Rotuma Wide Governments to Deal with the New Threats 14 May That Government Was Overthrown in a Mili Failed
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Rotuma wide governments to deal with the new threats 14 May that government was overthrown in a mili failed. Facing the prospect of continuing instability tary coup led by Sitiveni Rabuka (FIJI COUPS). Fol and insistent demands by outsiders, Cakobau and lowing months of turmoil and delicate negotiations, other leading chiefs of Fiji ceded Fiji to Great Britain Fiji was returned to civilian rule in December 1987. on 10 October 1874 (DEED OF CESSION). A new constitution, entrenching indigenous domi Sir Arthur GORDON was appointed the first sub nance in the political system, was decreed in 1990, stantive governor of the new colony. His policies which brought the chiefs-backed Fijian party to and vision laid the foundations of modern Fiji. He political power in 1992. forbade the sale of Fijian land and introduced an The constitution, contested by non-Fijians for its 'indirect system' of native administration that racially-discriminatory provisions, was reviewed by involved Fijians in the management of their own an independent commission in 1996 (CONSTITUT affairs. A chiefly council was revived to advise the ION REVIEW IN FIJI), which recommended a more government on Fijian matters. To promote economic open and democratic system encouraging the forma development, he turned to the plantation system he tion of multi-ethnic governments. A new constitu had seen at first hand as governor of Trinidad and tion, based on the commission's recommendations, Mauritius. The Australian COLONIAL SUGAR was promulgated a year later, providing for the rec REFINING COMPANY was invited to extend its ognition of special Fijian interests as well as a consti operation to Fiji, which it did in 1882, remaining in tutionally-mandated multi-party cabinet. Within a the country until 1973. For cheap labour, he turned decade, Fiji had travelled from a military coup to to India and to the system of indentured emigration. constitutional reconciliation, and rejoined the Com Begun in 1879, it brought over 60 000 Indians to the monwealth of Nations. By any measure, it was a colony (GIRMITIYA). Most remained in Fiji. remarkable journey.—BVL In the 20th century, the three principal ethnic Further reading groups, Fijians, Indians and Europeans, remained Lai, B V, 1992. Broken Waves: a history of the Fiji Islands in the largely separate and apart, encouraged by a colonial 20th century, University of Hawaii Press. government intent on playing the role of an impar Scarr, D, 1984. A Short History of Fiji, Allen & Unwin. tial mediator among them. The political system was racially based, with each ethnic group electing or nominating its own representatives in the legislative ROTUMA council. Demands for political change toward Constitutional status: Part of FIJI ISLANDS. greater self-government were successfully resisted Population: 2500 (1998 estimate). until the 1960s, when the winds of DECOLONIZA Physical environment: Rotuma is the northernmost TION reached the Pacific. A series of difficult, often island of the Fijian group, lying a little more than contentious, constitutional negotiations in Fiji and in 500 km north of Viti Levu, on the western fringe of London paved the way for political reform, resulting Polynesia. The island is of volcanic origin, compris in complete political independence on 10 October ing a land area of approximately 43 sq km, with the 1974. highest craters rising to heights of 260 m. Rotuma's Fiji's central location made it an important base geographical location (between latitude 12° south for airlines, SHIPPING and telecommunications, and and longitude 177° east) places it very near the inter these advantages together with its cosmopolitan section of the conventional boundaries of Micro facilities attracted the headquarters of many nesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. regional and international bodies and the main cam The vast majority of households in Rotuma pus of the regional university, the UNIVERSITY OF maintain gardens that supply staples (taro, yams, THE SOUTH PACIFIC. Post-colonial politics was tapioca, breadfruit and bananas). Pineapples, organized essentially along racial lines, with the papaya, mangoes, watermelons and oranges are also Fijian dominated political party, the Alliance, occu grown in abundance to supplement the diet. While pying the seat of government under the leadership the island is exceptionally fertile, the eastern side is of Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. Nonetheless, social and covered with stones and boulders, making it more economic changes, caused in part by external forces, difficult to work the soil. Rotation of crops is the including the policies of the World Bank, produced common pattern; typically yams are planted the first forces which challenged the race-based political season, followed by taro, then by tapioca and order, leading to the formation of a labour party in banana trees. Although only a few men engage in 1985 winch won the 1987 election in coalition with deep-sea fishing, the fringing reef surrounding the the Indian-based National Federation Party. On island is widely exploited for a variety of fish, octo- 568 Rotuma pus, crustaceans, and edible seaweed. Chicken, Rotuma's seven districts to petition Queen Victoria canned corned beef, and canned mackerel supple for annexation, and in 1881 the island was officially ment the daily diet, while cattle, goats and pigs are ceded to Great Britain. Rotuma was governed as consumed on special occasions such as weddings, part of the Colony of Fiji until 1970, when Fiji gained funerals and welcoming ceremonies. Since the latter independence. Since then it has been an integral part half of the 19th century Rotuma's main export prod of the Fijian polity, the chiefs choosing to remain uct has been copra. with Fiji following the FIJI COUPS of 1987. Language and population: Although Rotuma has A wharf was completed in the district of Oinafa been politically associated with FIJI ISLANDS since in 1973 and an airstrip was opened in 1.981, helping 1881, when the chiefs ceded the island to Great Brit to alleviate Rotuma's isolation. However, shipping ain, the Rotuman people are unique, forming a dis has remained irregular, aggravating the problem of tinctive enclave within the Republic of Fiji. Rotuma's distance from potential markets. This has Linguistic evidence suggests that Rotuman belongs especially inhibited the development of agricultural in a sub-grouping that includes Fijian and the Poly exports. Rotuman oranges, for example, are famous nesian languages. Within this group Rotuman has a for their quality, and are extremely abundant, but as special relationship with the languages of western yet they have not been commercially exploited Fiji. The vocabulary shows a considerable degree of because of difficulties with storage and transporta borrowing from Tongan and Samoan and traces of tion. Indonesian. Land is important to Rotumans for its symbolic The first census of Rotuma, taken in 1881, significance as well as for its subsistence value. The reported a population of 2452. Following a devastat main land-holding unit is the kainaga, a bilineal ing measles epidemic in 1911, it declined below group based on common descent from ancestors 2000, then gradually began to increase. As the total who resided at, and held rights in, a named house- approached 3000, in the late 1930s, emigration to Fiji site, or fuag ri. Individuals have rights in the fuag ri became an important means of alleviating popula of their eight great-grandparents, although claims tion pressure. According to the 1936 Fiji census, are made selectively. Associated with each fuag ri are 91.3 per cent of Rotumans were Jiving on their sections of bushland; membership in a kainaga enti home island. By 1956 the percentage had decreased tles one to rights in all its land. The person who lives to 67.7 per cent, and in 1986 it declined to 29.9 per on the fuag ri normally acts as steward of the land cent. In recent years emigration has accelerated, not and controls access. He or she is obligated to grant only to Fiji but to New Zealand, Australia and the usufruct rights to kainaga members for any reasona United States. As a result, the population of the ble request. At times land has been sold or given for island has dropped to around 2500, representing less services to specific individuals, but over generations than 25 per cent of the total number of Rotumans. it becomes kainaga land again. When the population History and politics: First recorded European con of the island approached its highest levels, during tact was in 1791, by Captain Edwards in HMS Pan the 1950s and 1960s, land disputes intensified and dora, while searching for the mutineers of the access was generally restricted to close relatives. In BOUNTY. The first half of the 19th century was a recent years, however, emigration has relieved ten time of increasing contact, as Rotuma became a sions; the main problem now is often to determine favorite place for whalers to replenish their provi which sibling will remain behind to steward the sions. A substantial number of sailors jumped ship land and care for aging parents. Household size has there, some marrying into the local population. Vis declined in response to emigration, from an average iting vessels found Rotumans quite willing to sign of 7.5 persons per household in 1960 to 4.5 in 1988. on, and by the mid 19th century many Rotuman Rotuma is divided into seven autonomous dis men had been abroad; some had visited centres of tricts, each with its own headman (gaga) 'es itu'u). European civilization before returning home. In the The districts are divided into sub-groupings of 1860s English Wesleyan and French Roman Catholic households, ho'aga, that function as work groups missionaries established themselves on Rotuma, and under the leadership of a sub-chief (gaga) 'es ho'aga).