Europeans as seen by Fijians
IN 1939, Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna delivered handed down since early contact with a memorable address to members of Europeans. For this purpose I will place the Defence Club of Suva on ‘The Fijian’s myself in the position of a native elder View of the European.’ The address talking over the yaqona bowl to his fellow was later privately circulated but was villagers. never printed until it got published in The “We call Europeans ‘kai Vavalagi’, as
Fiji Times of June 11, 1958 as a tribute to if they all come from the same country, Ratu Sir Lala’s, with the approval of Defence which of course they do not. Club. Early in his address, Ratu Sir “Our fathers are not to blame for this Lala referred to a book on the Frenchman’s confusion. It was the Tongans that started view of the Englishman, and he discussed the idea of a country of common origin, the difference between the book because all white men appeared to and his own subject. them exactly alike.
“As the times are daily improving, the “Here in Fiji, we have Europeans from cultures of the two great European democracies England direct, from England through are virtually the same. Australia, New Zealand and America, besides
“Socially, economically and politically those that come from Germany and the difference are rather of technique France. To whatever place they belong, than of kind. There are thus innumerable they have these qualities in common. points of contact, with those major differences “They are rich and excellent subjects that provide a rich field for comparison for ‘kerekere’, if only they had more understanding. - serious or humorous. They never soil their hands
“With the Fijian on the other hand, you with manual labour; yet they are continuously have obviously little or nothing in common. urging us to do so, from the Governor He is of the stone age while you and the director of education downwards. are the era of increasing speed and high explosives. Pitched-forked into your time “Apropos let me tell you a story. You all he could be no more than an astounded know your Bible and remember the passage spectator squinting and doubting, seeing “Render unto Caesar the things that and not understanding. are of Caesar. Now, Caesar was the title
“It will not, therefore, come as a surprise of the Great Kings of Rome, just as Vunivalu if his comments on what he sees is the title for the great kings of Bau. around him are crude and erroneous, “The Kings of Rome were the conquerors childlike and amusing in their simplicity. of the ancient world, much more But, having had to observe the ways of powerful than Mussolini, the air victor of humanity and the eccentricities of chiefs Abyssinia, about whom we have lately in order to survive, his views on the social been hearing so much on the Suva broadcasts. side of life are frequently sound and to the point. “It may be that their disinclination for
“Tonight I propose to give you something real work has been handed down through along these lines, collecting and the generations. You will recollect that putting together views that have been the gentleman presiding at the Government
sheds in Walu Bay is reported to have made a similar remark about our people then working on the Sigatoka Rd.
“But he is not a King – and we have worked with our hands from time immemorial.
“To continue….they love money and save it but not to the same extent as the Jews who come from Palestine, a country which until the Great War some of us thought was way up in Heaven.
“The Jews gave the Europeans the Bible to keep them thinking. They then began amassing wealth, leaving the Europeans to ponder over the passage, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle, than for a rick man to enter the Kingdom of God.
“It is now our turn to puzzle out that same answer. But as you know, Apolosi and his satellites founded the Viti Company and some wiseacres started a religion called No.8 – not because they use the Ceylon blend in their religious rites – both for the purpose of making us rich. The time is not yet.
“Europeans are cleaver with their hands and have good brains. They can do most things. Do not be surprised some day you are told they have conquered death. They belong, of course, to a different world from our own. Nevertheless they do