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Tui Lau
Tui Lau is a Fijian chiefly title of recent history which was created during the time of Ma'afu and his conquests. A Brief History Ma'afu was disclaimed as a Tongan Prince by his cousin King George Tupou I. Since the Vuanirewa Clan of the Lau Islands considered Ma'afu as their own, they therefore installed him as the first Tui Lau. The title was later revived in 1938 by the Yavusa Tonga Clan and installed Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna upon the approval and support of the Tui Nayau, Ratu Tevita Uluiilakeba. Ratu Kamisese Mara, the son of Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba, was the last to be installed to the title of Tui Lau. The Installation The title of Tui Lau is decided by the Yavusa Tonga of Sawana.Alexander Phillip Lessin, Village of the Conquerors Recent history There has been no installation since Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara's time. The current candidates for the title include his eldest living son, Ratu Finau Mara. Tui Lau Chart of title holders {, table width="70%" border="1" align="cent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about 110 are permanently inhabited—and more than 500 islets, amounting to a total land area of about . The most outlying island group is Ono-i-Lau. About 87% of the total population of live on the two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. About three-quarters of Fijians live on Viti Levu's coasts: either in the capital city of Suva; or in smaller urban centres such as Nadi—where tourism is the major local industry; or in Lautoka, where the Sugarcane, sugar-cane industry is dominant. The interior of Viti Levu is sparsely inhabited because of its terrain. The majority of Fiji's islands were formed by Volcano, volcanic activity starting around 150 million years ago. Some geo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Enele Ma'afu
Enele is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Enele Maʻafu ( 1816–1881), Tongan chief * Enele Malele (born 1990), Fijian rugby union player * Enele Sopoaga (born 1956), Tuvaluan diplomat and politician * Enele Taufa (born 1984), Tongan rugby union player {{Given name ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
King George Tupou I
George Tupou I (4 December 1797 – 18 February 1893), originally known as Tāufaʻāhau I, was the first king of modern Tonga. He adopted the name Siaosi (originally Jiaoji), the Tongan equivalent of ''George'', after King George III of the United Kingdom, when he was baptized in 1831. His nickname was ''Lopa-ukamea'' (or Lopa-ʻaione), meaning ''iron cable''. Biography Birth George Tupou I was born around 1797 in Tonga. 4 December is often-quoted as his birthday and is a public holiday in Tonga; however, it was the date of his coronation in 1845 as Tuʻi Kanokupolu, when he took the name Tupou. Tongoleleka and the Niuʻui hospital there (which was destroyed in the 2006 Tonga earthquake) are often stated as his birthplace; however, no evidence supporting this is available, and Lifuka and Tongatapu are also often stated as the birthplace. His father was Tupouto'aʻ, who aspired to be the 17th Tuʻi Kanokupolu, but he was not recognized as such by the high chiefs of Tonga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vuanirewa
The Vuanirewa is the ruling tribe (yavusa) of the Lau Islands, a scattered group of more than a hundred islands (16 inhabited) and reefs along the eastern edge of Fiji. Origins The members of this clan all hail from the village of Tubou on the island of Lakeba and from their original roots in Nayau. The Lakeba faction are the descendants of Kalouyalewa whom now form four noble households that make up the tribe. These four noble households are Matailakeba, Vatuwaqa, Koroicumu and Naivi and all claim descent from the first High Chief of the dynasty, Niumataiwalu, a grandson of Kalouyalewa. A shift in power Naivi is traditionally the eldest of the households; however due to historic power struggles, Naivi and Koroicumu were subdued in battle by the younger households of Vatuwaqa and Matailakeba. Therefore all claims to the title can only be asserted from members of the latter two noble households. The Paramount Title of Vuanirewa The Tui Nayau, or Titular Paramount Chief ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna
Ratu Sir Josefa Lalabalavu Vanayaliyali Sukuna (22 April 1888 – 30 May 1958) was a Fijian chief, scholar, soldier, and statesman. He is regarded as the forerunner of the post-independence leadership of Fiji. He did more than anybody to lay the groundwork for self-government by fostering the development of modern institutions in Fiji, and although he died a dozen years before independence from the United Kingdom was achieved in 1970, his vision set the course that Fiji was to follow in the years to come. Lineage Sukuna was born into a chiefly family on Bau, off the island of Viti Levu, the largest island in the Fiji archipelago. His father, Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi, was the son of the Bauan noble and rebel leader Ratu Mara Kapaiwai. After joining the Audit Office as a clerk at an early age, Ratu Madraiwiwi had steadily worked his way up through the civil service, establishing connections along the way that were later to prove decisive in the life of his son. Ratu Sukun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tui Nayau
''Tu’i Nayau'' is the title held by the paramount chief of the Lau Islands in Fiji and is synonymous with the title holders over lordship of these islands. When translated, ''Tu’i Nayau'' means "Lord of Nayau", an island north of Lakeba, the latter accepted by many to be the chief island in the Lauan archipelago. Prior to being installed as ''Tu’i Nayau'', the claimant must first be confirmed upon the decision of the noble households making up the Vuanirewa clan and then installed '' Sau'' or High Chief of Lau. Not every ''Sau'' has been installed ''Tu’i Nayau''. Origins of the title ''Tu’i Nayau'' was originally an independent title referring specifically to the overlord of Nayau, then separate from the Lakeba State. The earliest oral records suggest that the progenitor of the leading family of Nayau stemmed from Naosara, celebrated chief who had won the infamous Cici Turaga, but was not accepted by his older brothers and relatives as he was the youngest in that race. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ratu Tevita Uluiilakeba
''Ratu'' () is an Austronesian title used by male Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, ''adi'' (pronounced ), is used by females of chiefly rank. In the Malay language, the title ''ratu'' is also the traditional honorific title to refer to the ruling king or queen in Javanese culture (though it has since been used in modern contexts to refer to queen regnants of any nation, e.g. "Ratu Elizabeth II"). Thus in Java, a royal palace is called "''keraton''", constructed from the circumfix ''ke- -an'' and ''Ratu'', to describe the residence of the ratu. Etymology ''Ra'' is a prefix in many titles (''ramasi, ramalo, rasau, ravunisa, ratu''), and ''tu'' means simply "chief". The formal use of "ratu" as a title in a name (as in "Sir" in British tradition) was not introduced until after the cession of 1874. Until then, a chief would be known only by his birth name and his area-specific traditional title. Regional variations include ''ro'' in Rewa and parts of Naitasiri and Ta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ratu Kamisese Mara
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, (6 May 1920 – 18 April 2004) was a Fijian politician, who served as Chief Minister from 1967 to 1970, when Fiji gained its independence from the United Kingdom, and, apart from one brief interruption in 1987, the first Prime Minister from 1970 to 1992. He subsequently served as President from 1993 to 2000. Early life and education: 1920 to 1950 Ratu Sir Kamisese Kapaiwai Tuimacilai Uluilakeba Mara was born on 6 May 1920, in Sawana, Lomaloma, Vanuabalavu in the archipelago of Lau, the son of Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba, Tui Nayau and head of the chiefly Vuanirewa clan of Tubou, Lakeba and Lusiana Qolikoro from the Fonolahi Family of the Yavusa Tonga clan in Sawana. Fonolahi has lineage to the Tongan royalty and was also descended from an English missionary. Mara's title, '' Ratu'', which means "Chief," was hereditary; as the hereditary Paramount Chief of the Lau Islands, he held the titles of '' Tui Lau'' in 1963, and '' Tui Nayau kei Sau ni Vanua ko L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba
''Ratu'' () is an Austronesian peoples, Austronesian title used by male Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, ''adi'' (pronounced ), is used by females of chiefly rank. In the Malay language, the title ''ratu'' is also the traditional honorific title to refer to the ruling king or queen in Javanese people, Javanese culture (though it has since been used in modern contexts to refer to queen regnants of any nation, e.g. "Ratu Elizabeth II"). Thus in Java, a royal palace is called "''keraton''", constructed from the circumfix ''ke- -an'' and ''Ratu'', to describe the residence of the ratu. Etymology ''Ra'' is a prefix in many titles (''ramasi, ramalo, rasau, ravunisa, ratu''), and ''tu'' means simply "chief". The formal use of "ratu" as a title in a name (as in "Sir" in British tradition) was not introduced until after the History of Fiji#Annexation by the British in 1874, cession of 1874. Until then, a chief would be known only by his birth name and his area-specific trad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sawana
Sawana is a village on the Fijian island of Vanua Balavu, in the LauThe People of the Sea: Environment, Identity, And History in Oceania, By Paul D'Arcy, University of Hawaii Press archipelago and is part of the '' Tikina'' of Lomaloma. Sawana is separated from the main village of Lomaloma only by a large ditch.Village of the Conquerors, Sawana: a Tongan Village in Fiji, By Alexander Philip Lessin, Phyllis June Lessin - 1970. As the population is predominantly of Tongan origin, church services are conducted in Tongan, as well as Fijian. The selection of a high Chief The nomination for the title of the Tui Lau comes from the Tongan community in Sawana and is then handed to the Vuanirewa clan on the island of Lakeba for a final decisionMara, Ratu Sir Kamisese, The Pacific Way: A Memoir, University of Hawaii Press, 1997 See also References Sources *Mara, Ratu Sir Kamisese"The Pacific Way: A Memoir" page 91. University of Hawaii Press, 1997. .Fiji Times Newspaper Article, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kamisese Mara
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, (6 May 1920 – 18 April 2004) was a Fijian politician, who served as Chief Minister from 1967 to 1970, when Fiji gained its independence from the United Kingdom, and, apart from one brief interruption in 1987, the first Prime Minister from 1970 to 1992. He subsequently served as President from 1993 to 2000. Early life and education: 1920 to 1950 Ratu Sir Kamisese Kapaiwai Tuimacilai Uluilakeba Mara was born on 6 May 1920, in Sawana, Lomaloma, Vanuabalavu in the archipelago of Lau, the son of Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba, Tui Nayau and head of the chiefly Vuanirewa clan of Tubou, Lakeba and Lusiana Qolikoro from the Fonolahi Family of the Yavusa Tonga clan in Sawana. Fonolahi has lineage to the Tongan royalty and was also descended from an English missionary. Mara's title, ''Ratu'', which means "Chief," was hereditary; as the hereditary Paramount Chief of the Lau Islands, he held the titles of ''Tui Lau'' in 1963, and '' Tui Nayau kei Sau ni Vanua ko Lau' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Finau Mara
Ratu Alifereti Finau Mara (1957– 15 April 2020) was a Fijian lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He was best known as the eldest son of former Prime Minister and President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. Since December 2001, he held the official position of Roving Ambassador and High Commissioner, representing Fiji's interests in Pacific Island nations. It was reported on 13 March 2006 that he had been chosen to succeed his late father as Paramount Chief of the Lau Islands, but in 2009 the succession was still unclear, with Mara reportedly refusing to discuss the issue with the village elders. Education and career Mara graduated from New Zealand's University of Otago with an LLB (Law) degree in 1983. This was followed by an LLM (Master's degree in Law) from Cambridge University in the United Kingdom in 1986. Meanwhile, he had served as a Legal Officer in the Attorney General's Chamber from 1984, rising to Principal Legal Officer in 1986. In 1987, he was appointed Fiji's Chief Administ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
