Farms, Suburbs, or Retirement Homes? The Transformation of Village Fiji

Villages are the soul of Fijian life. They are the spiritual and cultural home for indigenous Fijians because, by definition, all are members of clan units (mataqali) that encompass a fixed area of land associated with a village. Although many Fijians have become urbanites and some have migrated overseas, the links with the village remain through visits, the sending of gifts, and interaction with kin. "The village is at once the core and foundation of Fijian life; upon it is focused the Fijians ' desire and attempt to demonstrate their separate identity and their urge to carve a better place for themselves now and in the future. About 60 per cent of the Fijian population live in villages and every Fijian can be identified with a particular village of origin " (Lasaqa 1984, 34). Social relations practiced within the village help preserve Fijian culture and social structures (Ravuvu 1983, 1988). At the heart of village organization lies communal ownership of land. Communal tenure remains by law. Eighty-three percent of Fiji's land area is under "native " tenure and cannot be alienated. All of this land is held under clan (predominantly mataqali) title, and every indigenous Fijian, in theory, is registered as a member of a mataqali. All indigenous Fijians must be recorded in the Vola Ni Kawa Bula, the Native Lands Commis-sion roll of all members of mataqali. Registration confers rights to land and defines legally who is an indigenous Fijian. However, Brookfield found a large number of Fijians on Taveuni who could not name their mataqali (1976,6), many of mixed ancestry may not be registered, and it is probable that many inaccuracies and omissions exist on the rolls. Overall, though, the great majority of Fijians are registered