Turaga na Gonesau
Encyclopedia
The Turaga na Gonesau is a chiefly
title of the Fiji
Islands and is viewed as a Paramount Chief of Fiji residing in the Nakorotubu District in the Ra Province
on the Main Island of Viti Levu
.
(the first son of the High Chief and master sailor Lutunasobasoba, who is traditionally believed to have led the first migration to Fiji).
The Gonesau settled in Nakorotubu from Verata. The name Kavula and its district means white or pure and was meant to be a beacon of light (purity) for the Fijian race so the holders of that light were the Gonesau.
The Gonesau's title was given by the first Roko Tui Bau and close cousin, Vueti Verata (a great great grandson of Rokomautu and grandson of Raivalita) for saving Bau during its early emergence as a Matanitu.
Ratu Kuliniasi Roko Malani of the Malani
family of Nakorotubu
, Ra
descendant of Raivalita traditionally endorsed the installation of the brotherly descendant of Nadurucoko II George Cakobau
as the Vunivalu of Bau
formerly known as Tui Viti
on September 18, 1959 in Bau.
Gonesau originated from Uluinakorotubu where five brothers resided who are the sons of Kalawailagi after leaving Nakauvadra. The youngest son of Kalawailagi was given the title of Gonesau thus the title of The Turaga na Gonesau. The descendants of the youngest son (Vakasenuku) still lives on today. The descendants of the Malani family was given the title by the owners of the title as Gonesau. The Malanis are descendants of Rokomautu from Verata and came from Bau through Raivalita to Nakorotubu and not the descendants of Kalawailagi and Vakasenuku from Uluinakorotubu.
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
title of the Fiji
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...
Islands and is viewed as a Paramount Chief of Fiji residing in the Nakorotubu District in the Ra Province
Ra Province
Ra is one of the fourteen provinces of Fiji. Occupying the northern area of Viti Levu, the largest island, it is one of eight Viti Levu-based Provinces. With a land area of 1341 square kilometers, it had a population of 29,464 at the 2007 census, the last to date...
on the Main Island of Viti Levu
Viti Levu
Viti Levu is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji, the site of the nation's capital, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population.- Geography and economy :...
.
In Translation
The name Gonesau means "blessed child" as the first "Gonesau" was the son of Rokomautu from VerataVerata
The Verata goat breed from Vera, Caceres, Spain is used for the production of meat and milk. The Verata Goat has been known to be fairly easy to handle; they are popular in the dairy and meat industries because of that, and the fact that they can adapt well to the different management systems. They...
(the first son of the High Chief and master sailor Lutunasobasoba, who is traditionally believed to have led the first migration to Fiji).
In History
Rokomautu gave his blessing or "Sau" or Mana to his son to be powerful in war, in intellect, and in anything that he would undertake.The Gonesau settled in Nakorotubu from Verata. The name Kavula and its district means white or pure and was meant to be a beacon of light (purity) for the Fijian race so the holders of that light were the Gonesau.
The Gonesau's title was given by the first Roko Tui Bau and close cousin, Vueti Verata (a great great grandson of Rokomautu and grandson of Raivalita) for saving Bau during its early emergence as a Matanitu.
Ratu Kuliniasi Roko Malani of the Malani
Malani
Roko Malani was the eldest son of Rasolo, the first Tui Nayau , and of Laufitu a high-ranking lady of Totoya and Tongan descent. He succeeded to the title Roko Sau, after engineering a successful coup d'état and slaying his uncle, Matawalu, the fourth Roko Sau, in battle...
family of Nakorotubu
Nakorotubu
Nakorotubu is a district in Fiji's Ra Province. It is made up seven sub-districts or Tikina makawa, namely,Kavula, Nakorotubu, Navitilevu, Bure-i-wai, Bure-i-vanua, Mataso, and Nakuailava.-Geography:...
, Ra
Ra
Ra is the ancient Egyptian sun god. By the Fifth Dynasty he had become a major deity in ancient Egyptian religion, identified primarily with the mid-day sun...
descendant of Raivalita traditionally endorsed the installation of the brotherly descendant of Nadurucoko II George Cakobau
George Cakobau
Ratu Sir George Kadavulevu Cakobau, GCMG, GCVO, OBE was Governor General of Fiji from 1973 to 1983. A great-grandson of Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau, the King of Bau who had unified all the tribes of Fiji under his reign in the mid-1800s and subsequently ceded the islands to the United Kingdom in...
as the Vunivalu of Bau
Vunivalu of Bau
Turaga na Vunivalu ni Bau is the Paramount Chief of the Kubuna Confederacy, loosely translated the title means Warlord of Bau or Root of War. The succession to the title does not follow primogeniture, but the candidate must be a high ranking member of the Tui Kaba clan.-A brief history:The...
formerly known as Tui Viti
Tui Viti
The monarchy of Fiji arose in the mid-nineteenth century when native ruler Seru Epenisa Cakobau consolidated control of the Fijian Islands and declared himself King or paramount chief of Fiji . In 1874, he voluntarily ceded sovereignty of the islands to Britain, which made Fiji a Crown colony...
on September 18, 1959 in Bau.
Gonesau originated from Uluinakorotubu where five brothers resided who are the sons of Kalawailagi after leaving Nakauvadra. The youngest son of Kalawailagi was given the title of Gonesau thus the title of The Turaga na Gonesau. The descendants of the youngest son (Vakasenuku) still lives on today. The descendants of the Malani family was given the title by the owners of the title as Gonesau. The Malanis are descendants of Rokomautu from Verata and came from Bau through Raivalita to Nakorotubu and not the descendants of Kalawailagi and Vakasenuku from Uluinakorotubu.
Translations and Transliterations
- Say it in Fijian, An Entertaining Introduction to the Language of Fiji, by Albert James Schütz – 1972
- Lonely Planet Fijian Phrasebook, by Paul Geraghty - 1994 - 182 pages
- Spoken Fijian: An Intensive Course in Bauan Fijian, with Grammatical Notes and Glossary By Rusiate T. Komaitai, Albert J. Schütz, Contributor Rusiate T Komaitai , Published 1971, Univ of Hawaii Pr , Foreign Language / Dictionaries / Phrase Books , ISBN 0870227467
External links
- A Photo Journal of the Passing of the Turaga Na Gonesau
- Fiji TimesFiji TimesThe Fiji Times is a daily English-language newspaper published in Suva, Fiji. Established in Levuka on 4 September 1869, it is Fiji's oldest newspaper still operating....
article with history on the Gonesau - Fiji LiveFiji LiveFijilive is an online newspaper and business and cultural directory in Fiji. The site is owned by the Future Group of Companies owned by Fiji entrepreneur Yashwant Gaunder....
September 18, 2009, Kubuna Waits, 50 Years On
- Fiji TimesFiji TimesThe Fiji Times is a daily English-language newspaper published in Suva, Fiji. Established in Levuka on 4 September 1869, it is Fiji's oldest newspaper still operating....
article with http://www.fijitimes.com.fj/story.aspx?ref=archive&id=129681