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Rotuma is a self-governing heptarchy, generally designated a dependency of Fiji. "Rotuma" commonly refers to Rotuma Island, the only permanently inhabited and by far the largest of all the islands in the Rotuma Group. Officially, the Rotuma Act declares that Rotuma consists of Rotuma Island as well as its neighbouring islands, rocks, and reefs across the entire Rotuma Group. The dependency is situated around 500 km west of the French islands of Wallis and Futuna and a similar distance north of the Fijian mainland. Its capital is Ahau, a hamlet consisting of a number of colonial-era buildings. Rotuma exists as a dependency of Fiji but itself contains its own socioreligious pene-enclave known traditionally as Faguta where the chiefs and their villages adhere to the practices of worship, festival dates, and French-based writing system of the Marists, based at Sumi.
Since becoming independent of the United Kingdom in 1970, Fiji has had four constitutions, and the voting system has changed accordingly.
David Ariu Christopher, also known as Kariamakin Airu Christopher was a politician of Banaban descent, who has held office in two countries — Fiji and Kiribati.
General elections were held in Fiji between 23 and 30 May 1992. It was the first election held since two military coups in 1987 had severed Fiji's 113-year-old constitutional links with the British Monarchy, and later Fijian Monarchy, and ushered in a republic.
The Central Pacific languages, also known as Fijian–Polynesian languages, are a branch of the Oceanic languages spoken in Fiji and Polynesia.
Rotuman, also referred to as Rotunan, Rutuman or Fäeag Rotuạm, is an Austronesian language spoken by the Indigenous Rotuma people in the South Pacific. Linguistically, as well as culturally, Rotuma has had Polynesian-influence culture and was incorporated as a dependency into the Colony of Fiji in 1881. Contemporary Rotuman is a result of significant Polynesian borrowing, following Samoan and Tongan migrations into Rotuma.
Solkope is a small and densely wooded island off the southern coast of Rotuma in the Fiji Islands, at the edge of the fringing coral reef. It is separated from the main island of Rotuma by a channel that is between 50 and 200 m wide, and lies immediately southeast of the village of Kalvaka in the district of Noaʻtau. It 765 m long east–west, and up to 515 m wide, and rises to a height of 128 m. Its area is 0.3 km2. From the sea, it cannot be recognised as a separate island.
Lio 'On Famör Rotuma or LFR was a political party in Fiji. Formed in 1999, it sought to represent the interests of the Rotuman people in their main representative constituency, the Rotuman Communal Constituency, which, under the 1997 Constitution, elected a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for all people of Rotuman descent across the nation of Fiji. Although the party never won a seat in Parliament, it tightly contested the parliamentary elections of 1999 and 2001.
Gagaja is a Rotuman word denoting the position of "Chief" or "Lord". This could be a formal chiefly position in one of the seven districts or a village chief as well as to anyone else, such as the Chairman of the Rotuma Island Council to whom respect and deference is owed based on their own skills and attributes. Unlike in many other Pacific cultures, the official chiefly positions are not allocated according to any strict primogeniture, but rather are elected from all eligible males within certain kạinaga to whom the chiefly title belongs.
Noaʻtau is one of the seven districts on the island of Rotuma, a dependency of Fiji. It includes the villages of Kalvaka, ʻUtʻutu, Matuea, Maragteu, Fafaisina, and Fekeoko.
Meke, in the Fijian language, is all traditional style of dance. It is a cognate of the words "maka" (Rotuman) and "mele" in Hawaiian. It is typically performed during celebrations and festivals. Traditionally the dances that comprise the meke art form are performed by groups of men only or women only, however, foreign influences, such as the male/female Tongan ma'ulu'ulu becoming the Fijian vakamalolo, are evident throughout.
Tagroa Siria was the supreme deity in pre-Christian Rotuman society. He is understood to be the Rotuman version of the pan-Pacific deity Tangaroa.
Fara is a traditional Rotuman cultural and social event, occurring in the summertime festival of "av’ manea" where groups of singers and dancers traverse from house to house in a prescribed area to perform and entertain their hosts, "asking", as the name suggests, for their hospitality and participation.
Tēfui are the unique garlands of the Pacific Island, Rotuma. They are made by tying multiple "fui", with modern adaptations using wool or ribbon. The number of fui used is dependent on the situation. The Rotuman tēfui is used primarily as part of traditional ceremonies and celebrations (kato'aga), both happy and sad.
The Rotumans are a Polynesian ethnic group native to Rotuma, an island group forming part of Fiji. The island itself is a cultural melting pot at the crossroads of the Micronesian, Melanesian and Polynesian divisions of the Pacific Ocean, and due to the seafaring nature of traditional Pacific cultures, the indigenous Rotuman have adopted or share many aspects of its multifaceted culture with its Melanesian, Micronesian and Polynesian neighbours.
Fiji has three official languages under the 1997 constitution : English, Fijian and Fiji Hindi. The Fijian language is spoken as the first language by most indigenous Fijians who make up around 54% of the population.
The Land Has Eyes is a 2004 Rotuman film written and directed by Vilsoni Hereniko. It is the first ever feature film from Rotuma.
Hatana Island is considered the most sacred or "haʻa" islet of the Rotuma Group, Fiji, commonly featuring in various Rotuman Creation myths.
Uea is a high rocky offshore island of Rotuma. Uea is one of a number of outliers lying off the west coast of Rotuma. It is the second largest island and is the highest island in the Rotuma Group with an elevation of 260 metres (850 ft).
Rotuman New Zealanders are Rotuman immigrants in New Zealand, typically from Rotuma Island or Fiji, their descendants, and New Zealanders of Rotuman ethnic descent. At the time of the 2018 New Zealand census, 981 people in New Zealand were surveyed as being of Rotuman descent.
References
Bibliography
- Inia, Elizabeth Kafonika Makarita (2001). Katoʻaga: Rotuman Ceremonies. Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific. ISBN 978-982-02-0341-9.