Fijian Ceremonial

Move to Maintain Standard of Fijian Ceremonial

CONCERN over a deterioration in the standard of Fijian ceremonial, and particularly ceremonies of welcome, has pro duced a Government move to en courage the proper observance of these ceremonies.

Some Fijian and other minds have been exercised on this subject for years, and at times there has been bitter criticism of what has been termed the debasing of Fijian ceremonial for the purposes of tourist shows of one kind or an other.

Another point of criticism has been the increasing habit of accord ing tahua presentations to what a critic once called “every Tom, Dick and Harry—more or less.”

The main argument of the critics has been that Fijian ceremonies, fundamentally of high significance, are too often trotted out for the entertainment of stray people who legard them merely as “quaint Island (or ‘native’) customs,” and it would be difficult to prove that any form of ceremonial does not lose both dignity and significance when it is in effect relegated to the status of a sideshow, or something to flatter persons who have not a claim in the world to any mark of special Fijian regard.

THE Fiji Public Relations Office stated on September 21 that the District Officer Maritime has has been asked to record fully the correct ceremonial procedure of welcome in Lau so that it can be published as a guide, and District Commissioners have been asked for records of proper ceremonial in other areas.

It is believed that unless there are guides, and unless constructive criticism is made by responsible officers, mistakes will be made, per formers will become careless, and the ceremonies will deteriorate.

Traditional ceremonies vary from place to place in Fiji, but it is thought feasible to standardise them within certain areas.

t New Caledonia’s nickel ore pro duction for the first half of 1955 exceeded 400,000 tons. Total ton nage for 1954 was 500,000.