Archipelago of eastern Fiji
Location of the Lau Islands in the Pacific Ocean
The
Lau Islands
(also called the
Lau Group
, the
Eastern Group
, the
Eastern Archipelago
) of
Fiji
are situated in the southern
Pacific Ocean
, just east of the
Koro Sea
. Of this chain of about sixty islands and islets, about thirty are inhabited. The Lau Group covers a land area of 188 square miles (487 square km), and had a population of 10,683 at the most recent
census
in 2007. While most of the northern Lau Group are
high islands
of
volcanic
origin, those of the south are mostly
carbonate
low islands
.
Administratively the islands belong to
Lau Province
.
History
[
edit
]
The
British
explorer
James Cook
reached
Vatoa
in 1774. By the time of the discovery of the Ono Group in 1820, the Lau archipelago was the most mapped area of Fiji.
Political unity came late to the Lau Islands. Historically, they comprised three territories: the Northern Lau Islands, the Southern Lau Islands, and the
Moala Islands
. Around 1855, the renegade
Tongan
prince
Enele Ma'afu
conquered the region and established a unified administration. Calling himself the
Tui Lau
, or King of Lau, he promulgated a
constitution
and encouraged the establishment of Christian missions. The first missionaries had arrived at
Lakeba
in 1830, but had been expelled. The
Tui Nayau
,
who had been the nominal overlord of the Lau Islands, became subject to Ma'afu.
The
Tui Nayau
and
Tui Lau
titles came into
personal union
in 1969, when
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara
, who had already been installed as
Tui Lau
in 1963 by the Vuanirewa Clan on the approval of his father Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba (the Tui Nayau during that time).
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara
was also installed as
Tui Nayau
following the death of his father in 1966. The title Tui Lau was left vacant from his uncle,
Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna
, in 1958 as referenced in Mara, The Pacific Way Paper.
The Northern Lau Islands, which extended as far south as
Tuvuca
, were under the overlordship of
Taveuni
and paid
tribute
to the
Tui Cakau
(Paramount Chief of
Cakaudrove
). In 1855, however, Ma'afu gained sovereignty over Northern Lau, establishing
Lomaloma
, on
Vanua Balavu
, as his
capital
.
The Southern Lau Islands extended from
Ono-i-Lau
, in the far south, to as far north as
Cicia
. They were the traditional chiefdom of the
Tui Nayau
,
but with Ma'afu's conquest in the 1850s, he became subject to Matanitu ko Lau.
The
Moala Islands
had closer affiliation with
Bau Island
and
Lomaiviti
than with Lau, but Ma'afu's conquest united them with the Lau Islands. They have remained administratively a part of the
Lau Province
ever since.
Culture and economy
[
edit
]
Since they lie between
Melanesian
Fiji
and
Polynesian
Tonga
, the Lau Islands are a meeting point of the two cultural spheres. Lauan villages remain very traditional, and the islands' inhabitants are renowned for their wood carving and
masi
paintings. Lakeba especially was a traditional meeting place between Tongans and Fijians. The south-east trade winds allowed sailors to travel from Tonga to Fiji, but much harder to return. The Lau Island culture became more Fijian rather than Polynesian beginning around 500 BC.
[1]
However, Tongan influence can still be found in names, language, food, and architecture. Unlike the square-shaped ends characterizing most houses elsewhere in Fiji, Lauan houses tend to be rounded, following the
Tongan
practice.
In early July 2014, Tonga's Lands Minister,
Lord Ma?afu Tukui?aulahi
, revealed a proposal for Tonga to give the disputed
Minerva Reefs
to Fiji in exchange for the Lau Group.
[2]
At the time that news of the proposal first broke, it had not yet been discussed with the Lau Provincial Council.
[3]
Many Lauans have Tongan ancestors and some Tongans have Lauan ancestors; Tonga's Lands Minister is named after
Enele Ma'afu
, the Tongan Prince who originally claimed parts of Lau for Tonga.
[4]
Historically, the Minerva Reefs have been part of the fishing grounds belonging to the people of
Ono-i-Lau
, an island in the Lau Group.
[5]
Just off the island of
Vanua Balavu
at Lomaloma was the Yanuyanu Island Resort, built to encourage
tourism
in what has been a less accessible area of Fiji, but the small resort failed almost immediately and has been abandoned since the year 2000. An airstrip is located off Malaka village and a port is also located on Vanua Balavu, at
Lomaloma
. There are guest houses on Vanua Balavu and on
Lakeba
, the other principal island.
The Lau Islands are the centre of the game of
Cricket
in Fiji. Cricket is the most popular team sport in Lau, unlike the rest of the country where
Rugby
and
Association Football
are preferred. The national team is invariably dominated by Lauan players.
Notable Lauans
[
edit
]
The Lau Islands' most famous son is the late
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara
(1920-2004), the
Tui Lau
,
Tui Nayau
,
Sau ni Vanua
(hereditary Paramount
Chief
of the Lau Islands) and the
founding father
of modern Fiji who was
Prime Minister
for most of the period between 1967 and 1992, and
President
from 1993 to 2000. Other noted Lauans include
Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna
(1898-1958), who forged embryonic constitutional institutions for Fiji in the years that preceded independence. Other notable Lauans include:
- Politicians:
Jonati Mavoa
held many ministerial portfolios in the early part of Fiji's transition to self-government, Charles Walker who held several portfolios in the Alliance government before becoming a Diplomat,
Nelson Delailomaloma
who was Permanent Secretary of Education and Minister in the Interim Government, former Prime Minister
Laisenia Qarase
, former Attorney-General
Qoriniasi Bale
, former Minister of Education
Filipe Bole
, Ambassador to China
Esala Teleni
, and former
Cabinet Minister
Lavenia Padarath
. Current First Lady
Adi Koila Nailatikau
is also Lauan, being the daughter of Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara.
- Bureaucrats:
Include former permanent secretaries Marika Tukituku, Solomone Makasiale,
Joji Kotobalavu
, Solomone Sila and current permanent secretary Jale Fotofili First Fijian Chief Justice (Sir Timoci Tuivaga), First Fijian President of Methodist church Setareki Tuilovoni, Kacimaiwai, Epeli - former High Commissioner to Australia, former Permanent Secretary for Education and first Fijian Principal appointed to Queen Victoria School.
- Sports:
I. L. Bula
cricketer, former Heavy Weight
Boxing
Champion Sunia Cama, Rugby:
Joeli Veitayaki
,
Sunia Koto
,
Osea Kolinisau
,
Netani Talei
,
Sisa Koyamaibole
,
Asaeli Tikoirotuma
,
Metuisela Talebula
,
Eroni Mawi
,
Akapusi Qera
,
Jikoibau Matawalu
,
Sefa Naivalu
,
Tevita Cavubatu
,
Bill Cavubati
,
Deryck Thomas Sowani
,
Kameli Ratuvou
,
Iliesa Keresoni
,
Api Naikatini
,
Apisai Tauyavuca
,
Henry Qiodravu
- Youth leaders:
Roko
Jonetani (Pita) Waqavonovono, Ratu Jone Liwaki Uluilakeba, Tupou Veiogo and Jackie Koroivulaono.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Lau Islands
, Fiji, By
A.M Hocart
,
Bernice Bishop Museum Bulletin
62, 1929
- Islands, Islanders and the World: Colonial and Post-colonial Experience of Eastern Fiji
. By T.P.Bayliss- Smith, Published by Cambridge University Press.
- World Atlas of Coral Reefs
- Page 344, by Corinna Ravilious, Mark D. Spalding, Edmund Peter Green, World Conservation Monitoring Centre ? 2001, Published by University of California Press
- Tovata I & II
, AC Reid. Fiji: Oceania printers Fiji (1990)
- Cyclopedia of Lau
Illustrated, Publisher Pure Blue Fiji Ltd.
- The Lau Islands (Fiji) and Their Fairy Tales and Folklore
. T[homas] R[eginald] St. Johnston, Published 1918 by The Times book co., ltd. Original from the University of Michigan, Digitized Dec 15, 2006.
- Islands of History
- Page 75, by Marshall David Sahlins - 1987 - 200 pages
- 20th Century Fiji
, edited by Stewart Firth & Daryl Tarte - 2001 -
ISBN
982-01-0421-1
- Fiji
. - Page 237, by Korina Miller, Robyn Jones, Leonardo Pinheiro ? 2003, Published by Lonely Planet
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17°50′S
178°40′E
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17.833°S 178.667°E
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