Fijian people
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ethnic Fijians |
|---|
 |
| Fijian man wearing traditional dress circa 1890 |
| Total population |
|
c. 500,000 |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Fiji, Australia |
| Languages |
| Fijian Bau, English, Fijian Hindi |
| Religions |
| Methodist 66.6%; Roman Catholic 13.3%; Assemblies of God 6.2%; Seventh-day Adventist 5.1%; other 8.8%. |
| Related ethnic groups |
| Native Hawaiians, Maori, Samoans, other Melanesian peoples, Polynesian peoples, other Austronesian peoples |
Fijian people are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in an area informally called Polynesia. The Fijian people arrived in Fiji approximately 3,500 years ago. Later they would move onward to other surrounding islands including Rotuma, Tonga and Samoa. Later the Fijians would move onward to Hawaii, Rapanui (Easter Island) and Aotearoa (New Zealand). They are indigenous to all parts of Fiji except the island of Rotuma. The original settlers are now called "Lapita people" after a distinctive pottery produced locally. Lapita pottery was found in the area from 800 BCE onward.
As of 2005, Fijians constituted slightly more than half of the Fijian population. Indigenous Fijians are predominantly of Melanesian extraction, with some Polynesian admixture. Other ethnic groups in Fiji include Fiji Indians, the Rotuman people, and minority communities, which include Caucasians, Chinese, and others.
New Zealand has a large Fijian population, according to the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs. In 2001, Fijian people were the fifth largest Pacific ethnic group living in New Zealand. There was a decrease of 8 percent between 1996 and 2001. The estimated population size is 231,800 in 2001. Approximately 47 percent of the Fijian population reside in New Zealand.[1]
The Bose Levu Vakaturaga (Great Council of Chiefs) once passed laws and regulations governing the Fijian people. Today, the Great Council of Chiefs meets yearly to discuss Fijian concerns. The council is responsible for appointing the Fijian president. The council is made up of 55 chiefs selected from the 14 provinces. Included in the council are three appointees from the island of Rotuma and six appointed by the Minister of Fijian Affairs. The Minister of Fijian Affairs consults with the Fijian president as part of the selection process. Finally, former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka serves a lifetime appointment on the council. [2]
The (2008) President of the Republic of the Fiji Islands is H.E. Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu Uluivuda. The Prime Minister is Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama. There are 12 ministers appointed to serve in the Fijian government.[3]
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[edit] National symbols
The Fijian flag for the first time on Independence Day on October 10, 1970. Fiji became an independent Commonwealth Country on that date. The flag is light blue with the Fijian coat of arms in the center. The Union Jack is shown in the upper left corner. [4]
The Tabua is a much revered. It is a whale's tooth which is used in both public and private occasions. The tooth is considered sacred. [5]
"Meda Dau Doka" is the national anthem of Fiji.
The Fiji Times[6] is an online newspaper heralding Fijian news. Another online newspaper is the Fiji Daily Post[7]
The Fijian language belongs to the Melanesian branch of the Austronesian family.
About 83 percent of Fijian land is owned by Fijian people.[citation needed] In 1876, Sir Arthur Hamilton-Gordon, the British colonial Governor, prohibited the sale of Fijian land to non-ethnic Fijians. This policy has been continued, hardly modified, to this day. The Governor also banned the exploitation of Fijians as laborers, and in 1878 imported indentured laborers from India to work in the sugarcane fields. The effects of this immigration created an ethnic polarization which has proved culturally and politically challenging to modern Fiji.
Indigenous Fijians are overwhelmingly Christian, with the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma claiming the loyalty of 66.6% (1996 census). Other significant denominations include the Roman Catholic Church (13.3%), the Assemblies of God (6.2%) and the Seventh-day Adventists (5.1%). About 8% belong to other churches from a large number of denominations. About 0.8% follow non-Christian religions or no religion.
Approximately 70% of Fijians are farmers, some of which are sustenance farmers. They commonly grow sugar cane, cassava, rice, sweet potatoes, and bananas.
Fijians have been known as expert canoe-builders, using them to trade with Tonga. They were usually double canoes, similar except one was shorter and served as a type of outrigger. They are united by beams, with a platform on it that extended beyond the sides.
[edit] History
The History of Fiji offers a time line of events.
His Royal Highness Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, sent the Instruments of Independence to Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. They were received on October 10, 1970. In 1972, the first general elections were held using the 1970 constitution. In 1987, two coups were staged. The first coup was a bloodless military coup. The second coup severed ties with the British Monarchy. In 1990, a new constitution was adopted and in 1992 the first general election using the new constitution was held. [8]
[edit] Fijian family and customs
The Fijian traditions and ceremonies are historically based and share commonalities throughout the provinces.
[edit] References
- ^ Fijian People in New Zealand. New Zealand Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs. Retrieved on 2008-03-19.
- ^ Official Fiji government site
- ^ Official Fiji government site
- ^ Official Fiji government site
- ^ Official Fiji government site
- ^ Fiji Times site
- ^ Fiji Daily Post site
- ^ History of Fiji
- De Ricci, James Herman (1875). Fiji: Our New Province in the south Seas. London: E.Stanford, 332. OCLC 4803267.
- Ravuvu, Asesela (1983). Vaka i Taukei: The Fijian Way of Life, Suva: University of the South Pacific
- Williams, Thomas; James Calvert & George Stringer Rose (1858). Fiji and the Fijians 1, The islands and their inhabitants. London: Alexander Heylin, 266. OCLC 19529801.
