Namalata
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Namalata is a village on the island of Vanua Balavu in Fiji's Lau archipelago.
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[edit] A Brief History
The people of Namalata were the original inhabitants of Mago Island, which is now owned by the actor and film director Mel Gibson.
[edit] From Mago to Namalata
In the mid-1800s, Fiji's two dominant chiefs at the time, the Vunivalu of Bau (Seru Epenisa Cakobau) and the Tui Cakau were threatened by the Tongan warlord, Enele Ma'afu. They sought the help of the Namalata people while Ma'afu was in Lomaloma, on Vanua Balavu, as they could provide information on his movements.
The island of Mago was then given to europeans in order to slow Ma'afu's advancement into Fiji, as the threat of retaliation from their respective homelands deterred him from attacking Europeans. When Fiji was Ceded to the United Kingdom in 1874, those occupying the island were registered as the rightful owners, thus dispossessing the Namalata people. Effectively, they lost their land while providing a service to their people.
[edit] Notes and References
[edit] External Links
- web reference to Mel Gibson and Namalata
