Page 24 - IB JAN 2019

Opinion

Breaching Indigenousness (Indigeneity)

elites but prevails within the indigenous been somewhat justified on the basis of
Fijian ethos. its colonial heritage. This is of course
I got to learn more of this in a recent a valid point for the historical context
three week trip outside of Suva that that such institutions and changes were
covered the Northern, Western divisions forms of what can be described as ‘social
and villages in Lomaiviti. There prevails a or cultural engineering’ done for the pur-
By Jope Tarai* sense of loss and threat within the indig- poses of indirect colonial rule. In addition
enous ethos due to the prevailing changes to this, as detailed by Dr Robert Nicole’s
DURING the traditional welcoming cer- to indigenous institutional structures and book – Disturbing History, Colonialism
emony for the Duke and Duchess of for this incident, norms and a specified was definitely not a ‘rosy affair’ for all
Sussex last October, indigenous Fijian protocol. A more quantifiable evidence indigenous Fijian communities at that
protocol was breached when the three of this can be seen in the significance of time and in that context. However, in the
confederacies of Kubuna, Burebasaga and the submissions that were made during current context this view of what can be
Tovata were left out of the presentation. the 2012 constitutional submissions, termed as the ‘colonial excuse’ tends to
This was followed by a flurry of news of which called for the restoration of the disguise itself alongside the deep notion
key individuals either apologising for this Bose Levu Vakaturaga (BLV). While the of ‘decolonisation’ but in a very superficial
change or calls for government officials to BLV represents a more institutional ele- and shallow manner.
account for the changes. ment compared to a protocol change, the This localised ‘colonial’ justification or
This incident has sparked a debate or sense of loss or threat remains the same. excuse for these swift changes are superfi-
discussion in the public and digital sphere, However, it is important to note how this cial because it tends to negate the fact that
which has yielded a number of compet- sense of loss is prioritised and varies the indigenous Fijian ethos and Fijians in
ing views. One of which is the ‘colonial’ within the indigenous community, with general, have now largely embraced its
argument used as justification for swift the more chiefly inclined and affiliated colonial roots as a benevolent power rather
changes to indigenous structures or proto- bearing a stronger sense of loss or threat than a malevolent one. In large part, this
cols. This writing examines these publicly than others. I noticed this more recently localised ‘colonial’ excuse tends to conflate
held views and argues that the ‘colonial’ in my travels that while the sense of loss the colonial issues of the past with mis-
justification denies and undermines the varies, it is undeniable that it exists, placed or short sighted assumptions in the
current sense of indigenousness. This although not always overtly expressed, present. A misplaced assumption as such
piece is not about indigenous political he- as once articulated by the late Roko Tui was the idea of removing colonial symbols
gemony or paramountcy, which has con- Bau and Former Vice President, Ratu Joni or structures for what it may have meant
tributed to complicating Fiji’s coup history. Madraiwiwi. in the past and not realising that those in
In more specific terms this writing focuses the present have reclaimed and owned
on indigenous identity and it’s representa- The Colonial Argument these symbols in their own way.
tion within the country and to the outside A now prevailing and For instance, the government’s unsuc-
world. The dignity of indigenous repre- somewhat monoto- cessful campaign to change the Fiji Flag
sentation is being eviscerated by political nous view is the because of its colonial symbols, which was
expediency, pettiness and childishness. initiated by the Prime Minister in 2013
Overall, the ongoing imposed ‘changes’ but was wholeheartedly
to indigenousness risks fueling ethno- rejected by most Fi-
nationalistic sentiment, which are jians (Indigenous,
simmering and Indo – Fijians et
largely underesti- al) at large. This
mated within the proposition
current political was somehow
landscape of Fiji. premised on
the fact that
Erosion and that colonialism
sense of loss needed to be
The initial response ‘colonial’ ar- fully ‘resisted’
and reactions came gument. As one by changing the
from within the elite proponent of these
chiefly domains. changes remarked “oh
These reactions well it’s all colonially
encompass a prevailing constructed wasn’t it!?”
sense of threat or loss to in- From the removal of
digenous structures, protocols or the BLV, to the omis-
norms. This becomes emblematic sion of the con-
of a sense of threat or loss of indig- federacies and a
enousness or indigeneity. This view variety of other
or sense is not only limited to the chiefly changes have

24 Islands Business, January 2019