Bruce Tizard -Varcoe (15 December 1999)
Email: BVarcoe1@aol.com
I'm amazed at how few Pacific Islanders have heard of Rotuma, but
thrilled when someone has and has Rotuman friends etc.
It is perhaps not surprising, as on any list of Pacific Island nations,
you won't see the word Rotuma. "I've heard of Niue, I've heard of
Tuvalu...never heard of Rotuma though...did you say Rotorua?" may
be a common statement.
Should the name 'Rotuma' be officially included with the word 'Fiji',
as in 'Fiji & Rotuma' (e.g. 'Trinidad & Tobago' in the Caribbean)
and not just for e.g. weather reports, Fiji Constitution.
I would be interested to hear of other views on this subject....
Yes I totally agree. As far as I am concerned Rotumans as well as Fijians
have the right to be recognised as the indigenous people of our lands.
I am currently working on a cultural directorate for Fiji that gives
an overview of our arts, culture, people, etc and was quite amazed
to see that that Rotuma was only mentioned as 'a small island somewhere
in the Fiji group who are Polynesians'. I was also disappointed to
see that it had been stated in the previous directorates that Rotumans
were not even included under the indigenous cultural organisations
but only the Fijian associations and Indian associations were listed,.not
to offend our Fiji-indian brother and sisters. Anyway I thought I would
just voice a bit of my encounters with the ignorance of many on the
fact that Rotuma is its own nation in a sense with its own culture,
language and has enough of a population to be addressed rather than
constantly being classed as others,.especially seeing how many Rotumans
are leaders in positions of responsibility and an exceptional group
of achievers in relation to how small we supposedly are....
Ms Letila Semantafa Mitchell-Atalifo (10 May 2000)
After I discovered that Rotuma was a country combined with Fiji,
I was also surprised that it was kept almost as a secret from myself.
I only discovered this when I was told that my cousin, Ms Mitchell-Atalifo,
was of Rotuman blood. I think that the government of Fiji should, in
some way, address this issue and include Rotuma as a joint nation (as
in Trinidad & Tobago) or help Rotuma make a name for itself and
an independant country
Asaeli Williams, Sydney, Australia (4 January 2001)
The 531 PI radio station here in
Auckland New Zealand have weekly programmes in Fijian to it's Fijian
listeners. Being a regular listener to this station I would be glad
if the phrase "Viti kei Rotuma" were used as it is in Fiji—even
if it has little or no signifigance to other listeners. At least other
Pacific Islanders will know that there is a place called Rotuma which
is sharing this vast Pacific Ocean with them! Or does it only apply
in Fiji?
T.F. Katafono, Auckland (5 January 2003)
I'm a Fijian woman,
now living in Australia. I read your views and opinions with great
sadness, but I'm glad to have read them. I did not realize it,
but now that I think of it yes, if the Fiji Government or any organization
states "Fiji and Rotuma," they should always include
Rotumans in every aspect of decision making that affects these
two races. Rotumans are closer to Fijians than Tongans, or Indians
for that matter! The inter-marriages between the two races are
phenomenenal. So, it is only fair that the Fiji Government should
put the Rotuman people as its equal. Rotuma should have its own
state government etc., while having the federal government in Fiji.
(I hope that works).
What I'm trying to express here is that
it's a bad idea for Rotuma to become independent. Yes, I agree
with your grievances that Rotumans are much ignored. That's why
you have freedom of speech and all. Draw up a petition for all
to sign stating your grievances to the Fiji Government. I know
a lot of my Fijian brothers and sisters will go hand in hand with
you, because of the close kinship we have with each other from
the intermarriages, etc. Stop your wingding and voice out your
frustrations! We hear the Indian community complaining(no one is
surprised, of course; they do it all the time. If it's not one
it's another. wailei!)
Anyway, the Rotuman community is always
quiet. You have as much right to voice your opinions as others.
Rotumans, make a stand and be heard in the political arena! Stop
being quiet!
Thank you for reading my thoughts! Happy
New Year and all the best in your endeavors!
Mereia Rabici Wedhorn, Australia
(17 January, 2003)
Ni sa bula vinaka na wekaqu mai Rotuma!
I am a journalist who sometimes contributes to Mere Lomaloma's Fijian
programme on NIUFM in Auckland, New Zealand on topical issues from
Fiji. After reading the Rotuma Forum and seeing a concern that no
one mentions Viti Kei Rotuma, I felt sad. I promise that I will endeavour
to mention that in the future and will soon e-mail Mere that
she gives me some space on her programme soon to air some news from
Rotuma for the Rotuman community in Auckland. Or can anyone ask Mere
for a five-minute slot, no matter how short, just to say Noa'ia!
Her e-mail address is elliottm@akcity.gov.nz
My yavusa, Vatukaloko, in North-Western Viti Levu, has direct links
with Rotumans through Mosese Dukumoi or Ratu Navosavakadua as he
was commonly known, and to speak of Rotumans is to speak of a people
closely related with the Vatukaloko people. In fact, I come from
Nananu village, an hour's drive away from Drauniivi, Ratu Navosavakadua's
village, and Nananu is closely related to the Drauniivi people in
terms of lineage.I am proud of having a link with Rotumans as Ratu
Navosavakadua's mother originated from our part of Ra Province
As for concerns about the Fiji Government's sometimes-slack attitude
towards our relatives, the Rotumans' plight, I can only ask for the
patience we are known for. I am proud of what Assistant Minister
Mrs Marieta Rigamoto and other Rotuman leaders are doing for
Rotumans and I had raised a concern in our newsroom after Cyclone
Ami that Prime Minister Qarase forgot about Rotuma and went to Vanua
Levu and Lau instead, but I was assured Rotuma received its share
of cyclone relief supplies also.
As far as having Rotuma having its own administration and doing things
on its own, I fully believe there are mechanisms in place already
to cater for that and with the Rotuma Island Council making major
decisions for Rotumans and the current government adopting a blueprint
for Fijians and Rotumans for the next 20 years, I honestly believe
we should not jump and say, Sa! We Rotumans are an unknown race -
let's look at things in a larger perspective, how many Rotumans or
those with a few or large squirts of Rotuman blood flowing through
their veins have achieved great things for the island, for Fiji,
for themselves, their families?
How about Mr Konrote (UN), Mr Fatiaki (CJ), Dr Mitchell, the Rotumans
in the British Army who will tell their comrades about Rotuma and
all its pride while they are surrounded by war, how about the lady
who runs the Fiji/Rotuma shop in New Mexico, how about the late Captain
Kava Konrote (he crossed international datelines) and he didn't have
to tell anyone he was from the island, how about the quiet achievers,
etc. How about Gagaj Poar and Fanifau, who became first managers
of Yaqara Pastoral Company Ltd in North-western Viti Levu and hosted
American anthropologists and archaeologists who have surveyed, mapped
and written three books on that part of Fiji, which might become
subject of major films in the proposed studio city in Yaqara? How
about the numerous Rotuman women who have inter-married in Fiji and
the world and have given birth to many wonderful children who have
achieved much in the face of increasing opportunities in the global
arena? How about Mr Pene, the teacher and Mrs Sikivou, married to
Fiji's permanent secretary for Regional Development in Suva. How
about everybody else I cannot mention!
I believe we come from a part of the world which do not sing their
achievements and quietly go about doing and achieving things while
we pray and thank God the Creator for who we are. We will let the
Indians fight us and sing about their achievements and who they want
to marry or rent in their places in the newspapers.
We Fijians and Rotumans will quietly give thanks for who we are and
go about our tasks knowing we will get what we want in due course.
Vinaka vakalevu, ni sa moce.
Ms Vasiti Ritova, Journalist, Pacific Islands Broadcasting
Association, 68 Knollys Street, Suva - editor@pacnews.org or badidi12@hotmail.com
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