Culture of Fiji

The culture of Fiji is a tapestry of native Fijian, Indian, European, Chinese and other nationalities. Culture polity traditions, language, food costume, belief system, architecture, arts, craft, music, dance, and sports will be discussed in this article to give you an indication of Fiji's indigenous community but also the various communities which make up Fiji as a modern culture and living. The indigenous culture is an active and living part of everyday life for the majority of the population.
Fijian culture has evolved with the introduction of Indian, Chinese and European culture, and various cultures from the Pacific neighbors of Fiji; in particular the Tongan and Rotuman cultures. The culture of Fiji, including language, has created a unique communal and national identity.

History

Tradition and hierarchy

Fijian indigenous society is very communal, with great importance attached to the family unit, the village, and the vanua. A hierarchy of chiefs presides over villages, clans, and tribes. Chiefly positions are hereditary; a deceased chief is invariably followed by a kinsman or kinswoman, though not necessarily his own son or daughter. This reflects Polynesian influence: in most other Melanesian societies, chiefs are appointed on merit.
The largest social unit for Fijians is the Yavusa, defined by R.A. Derrick as the "direct agnate descendants of a single kalou-vu". Chiefly succession was from older brother/sister to younger brother/sister, after the death of their father/mother. When the youngest brother/sister died, the eldest son/daughter of the eldest brother/sister became chief. This tradition still influences Fijian society today, though less rigidly: there is more of a tendency nowadays towards primogeniture.
Each brother/sister in the family then formed his own branch of the yavusa, called the Mataqali. Each mataqali became the custodian of a specific task. A fully developed Yavusa has several mataqali:

Turaga: This mataqali descends from the original ancestor through primogeniture - inheritance of the eldest son in each succeeding generation. The chief of a village is always chosen from the Turaga mataqali.
Sau turaga: These are next in rank to the chiefs, support him, and enforce his commands and also have final say in the installation of a Chief. The sau-turaga clan is often one and the same with that of the turaga as they can be considered one family unit.
Mata ni vanua: These form the official heralds of the village. They are also in charge of ceremonial functions.
Bete: This was the traditional priestly class. The kalou-vu was believed to speak through the Bete. This is why they are also considered "oracle priests".
Bati: This mataqali forms the traditional warrior class.
Dau and Matai: these are the crafts people and specialized skilled people of the tribe e.g. Dau ni vucu, Dau ni yau, Mataisau

The mataqali are subdivided into Tokatoka, each comprising closely related families.
Several mataqali comprise a village, several of which form a yavusa or district. The British colonial rulers amalgamated the districts into Yasana, or Provinces. The districts also form three Matanitu, or Confederacies. These are often said to be agglomerations of provinces, but as the latter were a colonial imposition, the boundaries do not coincide exactly, and the Provinces of Tailevu, Ra, Naitasiri, Lomaiviti and parts of Yasawa and Ba make up the Kubuna Confederacy. This Confederacy in modern Fiji is considered to be the most senior. The other two are Burebasaga, and Tovata, covering Vanua Levu, Lau archipelago and Rotuma. Despite its isolation and relatively small size, Tovata has been politically dominant since Fiji gained its independence in 1970.

Language

, Fijian, and Hindustani are the official languages of Fiji. The Fijian language has many dialects, and there is a clear distinction between the dialects of the West, Central and Eastern parts of the country.
Other languages spoken in the country are Fiji Hindi, Cantonese, Rotuman, Gilbertese, and Tuvaluan. The Fiji Islands are traditionally linked to their island neighbours Rotuma, Tonga and Samoa, and this is evident in the culture and dialects of the Northern and Eastern provinces being Cakaudrove, Bua, Macuata, and Lau. The many dialects spoken in these four provinces consistently use sounds that are heard in Tongan and Samoan, but not so with dialects from the Western and South Western parts of Fiji. The Fijian language uses a Latin alphabet. However, the Fijian alphabet is dissimilar from the English alphabet. The following conventions exist:

The letter "c" is pronounced like the English "th" sound in then. Laucala Bay is pronounced as 'Lauthala' Bay.
The letter "d" is pronounced like English "nd". Nadi is pronounced 'Nandi'.
The letter "b" is pronounced like English "mb" in bombast. The town of Ba is pronounced 'mBa'.
The letter "q" is pronounced like the "ng" in the English word "finger". Beqa is pronounced mBengga.
The letter "g" is pronounced like the "ng" in the English word "sing".
The letter "r" is rolled as in Spanish.

In Fijian words, each vowel is given its full weight and never shortened, skipped or slurred.

Fiji English

The existence of many dialects within the Fijian language as well as exposure to the other languages spoken has contributed to many Fiji Islanders being bilingual. For general communication in an informal environment, a very interesting cross use of the languages has developed, resulting in slang now commonly referred to as Fiji English, although in formal settings, correct usage is adhered to. Fiji English comprises aspects of Fijian, English and Hindi, which reflects the history and identity of the people of Fiji.
Fiji English is non-rhotic.
The vowel sounds for Fiji English are:

Keyword	Phoneme	Transcription




	or	or




		or

	or	or



cure
		or
	or	or



		or

	or	or
horses
comma	or	or

Fiji English recordings can be found .

Cultural arts and social polity

In culture, its various crafts and music give it an identity along with its traditional etiquette and varying forms of clothing attire, its unique architecture also tells a story of a culture and its evolution, the following will discuss these aspects of culture in Fiji.

Arts and crafts

Fiji's arts and crafts reflect local adaptations of their Polynesian and Melanesian heritage. By tradition, the men's and women's crafts are separate.

Women's crafts

The village of Na lotu on Kadavu Island is famous for its pottery, the making of which is still governed by strict rituals. Nadroga and Rewa also produce fine pottery. Each region has its own unique style in the making of pottery.
The making of Tapa cloth, or , is another craft associated with women. Tapa is made from the bark of the paper mulberry tree and decorated in charcoal with symbolic motifs and various patterns. In modern times, it has become fashionable for a masi to bear the name of the person who made it. Masi are often exchanged as gifts on formal occasions. The island of Vatuelele of the southern coast of Viti Levu is famous for its masi products.
Most Fijian mats are made from the leaves of the pandanus tree. The long process of preparation includes scraping and boiling the leaves, and drying them in the sun. There are different mats used for different occasions, and some are made as gifts for formal occasions such as weddings. Most mats are bordered with highly decorative and brightly coloured wool. One well-known Fijian mat is the kuta, made by women in Vanua Levu, particularly Bua.
Also made out of Masi/tapa cloth, is the headdress called I-sala. Most of the time it is white.
Weaving using various materials was another craft generally mastered by the women but also aspects of weaving were mastered only by the men, various types of weaving practiced were and still are; basket weaving, coconut rope weaving, and coconut leaves weaving.

Men's crafts

was practiced by the men; carving would be used for items of practical use, simple shapes and designs. A lot of effort was put into well adorned weapons and items for the home and ceremony. Today carving is practiced for its use in tourism and no longer plays a major role in Fijian society and life except in the case of the tanoa used for drinking kava.
Image:Urville-Viti-ship.jpg|thumb|250px|A Drua, the most impressive Fijian canoe.
Canoe building was another art practiced only by the men. Canoes were not only the major form of communication, but were important in all aspects of Fijian society, from the gathering of food and transporting of crops to use in presentation ceremonies and they were instrumental in wars and politics which were rife in Fiji. The art of canoe building was varied across the group and had several different types but of a similar design. The camakau was a small twin-hulled canoe for fishing or small transportation purposes. The most impressive canoes in Fiji were that of the Drua. In Fiji's early history before European involvement, control of the seaways was a major and decisive objective; disrupting or cutting off the enemy's supply and reinforcements gave great advantage in battle and would ensure victory. Sea battles involving hundreds of canoes were frequent. The canoe, which inspired fear and awe and so often held the balance was the mighty Drua. One of the most elaborate and beautiful artifacts of Oceania, the Drua was a product of considerable group efforts and human sacrifice. Double hulled and of gigantic proportions, the Drua was a masterpiece of design and craftsmanship, requiring total community involvement in its construction and human sacrifice in its launching. Its speed out at sea would be in excess of twenty knots and still remained highly manoeuvrable, it was capable of carrying upward of 150 warriors and took some 6 to 7 years to build and would vary in length from 100 feet to 118 feet and have a mast height of 60 to 70 feet, in the mid-19th century the following accounts were recorded:
"Up went the huge sail, down went the great steering oars, splashing into the sea, and away we shot like a racehorse. Owing to the great rate at which we were going, the sea was like a hissing cauldron on either side of our course, and the vessel, instead of having time to mount over the smaller waves, cut its way through them.".
"It had a magnificent appearance with its immense sail of white mats; its velocity was almost inconceivable.".
Ratu Seru Cakobau commanded an impressive fleet which had Several Drua with armed warriors ready for battle the led Canoe was named 'Rusi I Vanua' or 'Cursed is the land'.
Much of the art of Canoe building has been lost and only a small few still practice the art on a very small scale as its use in this modern era seems to have lost its place. The craft of Canoe building was traditionally reserved for the male.