through weeding and planting in the plantation and began preparing the lovo and its food. The day's main meal was served at mid-afternoon, after which each person returned to work or participated in some form of recreation.

Fijian cooking also makes liberal use of coconuts — the most versatile and useful of all Polynesian plants. In addition to food and drink, for example, the fibers of the coconut husk are braided to make sennit, which the Fijians call magimagi, that can be used as lashing cord for houses and canoes. Pieces of husk fibers can be used as a scrubber not only for kitchen utensils but also lathered with soap as a body cleanser or loofah. Fijians and other Polynesians also use the fibers wadded together as a strainer to extract milk from grated coconut meat. They hollow out and polish coconut shells to use as drinking cups, soap dishes, water bottles and containers plus a myriad of other purposes; and they make charcoal from the shells.

Like the Samoans, Fijians commonly extract the "milk" or white oil from mature coconut meat. This coconut milk is sometimes put in air-tight containers to which flower petals and fragrant leaves are added. The containers are left in the sun for several days, with new petals and leaves added daily, until the coconut oil clarifies. Then it's ready to use as moisturizing lotion or soap.

One of Fiji's main exports is copra from which coconut oil is extracted commercially. To make copra, skilled islanders remove the mature coconut meat from the shell and then leave the pieces to dry in the sun on mats, sheets of corrugated iron or other available materials. When thoroughly dried, copra is bagged and shipped to other countries for use in making candles, soap, cosmetics, confections, etc.

Village life:

Yaqona or kava is a common drink used throughout Fiji that historically was prepared for all special ceremonies. The yaqona plant is related to the pepper family, and although it's sometimes described as narcotic or intoxicating, normally only has a slight numbing effect on the tongue when used in moderation. When needed, yaqona roots are dried and pounded into a fine powder which is then mixed with water and served ceremonially.

Fijian clay pottery: Fijian pottery is derived from Lapita potters who brought the tradition with them to the islands about 3500 years ago. Pottery from clay would be molded and completed by hand, to be set aside for the family’s use or exchanged for other needed household objects. Today, Fijian women temper clay with sand to strengthen it. They use small wooden paddles to shape the clay into desired objects such as containers and drinking vessels which are then placed in the shade to dry for several days. The object is kept out of the sun to keep it from drying too fast and thus cracking. Once dried, the objects are fired in an open pit, simply by burning a pile of dried coconut fronds over and around them. After the initial firing, the women sometimes apply a glaze of makadre pine tree resin to ornament and waterproof the object prior to a second firing.

I wau — Fijian Clubs or Chiefly Weapons:

As late as a century ago, Fijians used many types of war clubs, starting with the gadi, a small ornamental club carried by correctly dressed warriors and chiefs at ceremonial occasions during peace times. All clubs were hand carved from the wide array of tropical hardwoods which grow in abundance in Fiji. In fact, when Brigham Young University Hawaii recently built a 57-foot traditional twin-hulled Hawaiian sailing canoe, they imported the wood from Fiji. Many of the war clubs also included fine linear carving on the handles, reflecting the personalities of the individual warrior who made and used them.

Fijian clubs fall into several categories:

Bowai or pole clubs are similar to long baseball bats, but sometimes with wider heads. These were used for breaking bones and general disabling blows. Waka or root clubs had straight handles with a natural knot of roots at the end and were used to crush skulls easily. Cali were spurred or “gun stock” clubs, so-called because they resembled rifles, although Fijians devised these clubs long before they became aware of rifles. They were designed for cutting and disjointing blows.

The i ula were throwing clubs with short handles and bulbous heads. These were the most deadly Fijian weapon, capable of competing with revolvers in close situations. If the handle struck the victim first it could penetrate flesh, the heavy head then jack-knifing onto the victim even if the handle did not pierce him, thus dealing a crippling, if not a finishing blow. And the kiakavo, a Y-shaped club, was utilized mainly as a dance implement so it was constructed of lighter wood and was usually not finely decorated.