Kaba and Bau

This blog will record my experiences in the two villages I visited on the 2^nd and 3^rd of December; Kaba and Bau. The purpose of the visit to Kaba was to see the outcome of a cultural skills workshop organized by the Fiji Arts Council. It was incredible to see the work of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Arts on the ground, and to see what these villagers had produced, basically out of their own motivation, but with a little bit of external support, namely the provision of materials by the Department. Seeing this work really reinforced my conviction that the most effective means of development is that which focusses on encouraging the unique practices and beliefs of people; as Hau’ofa emphasized, the future of a people lies in the hands of that people, not of the people who purport to prescribe that future for them.

In Kaba, it was amazing to be spoken to by a village elder (I am not entirely sure what his rank was). He expressed his appreciation for the economic opportunities the program had provided his community, and it was incredibly humbling for him to say that, due to our association with the Ministry of Education, we have been blessed by him and his village. He strongly encouraged us to come back. This was evidently not just a desire to encourage us to come back and bring more funds to inject into the community, but also to bring back friends and family, presumably to raise the status of the village in the eyes of Fiji and the international community. It was so refreshing to encounter this attitude of genuine welcoming combined with a keen interest in economic development, when we are surrounded in the West by an obsession with material possessions and material gain. This attitude also perhaps contains a strong element of reciprocity, which Hau’ofa refers to as “the core of all oceanic cultures”; the village had given food, drink, and friendliness to us, and in return, there was somewhat of an implied obligation on us to give back to it.

 The visit to Kaba was also interesting because of the mix of People I was with; Yifan, Kanya and Hester. It was a great opportunity to get to know more about their cultures and themselves, and also to see how the Fijians approached them, and if that differed to how I was accepted. Kanya, with her Indonesian heritage, seems to be approached a little differently to the other interns, from what I have seen in the Department’s interactions with her, and also just general Fijians. This reminded me of the Hau’ofa reading, and suggests that many of the Fijians do indeed perceive of Oceania as a “sea of islands,” as a world consisting of many, although separate, landmasses, strongly connected, the basis of this connection being the relationship the inhabitants of these Island nations share with the ocean, their lifeblood. There thus seems to be an intrinsic feeling of kinship between members of this community that have this salt water in their blood. From my work in the Department, I have learnt that this kinship is reinforced by the many Asia-Pacific regional organizations,  such as the Asia Pacific office of UNESCO.

This idea of the world of Oceania being expansive was also apparent in the trip to Bau yesterday, when we were shown a large metal cauldron-type object which was received by trade, presumably from Western traders. Although this is perhaps not evidence of what Hau’ofa focusses on, the direct and complex trading routes between the regions of Melanesia, it still seemed to be a strong way in which the Islanders maintained connections, through the activities of foreign sealers, whalers and such.

I think making a comment on the kava ceremony is also pertinent at this point. Cattermole focused significantly on the patriarchal and militaristic nature of Fijian society in her piece, and this is certainly reflected in the placement of the men and women around the tanua, with the women sitting at the back, their role often being that of preparing and presenting refreshments. However, even though this gender divide in terms of roles is undoubtedly evident, the women are often involved in the community, from what I have seen. Although the majority of decision-making is left up to the male village elders, at Kaba the importance of the Women’s Group was emphasized to us, and the work they had done so far; they had drafted a letter to the cabinet to try to establish a gift shop on the island so they could sell their wares. He seemed to recognize that in order for the village to move towards development, exclusion of the women was simply out of the question.  And his desire to develop the village was unmistakable.