Roko Tui Dreketi
Encyclopedia
The Roko Tui Dreketi is the Paramount Chief of Fiji
's Rewa Province
and of the Burebasaga Confederacy
, to which Rewa belongs.
. The dynasty holding the title is the Tuisawau family. Unlike many other chiefly titles, this one is not reserved for males,as it had become a common occurrence among many other parts of Fiji.
, who was the Minister
for Education in the Qarase
government. She succeeded her late sister Ro Lady Lala Mara
, Fiji's former First Lady, in 2004.
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
's Rewa Province
Local government of Fiji
Fiji is divided administratively into four divisions, which are further subdivided into fourteen provinces; the self-governing island of Rotuma and its dependencies lie outside any of the four divisions. Each division is headed by a Commissioner, appointed by the Fijian government...
and of the Burebasaga Confederacy
Burebasaga Confederacy
Burebasaga is the largest of the three confederacies that make up Fiji's House of Chiefs, to which all Fijian chiefs belong.-Composition of Burebasaga:...
, to which Rewa belongs.
Details on the title
This title is considered the second most senior in Fiji's House of ChiefsHouse of Chiefs (Fiji)
The term House of Chiefs is a collective term used to refer to the Fijian nobility, which consists of about seventy chiefs of various ranks. It is not a formal political body and should not be confused with the Great Council of Chiefs, which is a political body with a prescribed constitutional role...
. The dynasty holding the title is the Tuisawau family. Unlike many other chiefly titles, this one is not reserved for males,as it had become a common occurrence among many other parts of Fiji.
Recent history
The present Roko Tui Dreketi is Ro Teimumu Vuikaba Tuisawau-KepaTeimumu Kepa
Teimumu Vuikaba Kepa is a Fijian chief and politician. A former students' coordinator at the University of the South Pacific when Kepa chose to enter the University to embark on her Bachelor of Arts Degree and was a principal of Corpus Christi Collegebefore that, until she succeeded her late...
, who was the Minister
Cabinet (Fiji)
Fiji has the Westminster system - executive authority is vested nominally in a President, but exercised in practice by a Cabinet of Ministers, presided over by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is formally appointed, but not chosen, by the President: the President must appoint as Prime...
for Education in the Qarase
Laisenia Qarase
Laisenia Qarase is a Fijian political figure. He served as the sixth Prime Minister of Fiji from 2000 to 2006. After the military quashed the coup that led to the removal of Mahendra Chaudhry, Qarase joined the Interim Military Government as a financial adviser on 9 June 2000, until his appointment...
government. She succeeded her late sister Ro Lady Lala Mara
Lala Mara
Ro Lala, Lady Mara, maiden name Litia Cakobau Lalabalavu Katoafutoga Tuisawau was a Fijian chief, who was better known as the widow of Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, modern Fiji's founding father who served for many years as Prime Minister and President of his country...
, Fiji's former First Lady, in 2004.
Title holders
- Note that the table below contains incomplete information. The period from 1839 through 1845 was a time of confusion, with rival claims to the title.
Order | Roko Tui Dreketi | Reigned | Lived |
1. | Ro Rawalai | ||
2. | Roko Tabaivalu | 1825 - 1839 | ? - 1839 |
3. | Koroitamana | 1839 | ? - 1839 |
4. | Bativuaka | 1839 | ? - 1839 |
5. | Macanavai | 1839 | ? - 1839 |
6. | Cokanauto | 1839 - 1841 | 1810 - 1851 |
7. | Qaraniqio | 1839 - 1840 | ? - 26 January 1855 |
8. | Banuve | 1839 - 1845 | ? - December 1845 |
. | Cokanauto | 1845 - 1851 | (s.a.) |
. | Qaraniqio | 1851 - 1855 | (s.a.) |
9. | B.V. Rabici | 1855 - 1874 | ? - ? |
10. | Ratu Timoci Tavanavanua | 1874 - 1888 | 1847 - 1888 |
11. | unknown | unknown | unknown |
12. | Ratu Lutunauga Tuisawau | ? - 1936 | ? - 1945 |
13. | Ro Ro Ro is an a priori constructed language created by Rev. Edward Powell Foster beginning in 1904. In Ro, words are constructed using a category system. For example, all words starting with "bofo-" signify colors; the word for red is "bofoc", and yellow is "bofof"... Emori Bikavanua Logavatu |
1920-1936 | ? - 1924 |
14. | Ratu George Cokanauto Tuisawau | 1936 - 1961 | 1901 - 1961 |
15. | Ro Lady Lala Tuisawau-Mara Lala Mara Ro Lala, Lady Mara, maiden name Litia Cakobau Lalabalavu Katoafutoga Tuisawau was a Fijian chief, who was better known as the widow of Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, modern Fiji's founding father who served for many years as Prime Minister and President of his country... |
1957 - 2004 | 3 January 1931 - 20 July 2004 |
15. | Ro Teimumu Tuisawau-Kepa Teimumu Kepa Teimumu Vuikaba Kepa is a Fijian chief and politician. A former students' coordinator at the University of the South Pacific when Kepa chose to enter the University to embark on her Bachelor of Arts Degree and was a principal of Corpus Christi Collegebefore that, until she succeeded her late... |
2004 - present | b. 1945 |