05/04/2026
2026: Fiji Islanders | Fiji Citizens Get Use to It 🇫🇯👇
Revert the term to First Nation Peoples of Fiji ie Indigenous Fijians. It was theirs anyway until the squad stole it from the Indigenous Fijians of Fiji which are captured in History Books around the world as the Fijian Race. They have been known as this since 3,500 years ago and validated 100 years post Deed of Cession between Fiji and Great Britain. For those crying foul now, lets get something clear. The Deed of Cession 1874 🇫🇯🇬🇧was signed by Fijian (Indigenous) Chiefs [ain't Indians or others]. Great Britain representative as co-signatories who did so on behalf of the Crown 🇬🇧.
None of other Vulagi ancestors were signatories to the Deed of Cession 1874.
So those Kawa ni Vulagi extracts now crying foul, its time to dry your 13 x years crocodile tears versus Indigenous Fijians x3,500 years
of being known as .
Our support for the | for lifting the Indigenous Fijians' Voices on this issues to be heard, loud and clear.
Credit to Niko Nawaikula a veteran former politician and lawyer for the affirmation on the Rights to Self Determination of Indigenous Fijians.
Read more of Mr Nawaikula's thoughts below 👇🇫🇯👏🕊️.
Blessed Easter everyone‼️
👇🇫🇯👇
"A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME?” — WHY THE TERM ‘FIJIAN’ MATTER TO GCC
Suva 5.4.26
Before you comment on the GCCs submission to restore the term " Fijian " to indigenous Fijian, consider the following ;
The concern over the label Fijian is not just about terminology. It is about identity, specifically identity theft by the Fiji First Govt and the need to correct & restore that to itaukei as a matter of restorative justice.
The Interpretation Act that existed from 1900 legally defined itaukei as Fijian. In 1997 under the 1997 Constitution Fiji Citizens was defined as Fiji Islanders.
As an ethnic group itaukei continue to be defined as Fijians while ethnic Idians are Indo Fijian. Rotumans continue to be Rotumans.
Then Bainimarama or more specifically ,the racist anti itaukei who were using him & taking advantage of his simplicity, passed the Fijian Affairs (Amendment) Decree 2010 purposely to deny & steal from itaukei that Fijian identity to apply it to all Fiji Citizens.
The decree was gazetted on 2nd July 2010.
The decree gave the new legal definition of " itaukei" to indigenous Fijian and took their name of "Fijian” and applied it as the new definition and label for all Fiji Citizens.
It was done in blatant disregard and breach of ILOC169 that require the Govt to consult and obtain prior consent before changing any legislation that affect indigenous Fijians.
As a result the Fijian Affairs became the iTaukei Affairs and all citizens of Fiji were thereafter to be called “Fijians.” while iTaukei became the term used in law for the indigenous Fijian people.
But the term Fijian is more then just a label evolving over the years to imply hospitality of the iTaukei, the big Bula smile, the unique Kava ceremony, the meke and many other unique culture and tradition.
The theft of the Fijian identity became obvious soon after the imposed changes to the law were made in 2010.
As a member of the opposition at the time, I repeatedly reminded the Government of this problem, illustrating what I described as the “theft” through many examples. I gave the following examples in Parliament then :
First, in aeroplanes arriving in or departing from Fiji, flight attendants often greet passengers by saying cheerfully, “Bula — that’s Fijian for hello.” This is incorrect. Bula is an iTaukei word for hello. However, by changing the law so that all citizens are now officially called “Fijian,” the Government effectively took that linguistic identity away from the iTaukei people and implied that it belongs equally to all citizens.
Second, during the many overseas trips by Frank Bainimarama to the United Nations and to international climate conventions, as well as during welcoming ceremonies for visiting dignitaries, the media often proudly reported on the “unique Fijian ceremonies of welcome.”
This description is also misleading. These ceremonies are in fact iTaukei cultural practices, but the legal change has blurred this distinction and now presents them as the culture of all Fiji citizens.
This change in law in 2010 purposely to deny and take away itaukei identity was wrong because ILOC169 require consultation and prior consent of itaukei.
I like to think that what the GCC is asking is for the restoration of the law as it was before 2010 restoring the label Fijian to refer to itaukei because the change in 2010 was done without Parliament and in breach of ILOC169.
# edit 1. ITaukei is an indigenous generic term to differentiate between a host( ITaukei) and visitor( Vulagi). ITaukei means Host and visitor mean Vulagi.
The term Vulagi is not derogatory as many MPs are making it out to be.
In ITaukei custom and tradition the hosts duty is to accord the highest form of hospitality to his Vulagi often giving out his bed to him while as host he sleeps on the floor.
2 . On 16.8.2012 at the Human Rights Committee for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination ( CERD) in Geneva, I complained about the anti taukei laws including this 2010 Fijian Affairs ( Amendment) Decree that removed " Fijian " as legal label for indigenous Fijians.
The concluding remark of CERD is that these anti taukei laws are racist and discriminatory for want of consultation and consent given that Fiji has ratified ILOC 169 in 1998.
You can Google CERD 81st Session to check out the concluding remarks."
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