CONSERVATION – The sacred ocean - Voice of Asia - Telling Stories from Asia to the World!

Fijian indigenous culture expert and scholar, Simione Sevudredre, highlighted a crucial point at the Deep Sea Mining (DSM) dialogue conference earlier this week: the identity of indigenous people is inextricably linked to the ocean, encompassing our history, identity, and way of life. He also expressed his opposition to any form of mineral exploration and exploitation in the Pacific.

Sevudredre emphasized the nearly symbiotic relationship between the Fijian indigenous people and the ocean, a relationship that persists to this day. Our ancestors relied on the ocean for food and resources, and were also skilled navigators, accurately traversing the seas using the stars, wind, ocean currents, and birds.

However, the ocean is as sacred as the land. In ancient Fiji, most deities considered the ocean their home, and it was believed that the ocean was the final resting place for the souls of departed ancestors. Sevudredre also called for greater emphasis on what he termed "indigenous science."

He pointed out that many secular scientific theories taught today, used to explain certain phenomena in Fiji, were already known by the ancient Fijians, only they conveyed this knowledge through myths and legends. "The best teacher is able to break down complex concepts so that even the slowest student can understand – that is the role of our ancient myths and legends."

Sevudredre shared that Fijian indigenous society draws various concepts of identity from the ocean, such as the chiefly and tribal titles that still exist today. "His Excellency the President is also known as 'Tui Cakau,' which literally means 'King of the Reef.' This tells us that the first person, the first 'King of the Reef,' came from the ocean."

He also described a title from the province of Bua on Vanua Levu Island, referring to a sunken coral reef called Cakaunitabua. He also mentioned a clan on Oneata Island in the Lau Group, whose title is associated with a reef called Bukatatanoa. "There is also a clan on Ono-i-Lau Island near Tonga whose title also refers to a reef – Cakauseyawa. On Vanuabalavu Island there is also a clan called Yavusa Waitui, meaning 'Ocean Clan.'"

The ancient word for ocean is Lau, and in Dawasamu there is a clan associated with this, and there is also a yavusa Lau in the Solomon Islands. The word Lau is also the name of the Fijian maritime province, Yatu Lau or the Lau Group. Sevudredre further revealed the reverence of Fijian indigenous people for ancient sunken islands – one being Davetalevu, located near Moturiki in Lomaiviti, and another called Burotu or Burotukula, believed to co-exist with Matuku Island in the Lau Group.

"The ocean is also where our sentinel roam, our ancestors regarded them as our totems – sharks, turtles, trevally, octopus and stingrays. These are our ancestral sentinels of identity." Sevudredre emphasized that in Fiji, there are two types of chiefs: one is a land chief, and the other is a chief born from the ocean, who undergoes a ritualistic bathing in the ocean upon inauguration.

This distinction extends to the two categories of people in Fijian indigenous governance – Kai vanua and kai wai. Between these two categories of people there are special norms and customs of mutual respect that form the basis of indigenous society. "Before the arrival of Christianity, there was no concept of heaven and hell in indigenous society. It was believed that when ancestors died, their souls would stand on the fort or hill near the village, looking for a place to jump into the sea, called 'na i cibaciba' – the place of departure."

This belief indicates that souls return to the ocean after death. Therefore, the underworld or bulu – the seabed – is where the sleeping ancestors rest. The historical knowledge shared by Sevudredre clearly demonstrates that the ocean, as a whole, holds immense cultural and spiritual significance for the Fijian indigenous people.

He reiterated that the realism of Fijian indigenous society is reflected in the language. In fact, there is no indigenous word to express mining, which clearly indicates that it is a completely foreign and unwelcome practice. "Mining has never been – and never will be – part of our vocabulary, because the process involves entering a forbidden zone, bulu, where our ancestors rest."

"Our identity, the history of our ancestors, the lineage of our chiefs, the protocols that govern our behavior and define our responsibilities, and our tribal customs, all originate from the ocean," Sevudredre emphasized. He further reiterated that the Fijian indigenous people will never allow this sacred space – the ocean, inextricably linked to their history and identity – to be violated and disrespected.