The Fijian Colonial Experience A study of the neotraditional order under British colonial rule prior to World War II ,. Timothy J. Macnaught ::::a::: ---- The Fijian Colonial Experience - ,......,.. ·· -· .. ... ..,. YASAWA tJJ- 17' J!... ,.,..,.. 11- KOROV ;�=..:: ""' ogo oM �� ·� K 0 R 0 s £A 11Tuwca F�::Cic io t o � �Noyou oLokebo L A U Sa I 00neo!O • 30' --f\ roo' I 11• . \JGAU. r Draubuta I qMoolo oMoce " QKoboro � oo· Fylogo or 'DMotuku .a !;. OQeo Levu ll'JO' 0 I IO • to D IO M 401111..11 ' LAU GROUP 20'00 KADAVU Q°"" IO IO 40 50MILE.S ' ...... ll'OO � 60no-l-Lou Map 1 Colony of Fiji, 1920-1944 Pacific Research Monograph Number Seven The Fijian Colonial Experience A study of the neotraditional order under British colonial rule prior to World War II Timothy J. Macnaught Series editor E.K. Fisk The Australian National University Canberra, Australia and in Miami, Florida, USA 1982 ©Timothy J. Macnaught 1982 This work is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Inquiries may be made to the publisher. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-publication entry Macnaught, Timothy J. The Fijian colonial experience. ISBN o 909150 49 4. 1. Fiji Islands - History. I. Australian National University. Development Studies Centre. II. Title. (Series: Pacific research monograph; no. 7). 996'.11 Library of Congress Catalog Card No 81-71137 Printed and manufactured in Australia by The Australian National University Timothy John Macnaught, born in Sydney in 1945, was one of Macquarie University's first graduates in 1970. He received his PhD in Pacific history at the Australian National University in 1975 and the following year moved with his wife and three children to Honolulu, where he taught World and Pacific history for the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He was also assistant professor in the University's Pacific Islands Studies Program. He has recently been appointed Vice-Principal of St Francis Xavier College, Beaconsfield, Victoria. Cover Illustration from Cook, James. Ctlptain Cook's Voyllgts tlro11nJ tlu WorlJ, printed for Millar, Law and Cater, Vol. 4, London,1790 Summary 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 Contents Acknowledgments ix Guide to pronunciation xi Glossary of Fij ian words xiii Abbreviations xvii Introduction 1 Chapter 1 New white men without knowledge 12 Chapter 2 The assault on land rights 28 Chapter 3 The erosion of hereditary privilege 38 Chapter 4 The new politics of chiefly power 49 Chapter 5 The continuities of village life and politics 64 Chapter 6 Apolosi R. Nawai and the Viti Company 75 Chapter 7 The vein of discontent 93 Chapter 8 Compromise for a multiracial society 112 Chapter 9 The dilennnas of development 129 Chapter 10 Epilogue: rendezvous with the modern world 148 Notes to text 164 Bibliography 193 Maps 1 Colony of Fiji, 1920-1944 Frontispiece 2 Serua 60 3 Colo North 96 vii 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. Guide to pronunciation Vowel sounds approximate those of Latin or Spanish . Long or stressed vowels, marked for convenience in the 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 candy g is ng as in sing but may also occur at the beginning of a word ( as does q) q is ng voiced as in fin�er xi Glossary of Fij ian 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 gauna 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 kaisi 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 mataqali 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 papalagi country of the white man tribute-paying, or dependent social group qalivakabau 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 xv tabua spenn whale's tooth Talai Fijian title fo r the variously styled officer in charge of the Fij ian Administration, since 1 944 the Secretary for Fij ian Affairs tama a muted shout of respect in unison on the first approach of a chief, as e.g. duo ! _£! taralala dancing European-style with body contact tikina government district Tui leading chief of a vanua Tuka an immortality cult tiiraga chief (general word) turaga ni koro government chief of the village vakamisioneri, an annual Wesleyan collection for support of the church vakarorogo ' go to' , acknowledge allegiance to vakaturaga in a chiefly fashion vakavanua pertaining to the land , customary , traditional vakaveiwekani in the manner of relatives vakaviti Fij i-style - often used pejoratively by local Europeans vanua land , small polity , local chiefdom of several villages of yavusa vat a raised sleeping-shelf or platfonn