Narrative
Tukutuku raraba
Not translated into English
Anonymous · 1912
Synopsis
The origin accounts of the Fijian groups, as the representatives of each tribe set them out under oath before the colonial inquiry into lands. Each account traces the first settlement of a land, the movements of the group to the place where it settled, the place of each of its clans, its ancestral god and its genealogy. It also includes wars between tribes, misfortunes and lists of great deeds.
Context
The Native Lands Commission was established in 1880 to register the lands of the Fijians; in 1905, its remit was extended to the history of each group's migrations. An inquiry led from 1911 by G. V. Maxwell fixed the model of Fijian society that the commission subsequently followed. The members of each tribe pooled their knowledge, which a representative presented before the commission. Kept in a strongroom, the registers are not open to the public and are still used to settle disputes over lands and titles; Fijian researchers now dispute their accuracy.
Who it is for
Short accounts, drawn up on a common model, whose land stakes explain their form; they cannot be consulted by the public.
Prizes and reception
Held to be unalterable by the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, they are challenged by Fijian historians who point out their inconsistencies.
Sources for this page 4
The pages consulted to check this page.