Dear Croz, Your recent report on Paramount chief Turaga Na Tui Cakau Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu was well-put. Even so, you missed a more recent episode in his chiefly career:
Towards the end of August last year (2008), the National Council for Building a Better Fiji (NCBBF) offered to explain the draft Peoples Charter to participants at the annual Methodist Church Conference; however the offer was rejected by the church’s ‘Think Tank’, shortly thereafter resulting in the church [read, ‘it’s leaders’] rejecting the draft Charter. Immediately following the rejection, the heads of all three confederacies (Ro Teimumu Kepa – Burebasaga; Ratu Naiqama – Tovata; Ratu Apenisa Cakobau – Kubuna) presented a tabua to the Methodist Church as a token of their support for the church’s stance on the Charter.
This act was perceived as the chiefs using the Methodist Church and their own symbolic status to promote the interests of the SDL (the three are open supporters) – and by accepting the tabua, of the Methodist Church conducting a political campaign on behalf of the SDL to stop people exercising their individual rights with respect to the draft Charter.
In addition, I perceive the act – offer and acceptance – as evidence for and strengthening of the close relationship between the Methodist Church and the chiefs, that commenced in the mid-1800s with missionaries Cross and Cargill and was otherwise openly demonstrated during the 2008 (or was it 2007?) Methodist Conference in Macuata when 84 turtles were presented (dead, of course) to the Methodist Church leaders: as far as I am aware, in Fijian custom turtles are presented ceremoniously only to chiefs.
With reference to your report therefore, and recalling the 2005-06 'qoliqoli bill' that helped to precipitate the installation of the current Fiji government, it is interesting to muse over Ratu Naiqama's position regarding that bill.
[Name withheld]
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