17:50.191S 177:18.94E - Farewell Fiji
Irene IV - World Adventure
Louis Goor
Mon 18 Jul 2022 04:26
The indigenous people of Fiji, with very dark skin, curly hair, big brown
eyes, and wide, willing smiles, are usually classified as ethnically
Melanesian, however, anthropologists agree that their social and political
organization is much closer to that of neighbouring Polynesian societies.
Current Fijian society is made of over 50% Indigenous Fijian, with the
balance being people of Indian descent, most of whom are descendants of
indentured laborers brought in to work the sugar cane plantations. A small
number of Indians are free migrants, mostly professionals, like doctors and
lawyers. There is also a smattering of Europeans, Chinese and Polynesians
from other islands, that complete the colourful cocktail that is Fiji.
Our wonderful taxi driver, JD, who drove us all over the island of Viti
Levu, the mainland, was a treasure trove of information. He explained that
indigenous Fijians were descended from the Egyptians, hence their much
darker skin than neighbouring Polynesians. Fijians, as he called indigenous
Fijians, live in village communities. Privacy is not a value they seek;
togetherness and conviviality are stronger desires. Villages are open plan
with no fences and no ownership – everything is everybody’s – very similar
to the Polynesian ethos. He pointed out, if you see a house with a fence
around it, then you know it belongs to an Indian. I asked if the Fijians and
the Indians get along. He answered, yes! However, reading between the lines,
I wonder?
When the British began their rule in Fiji in 1874, (which lasted until
1970), they established a flourishing sugar cane industry. They needed
laborers. The Fijians did not rise to the bait, because they were not
motivated by money. It was then that the Indians were invited to immigrate
with the promise of work and a good life. As the years went by and the
Indians grew in prosperity, the Fijians began to become more interested in
the rewards of wealth and joined in the earning frenzy. It is coming towards
the end of some of the Indians’ long-term leases on Fijian land – we will
see what happens, intoned JD, ominously.
Fijians have lived through 4 coups d’états in the last 40 years. Tensions
between the indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians lies at the heart of these
coups. Like in Ireland, religion has played a significant role; most
indigenous Fijians belong to Christian communities, whereas the majority of
the Fijian Indians are Hindu or to a lesser extent, Muslim. Fear among
indigenous Fijians of losing political control to Indo-Fijians, who have
dominated the economy for years, is intense.
Despite all these underlying tensions, to the guest in this beautiful land,
it is the land of smiles and welcomes, and contentment is a constant in the
air! We are happy to have spent some time sailing around these dazzling
islands and sad to say farewell.
We continue to champion the philosophy of the Oceanic Society and its Blue
Habits Program.
“Everyone can do something to fight ocean plastic pollution, and millions of
people worldwide are already taking action to reduce their plastic use. Get
started with these 7 Ways to Reduce Ocean Plastic Pollution Today and then
join our Blue Habits community for more ideas, inspiration, and support!”
George, Louis’ 15-year-old son, is with us for 6 months. He will be
completing a project for his transition year in school (St. Columba’s
College, Rathfarnham, Dublin) entitled, “Plastics in the Ocean”. He has been
busy cataloguing any plastic waste we pass on our sailing adventures.
https://www.oceanicsociety.org/our-work/plastic-pollution/
“Nearly 2.4 billion people, 40% of the world's population, live within 60
miles of the coast, including residents of some of the planet’s largest
cities (e.g., Tokyo, Mumbai, New York, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Rio de
Janeiro). Plastic waste generated in coastal communities is significantly
more likely to end up in the ocean, and yet many coastal communities
worldwide lack the infrastructure for waste management. Moreover, plastic
waste that has already entered the ocean is continually washing ashore along
the world’s coastlines, even in remote areas. At the same time, coastal
residents share a greater interest in ocean conservation as they directly
reap the economic and aesthetic benefits of healthy seas and are also most
directly impacted by declining ocean health. Due to this combination of
factors, coastal communities have an incredibly important role to play in
fighting ocean plastic pollution.”