THE FIJIAN COLONIAL EXPERIENCE A STUDY OF THE NEOTRADITIONAL ORDER UNDER BRITISH COLONIAL RULE PRIOR TO WORLD WAR II , ·· -· ......,.... ... ..,. YASAWA 17' tJJ- J!... ,.,. .,.. 11- KOROV ogo oM �� ·� K 0 R 0 s £A io 11Tuwca oCic �Noyou � oLokebo L A U 00neo!O I 30' I 11• Draubuta qMo olo oMoce " QKoboro Fylogo oroo· �'DMotuku .a !;. OQeo Levu ll'JO' 0 I IO • to D IO M 401111..11 LAU GROUP KADAVU Q °" " IO IO 40 50MILE.S ' ll'OO � 60no-l-Lou Map 1 Colony of Fiji, 1920-1944 , ·· -· ......,.... ... ..,. YASAWA 17' tJJ- J!... ,.,. .,.. 11- KOROV ogo oM �� ·� K 0 R 0 s £A io 11Tuwca oCic �Noyou � oLokebo L A U 00neo!O I 30' I 11• Draubuta qMo olo oMoce " QKoboro Fylogo oroo· �'DMotuku .a !;. OQeo Levu ll'JO' 0 I IO • to D IO M 401111..11 LAU GROUP KADAVU Q °" " IO IO 40 50MILE.S ' ll'OO � 60no-l-Lou Map 1 Colony of Fiji, 1920-1944 ORDER UNDERBRITISHCOLONIALRULE EXPERIENCE A STUDY OF THE NEOTRADITIONAL A STUDYOF THE FIJIAN COLONIAL TIMOTHY J. MACNAUGHT J. TIMOTHY PRIOR TO WORLD WAR PRIOR TOWORLDWAR II Published by ANU eView The Australian National University Acton ACT 2601, Australia Email: [email protected] This title is also available online at eview.anu.edu.au National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Creator: Macnaught, Timothy J. (Timothy John), 1945- author. Title: The Fijian colonial experience : a study of the neotraditional order under British colonial rule prior to World War II / Timothy John Macnaught. ISBN: 9781921934353 (paperback) 9781921934360 (ebook) Subjects: British--Fiji--History. Fiji--History. Fiji--Colonial influence. Dewey Number: 996.11 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Cover design and layout by ANU Press. Cover photograph source: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales. First published 1982 by The Australian National University This edition © 2016 ANU eView This book analyses thematically much of the colonial experience of the Fijians earlier this century - their land rights, village and district politics, chiefly leadership, underground movements and various British effo rts to 'improve' them. The major theme is the failure of vague policies fostering individualism and enterprise to interrupt the continuities of a vigorously autonomous social and political world maintaining eight of ten Fij ians in a relatively affluent neotraditional order until World War II, despite the deep vein of discontent and material aspirations manifested most clearly in Apolosi R. Nawai 's movement, the Viti Company . The epilogue briefly chronicles some of the recent changes in Fij ian life which, it is argued, throw into sharper relief the accomplishments of the earlier partnership between Fij ian leaders and British officials. Therein lie the historical antecedents of both the economic problems of the Fijian people and their ascendancy in national political life through the first decade of independence. v ConteContentsnts AcknoAcknowledwledgmegmentsnts ix ix GuideGuide to topronu pronuncinciatiation on xixi GlosGlossarysa ryof ofFij Fijianian words words xiiixiii AbbreAbbreviatioviationsns xviixvii IntroduIntroductioction n 1 1 ChapteChapter 1r 1New New whi white temen men with withouout knot knowledgewledge 1212 ChapChapterter 2 2Th The assae assaultult on on land land rights rights 28 28 ChapChapterter 3 3 TheThe eros erosionion of ofhered hereditaryitary pri privilegevilege 38 38 ChapChapterte 4r 4 TheThe new new po lpoitlicsitics of ofch chiefliefly ypower power 49 49 ChapChapterte 5r 5 TheThe contin continuitiesuities of of vil villagelage li felife and and pol politicsitics 64 64 ChapChapterte 6r 6Apol Apolosiosi R. R.Nawai Nawai and and the the Vi Vititi Company Company 75 75 ChapChapterte r7 7 TheThe vei vein nof ofdisc disconontenttent 93 93 ChapChapterte 8r 8 ComCompropromisemise for for a amu ltmuiracialltiracial so cietysociety 112112 ChapChapterte 9r 9The The di dilennnleasnnn asof ofdevelopment development 129129 ChapChapterte 10r 10Ep Epilogue:ilogue: rend rendezvousezvous with with the the modern modern world world 148148 NotesNotes to tote xtte xt 164164 BiblBibliographyiography 193193 MapsMaps 1 1Colony Colony of ofFiji, Fiji, 1920-1944 1920-1944 FroFrontisntispiecepiece 2 2Serua Serua 60 60 3 Colo3 Colo North North 96 96 viivii Acknowledgements The Government of Fiji and the generous support of the Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University , made possible a total of eighteen months ' fieldwork and archival research in Fiji between 1972 and 1974, and this book is a revision of a doctoral dissertation accepted by A.N.U. in 1976. Deryck Scarr, to whose vigilance, insights and friendship I am enormously indebted , was my original adviser, and since then I have profited from his further writings on Fiji and those of Ahmed Ali and Ken Gillion in their parallel explorations of the Fiji Indian experience. John Nation' s excellent study of contemporary Fijian politics strengthened me in the conclusion that the Fij ian colonial experience had something to say to the present, and alone made it intelligible. In Fiji the National Archivist, Setariki T. Tuinaceva, gave me extraordinary assistance in providing thousands of files as did dedicated staff: Helen White, Etuate Bakaniceva, Masood Khan, Tomasi Saladuadua , Paula Moceisadrau, Eparama Ulutegu, Samisoni I. Kafoa and Josateki Bakeidau. My friends Pio Manca and Josefo R. Meke and numerous others taught me much in the field, and in Suva I was frequently the guest of Ratu Tiale W.T. Vuiyasawa and Ratu Penaia Lalabalavu Latianara whose memories and stories greatly spiced or clarified the colonial record . Petero Vakaoqotabua , Felise Daveta, Lepani Siga of Naroi, Sesili Sili, Petero Sikeli, and most especially George Cama, his wife Lako and their kindred from Mo ala and Matuku gave us a family to join in Suva and nearly every part of the group and as happy times as we have ever had; experiences which convinced us that the Fij ians had 'come through' the colonial experience with a distinctive integrity and grace an historian such as myself should respect - and dare to interpret for a wider world. Gavan· Daws and Walter Johnson gave me the encouragement I needed to bring this book to press; Michael and Kitty Dabney typed and Ann Neale edited the final manuscript with extraordinary speed and care , while the maps were drawn by Imants Lamberts. My wife Alice-Anne , our children, parents and families know how much I have been sustained by their love and support. ix x Finally I am grateful to the University of Hawaii for research leave to complete this wo rk , and to the Australian National University for publishing it in a format which lowers the cost of sharing my thoughts wi th the people of Fiji. x Finally I am grateful to the University of Hawaii for Guide to research leave to complete this wo rk , and to the Australian National University for publishing it in a format which Vowel sounds approximate those of Latin or Spanish . lowers the cost of sharing my thoughts wi th the people of Long or stressed vowels, marked for convenience in the Fiji. glossary following , are not identified by macrons in print . The orthography of Fijian consonants employs several simple conventions that can mislead the fo reign speaker. b is mb as in member c is th voiced as in then d is nd like nd in g is ng as in but may also occur at the beginning of a word ( as does q) q is ng voiced as in xi of words Bai Tabua 'sacred fence of whales' teeth ' , secret society of Tuka adherents bose council Buli official title of government district chief burua mourning feast and ceremonies dalo taro , staple Fij ian tuber draunikau sorcery galala 'free' farmer legally exempted from communal obligations; in current usage a man living apart from the village time, era isevu first fruits offering itaukei the (original) owners of the land ; often , by extension,the term used by Fijians to refer to themselves as against other races kai inhabitant of, man of k i a si commoner, low-born (pejorative) kai vale chief' s household servants kerekere the practice of 'requesting' goods of a friend or relative koro village lala chief' s conscription of goods and services lali wooden drum lo tu church luveniwai spirit- ' children of the water' xiii xiv magiti feast mana supernatural power masi cloth made from bark of the paper mulberry tree ma ta envoy matanitu political confederation of vanua; the government matanivanua spokesman for the chiefs social unit of second order of inclusiveness; legally a patrilineal descent group and the proprietary unit of most Fijian land meke a song integrated with dance movements noi dialectal variant of kai oco food given in return fo r work , especially housebuilding ovisa officer country of the white man tribute-paying, or dependent social group dependants of Bau in Lomaiviti and elsewhere Roko Tui government title of heads of provinces - in some areas also a hereditary title solevu a large ceremonial exchange of food and goods between two sides sulu length of cotton print wrapped round the loins ( lava lava) tabu taboo xiv xv magiti feast tabua spenn whale's tooth mana supernatural power Talai Fijian title fo r the variously styled officer in charge of the Fij ian masi cloth made from bark of the paper Administration, since 1 944 the mulberry tree Secretary for Fij ian Affairs ma ta envoy tama a muted shout of