Fiji’s Oldest?
p. 23 · Read in the full issue
One of the oldest women in Fiji, possibly the oldest, is Eta Vakanawa, of the village of Nakaile, on the Rewa River.
Eta has no idea of her age, but the villagers think she is well over the century. Her father, Sakiusa Balewai, was a lay missionary in the time of Baker, the famous mis sionary who was killed and eaten by Fijians in 1867.
Eta’s 68-year-old daughter Mere claims that her grand father was present at Baker’s murder and fled horrifield into the bush, but other members of the large family are in clined to treat it as a legend.
Eta’s only brother, Eneri, now dead, was a constable who was present at the signing of the Deed of Cession at Levuka in 1874, an event which Eta is fond of relating.
She also remembers the ter rible measles epidemic of the late 1870’s which decimated the Fijian race.
Eta is still in reasonably good health, and eats well, sleeps well and talks well.
She was among the Fijians who had to be evacuated from their homes during the February floods. She treated the evacuation as fust another event in her long life. After all, she has known many floods.
Photo: Stan Whippy.