Nakorotubu

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Nakorotubu is a district in Fiji's Ra Province. It is made up seven sub-districts or Tikina makawa, namely, Kavula, Nakorotubu, Navitilevu, Bure-i-wai, Bure-i-vanua, Mataso, and Dama.

The first four are coastal districts with extensive inland undulating and rugged terrain, while the rest are all inland. Fishing, sugar cane, coconut, taro, tapioca and a range of local vegetables are the main trading merchandise.

The traditional leader was the late Turaga na Gonesau, Ratu Dr Wilisoni Tuiketei Malani, from the chiefly village of Nabukadra in the district of Kavula. Currently, the chiefly clan of the Gonesau have in their own traditional way given recognition to Roko Kuliniasi Malani, nephew of the late chief, as the incoming Gonesau.

In the centre of Nabukadra is the grave of Ratu Mara Kapaiwai I, a high chief of Bau Island, who was killed because of intrafamily rivalries with his cousin, the then ruler of the kingdom of Bau, Ratu Tanoa Visawaqa in the early 1800s. At that time, the Gonesau and people of Nabukadra, and Nakorotubu, provided superior military support to Bau and was befriended by both Ratu Mara Kapaiwai and his cousin Ratu Tanoa Visawaqa. In order to preserve Ratu Mara Kapaiwai's dignity and the possible relegation of his and his family to commoner status if his body was to be eaten after his death, the Gonesau commandos, known as the vuaka loa, or black boar, infiltrated beyond the security of Bau Island, stole his body and had him buried at Nabukadra village. His grave remains a prominent landmark in the centre of the village to this day.