Eighteen degrees South of the
equator in the East Pacific ocean lie the three hundred and thirty three island
nation of Fiji.
The Fijians are different from other
Pacific nations in that they are the only Pacific people descended from
Africa. They are renowned for their
navigational skills till today which makes sense when you think of the
incredible distance they had to travel by boat in ancient times to get to Fiji
from Tanganyika (the modern Tanzania). The legend of their mysterious journey
is another story for another day because for now, I would like to tell you
about their inherent synchronicity with nature.
A tribal people who still own their
land, the Fijians live simply, surrounded by immaculate gardens of coconut
palms, hibiscus and banana trees in tidy traditional huts devoid of clutter.
The traditional ‘sulu’ or sarong is still worn by everyone and they will greet
you with a friendly and open ‘bula’ smile which represents a welcoming peace
and harmony.
Kava ceremony
Originally used only by the Chief, it has
become an almost every day occasion or at least every weekend on the
mainland. On the outer, more remote
islands, it is more traditional and just as often. Joining our tribe at a Kava
ceremony we present a ‘sevu sevu’ - an authentic Kava root to the honorable
Chief.
Most late afternoons, one can hear
the sound of the Kava root being pounded with a large metal pestle and mortar
type apparatus, a friendly clanging sound in the distance. The powdered root is
squeezed with water in a cloth and poured into a Kava bowl, carved from the Wesi
tree.
We are all invited to sit in a
circle on a natural woven mat. The ‘bilo’ (coconut shell) is filled, low-tide, high-tide or tsunami and
is passed around.
The diluted, powdered root tastes
like bark. Our tongues instantly go numb. A few members play the ukulele
between rounds. The laughter comes as naturally as the deep blue waves in the
nearby lagoon. The kava ceremony exudes a certain tranquility and everyone is free
to tease, to laugh out loud and everyone does, for hours and hours.
We laugh from our bellies, a deep,
loud, satisfying laugh, full of substance (excuse the pun). We giggle, chuckle,
fall down laughing. We laugh at each other’s shortcomings and make fun of each
other’s mistakes. It is an intelligent laugh, a knowing laugh, a kind laugh, a
laugh that symbolizes acceptance and respect for the natural world.
In spite of the many hardships
around their daily existence, the Fijian demonstrate a certain grace. Their
attitude and way of life is to be admired and their ancient traditions to be
cherished. We can learn a great deal from these gentle and strong people and
should grant them the utmost respect.
To make things all the more
intriguing, to be angry in Fijian culture is taboo. Imagine that………to be angry
is taboo. This is the way of the tribal Fijian.
Related articles:
