Adi Litia Samanunu Cakobau-Talakuli (1940–2012) was a

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 ...

chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

, politician, and diplomat. The eldest child of Ratu Sir George Cakobau (the late ''

Vunivalu of Bau Turaga na Vunivalu na Tui Kaba is the Paramount Chief of the Kubuna Confederacy, loosely translated the title means ''Warlord of Bau'' or Root of War. The succession to the title does not follow primogeniture, but the candidate must be a high-r ...

'' and

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

), Talakuli held a number of senior positions in the Fijian government. She was Minister for iTaukei Affairs in 1994 and 1995, and was considered as a candidate for the Vice-Presidency in 1997. She became Fiji's High Commissioner to Malaysia and

Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...

to Thailand and the

Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is one of the five regional commissions under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It was established in order to increase economic ...

in 1999 Appointed to the Fijian

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

in June 2006 as one of nine nominees of the Fijian government, Talakuli was also appointed to the

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

as a

Minister without portfolio A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister who does not head a particular ministry. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet w ...

. As the eldest child of the last Vunivalu of Bau, she was considered the most senior chief of the Kubuna Confederacy; however, she was not a member of the Bose Levu Vakaturaga.

Personal life

Talakuli was the eldest child of Ratu Sir George Cakobau (the late 11th ''

'' and

).Genealogy
/ref> Her siblings include Ratu Epenisa Seru Cakobau (half-brother), Ratu George Cakobau, Jr and Adi Litia Qalirea Cakobau. She married

Manasa Talakuli Manasa () is a Hindu goddess of snakes. She is worshipped mainly in Bihar, Bengal, Jharkhand, Lower Assam and other parts of northeastern India and in Uttarakhand, chiefly for the prevention and cure of snakebite, and also for fertility and pr ...

, who was the first Fijian to be commissioned in the British Army.

References

1940 births 2012 deaths Fijian chiefs I-Taukei Fijian members of the Senate (Fiji) Tui Kaba Ambassadors of Fiji to Thailand High Commissioners of Fiji to Malaysia Government ministers of Fiji Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua politicians Politicians from Bau (island) Fijian women diplomats Women ambassadors Women government ministers of Fiji {{Fiji-politician-stub