Fijians+-+CA+-+SP12

The Fijian Culture By: Leah Chiaverini and Katie Dykeman

Language: The Fijian’s tradtional language is Bauan. Today, the official languages of Fiji are English, Fijian, and Hindi. When the British tried to take over the Fiji Islands, the Fijians adopted the English language.The Hindi language comes from the Indian roots of the Indo-Fijian people. Along with the English, Fijian, Hindi, and Bauan languages, other languages spoken in Fiji include Cantonese, Rotuman, Gilbertes, and Tuvaluan.

Beliefs: There are two main groups of Fijians, Indigenous Fijian and Indo-Fijians. The Indigenous Fijians are a group Polynesian and Melanesian people who came to the South Pacific islands of Fiji several years ago. The Indo-Fijians came from India. They were originally brought to be laborers but as time went on more Indians began to migrate to Fiji on their own. Both types of Fijians practice different religions. Almost all of the Indigenous Fijians practice Christianity. Specifically, more than seventy-five percent are Methodist. On the other hand, a majority of the Indo-Fijians, whose original roots were in India, practice the Hindu religion. The other twenty percent are Muslims and Christians.

Behaviors: The Fijians have many customs that keep their culture alive. One behavior performed by the Fijians is tradition of the yaqona drinking. This is a huge part if the Fijian culture. In the past, it was used ceremonially by chiefs and priests only. Today however, it is a part of daily life in urban areas. If you were to visit Fiji, there would be many kava ceremonies because that is how their culture begins important events. The yaqona, also known as kava, is a juice which is prepared from the root of the piper methysticum, which is a pepper plant. During this celebration, “everyone sitting cross-legged in a circle on the floor... each quest is then handed the bilo, half of a coconut shell containing the majic liquid. Before you recieve the majic liquid, clap to show your respect... then drink... all of it in one swig... [once you] return your bilo and clap to show your gratitude.” This behavior shows how respect is very valued in the culture. Another behavior performed by Fijians is the Meke. The Meke is a play acted out through story-telling and dancing. The story is usually about an important event such as a war, a chief installation, or even a transgression. Dances in the Meke may include the women’s fan dance, known as the Seasea, or the men’s spear dance, known as the Meke Wesi. This behavior shows how the Fijians are dedicated to their culture because the stories, which have been passed down from generation to generation, are still being told today.

Values: The Fijians value many things. Among these are family, the land, and the idea of respect. Family and respect go hand and hand. The young children are expected to take orders from the older men in the family, more specifically, their fathers. Srtict obenience and respect are what the children are expected to follow. Discipline is determined by the father while mothers are more lenient with their children. Fijians are also very thankful for their resources. Indigenous Fijians especially make clothes, crafts and even their house out of their land.

Commercialization Fiji exports a number of things, which in turn fuels their economy. They export things like sugar, seafood, clothing, gold, and mineral water. The land of Fiji is ideal for harvesting sugar-cane, which is why sugar was a main source of stimulation for the economy, but the industry began to fail due to difficulties with facilities and other expenses. Now, sugar-cane makes up about 21% of Fijian exports. Like sugar-cane, clothing was a huge export of the Fijians but numbers have dropped and they now only account for 9% of exports from Fiji. A lot of the other exports that come from Fiji are not producing the amounts of revenue they used to. These include crops, such as ginger and coconuts, mahogany, and mineral water. Two exports, though, that are thriving are fish, and gold. A majority of Fiji’s exports had primarily been sent to Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, but, due to inadequate international relations the Fijians have undertaken closer relationships with Asian countries such as India, the People’s Republic of China, and Indonesia. A native Fijian, Tikotani, stresses, “we must continue with our fostering good relations as a nation.” Commercialization is a crucial source of revenue for the Fijians, therefore it is important that they maintain good relationships with neighboring countries.
 * Culture Change **

Travel: Lately, Fiji has been largely driven by tourism. Their Sevens win helped them gain international exposure, which resulted in their large tourism industry. Tourism has helped the island’s economy very much. In 2010, more the 53,000 Americans made a trip to the Fiji Islands. That year, the Islands made $399.9 million U.S. dollars. Tourism has become Fiji’s major source of foreign currency.

Technology: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fiji has just recently gained technology experience through tourism. They are now in the process of developing network integrators, mobile application and service providers, computers, uninterpretable power supplies, telephone systems, and much more. With a world that advances in technology every day, Fiji can’t afford to get left behind. If they don’t have up to date technology, their tourism industry might suffer, because people might be turned away from the lack of it.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Fiji." U.S. Department of State. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1834.htm>. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This website was extremely important because is gave good facts about the Fijian economy and how they were affected by trade. It also provided information about the people and languages of Fiji.
 * //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Works Cited //**
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Secondary Sources: **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Fijians - Introduction, Location, Language, Folklore, Religion, Major holidays, Rites of passage, Relationships, Living conditions." Countries and Their Cultures. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Costa-Rica-to-Georgia/Fijians.html>. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This cite gave information about family life in the Fijian culture.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"ICT to Fiji." Australia Unlimited. Australian Government, 29 Sept. 2011. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <www.austrade.gov.au/ICT-to-Fiji/default.aspx >. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This source provided information on how the use of technology was rapidly growing in Fiji.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Our Country." Fiji Government Online Portal. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://www.fiji.gov.fj/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=645&Itemid=196>. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This website gave information about the Fijian’s values, their traditional Meke Dance, and the traditional Yaqona Drinking.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Fijian Tradition Video- Learn about Fijian CUlture- McCoy Travel." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.. N.p., 10 Dec. 2010. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=jPH3gBaMe4E>. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We used this video to see how the kava ceremony worked. The video was narrated by a Fijian woman.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Primary Sources: **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cattermole, Jennifer. "Shima: The International Journal of Research into Island Cultures." We Are Fiji 2.2 (2008): 99-115. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This journal gave quotes from a native Fijian about their relations with other countires.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cattermole, Jennifer. "Shima: The International Journal of Research into Island Cultures." We Are Fiji 2.2 (2008): 99-115. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The journal was important because it provided information about Fijian culture and gave good insight to international relations.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Print Source: **