TU NA INIMA, LUVU NA WAQA:
AN ITAUKEI PERSPECTIVE ON DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
Melaia Tikoitoga

iTaukei Institute of Language and Culture, FijiThe Poten�als of Local Knowledge
Although classified as non-scientific, local knowledge have accumulated a�er centuries
of extensive trial and error experiences from which people have learned. Theknowledge system o�en passed by word of mouth is a broad knowledge of indigenouspeople on how to live sustainably.

iTaukei Measures in Disaster Risk Reduc�onTraditional governance system
Governance in the indigenous Fijian landscape can best be described as consisting ofseveral autochthonous chiefdoms. Habitually, no overall chief holds total dominion
over the indigenous traditional governance, even though there have been claims in thepast by one or two. This is where the role of the traditional herald comes into play.
The herald’s position is as mediator between the chief and the people and vice versa.
However, in some remote islands where accessibility to such an information is limited,
the Provincial Oﬃce upon hearing the alerts/warnings contact the turaganikoro1 ofneighbouring islands to relay the news. This is at times diﬃcult especially given theremoteness of some islands and the ignorance of villagers to adhere to alerts/
warnings of impending cyclones. Hence, the need to include the traditional social
structure into cyclone policies. The inclusion of matanivanua or herald as means of
information dissemination is vital. This position is not taken lightly by the members ofthe tribe. And yet through the words of Opetaia Dreketirua, we can see how
beneficial the idea of the matanivanua would be to contemporary society: Thematanivanua] are the chords of the land (wa ni vanua) binding together the people
and their leaders. They press down (bika) and hide within their own hearts the angry
words of the chiefs about the people, and they hide also in their hearts the angry
words of the people about the chiefs; and for this reason they are called the‘Stomach of Evil’ (kete ni ka ca) for their first responsibility is to preserve the land. As
spokesperson, he is skilled in the art of persuasion and can sway the villagers to takeheed of precautionary measures. In collaboration with the turaganikoro, he can informthe chief together with other clan leaders and in turn they inform the members oftheir clan. Clan leaders are respected by its members and hence will quickly mobilize
reducing vulnerability.
1

Turaganikoro: The village headmen also known as a government administrator and representativein the village.

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Figure 1

Proposed structure of information dissemination.

Traditional architecture
The overriding problem in withstanding the high winds of a tropical cyclone is that theconnections between different elements of the building get damaged. Because of thatthe structural integrity or coherence of the building diminishes and the parts of it aredestroyed. According to an article prepared by Vrolijks (1998), it is diﬃcult to makesharp separation between a ‘traditional’ construction and a disaster resistant ‘modern’housing as many of the principles for safe construction have been learnt fromtraditional construction methods. As earlier mentioned, bure normally have athatched roof which are high and use a hipped configuration. This is held together
with strong vines that tighten by smoldering over the years. The corner posts,
according to Vrolijks, are fairly strong and buried suﬃciently to resist upli�. If in casethe roof collapse, there is ample room for occupants to crawl under it for theremainder of the cyclone.
According to Tuiteci (2018), the fixings in a
traditional house is built for tropical cyclones.
Compared with solid structures of modern housing,traditional houses are fixed to move. This is theresult of organic materials used. He furtherelaborated that the so� raw materials absorb thewind pressure, allowing it to move into the houseand then gets dissipated inside, this nullifies thepressure. In addition to this, tying still maintains thestrength of the wood whereas hammering it has theopposite effect. This ductility or the ability to bend
and sway without collapse is why the traditional
method of house construction can cope withcyclone hazards and also earthquake (Vrolijks1998).

Figure 2
Traditional house proposed
as evacuation centresTraditional early warning system
Traditional Knowledge system on early warning system is vast and below is but aportion on how the ancestors of the 4 villages in Udu predict of incoming cyclone. (It056

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Table 1 Traditional Knowledge indicators of cyclone as according to elders in the Nagasauva,
Yasawa, Nabouono and Vunikodi
Indicator
iTaukei nameAnomalyCommon nameScien�ﬁc nameVaimanta rays

Manta birostris

Sign of impending cyclone: jumping manta
rays on a clear day with calm seas

Balagiyellowsurgeonfish

Acanthurus
xanthopterus

schools found near the shallow end

Rastrelliger spp.

a lot of mackerelle swim near the shallowa) waitui (sea)Salalachub mackerel

cakau

the coral reefs

ua

waves

-difference in the wave pattern i.e. Small
waves between bigger waves

sici

univalves

Trochus nilotucus

The univalves are harder to pull as they
are firmly stuck to the rocks when women
try to remove it with a knife during low
tides

babaledolphins

Delphinidae
stenellafrequent sighting – ‘as if they areplaying’
These birds are usually found out at sea
but when they’re low-flying and nearland, this change in behaviour is anindication of cyclone

waves crashing onto the reef can be heard
from the village – ‘like a thunderous noise
at night’b) lomalagi (stratosphere/air)Manumanu ni cagi
mvk
1. qiqi
2. kasaqa‘birds of the wind’e.g.
1. Fiji white eye
2. Frigate bird

1. Zosterops
explorator
2. Fregata aerialkatakata na draki

weather too hot-Unexplainable hot weather for morethan a weekvulamoon-

A ring around the moonoclouds-

No longer going in the same direction

matanicagi

wind direction-

always changing

beka

Tongan fruit bat
Samoan fruit bat

Pteropus tonganus,
Pteropus samoaensis

The bats mysteriously disappear fromfrequent resting spotmanumanu vuka(any) high flying
birds

-

Birds fly lower than normal

gogoBlack noddy

Anous minutus

This bird is usually found at sea but
nearing a cyclone it is found flying
towards land (like ‘birds of the wind’)Gasaureeds

Eulalia japonica

sprouts at the wrong timePiyellow-jacket
hornetPolistes olivaceus

Yeloow-jacket hornets usually build
their nest on to branches (away frompredators) however if it builds its nest
near the ground, this is a sign of cyclone

Draunivudi

plantainMusa spp

In normal condition, plaintain shoots
flower before it bends if the youngshoot bents before it flowers, this is asign of cyclone

Uto mvk buco,
Asalea, ocoiRabe

breadfruit

Artocarpus altilis

The breadfruit bears more than threefruits in a branch (this is abnormal)

Tikau

Pacific yam, hard/strong yam

Dioscorea
nummularia

the shoots deviate back (i.e. it grows
upwards but halfway through it, it does a‘U-turn’ and goes back towards the earth)c) vanua (land)

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Figure 3 Timeline of cyclone according to traditional indicators supplied by the informants in Udu

is important to note that the indicators cannot foretell the wind speed). From the datacollected, iTaukei traditional can be classified under three categories; waitui (sea),lomalagi (stratosphere/air), and vanua (land). The categories are determined by theenvironment in which the indicators are located (Table 1). This is best understood byFigure 3.
Apart from this, the iTaukei people for centuries know that there is a calendar used by
the elders. This is taught in primary vernacular classes and shows how our elders
navigate themselves as according to the time of the month it is. Hence, cyclone
period is believed to be from November – April and o�en referred to as Vula/Cagilaba or Cyclone month. Hence, the need to recognize and identify traditional early
warning systems in Fiji as a means for preparation for impending bad weather is vital.
Traditional Knowledge from land, air and sea indicators (in this order) occur a month/
week/days before a cyclone, this help prepare the community and in turns utilizes theFiji Meteorological Service to validate local knowledge indicators.

Conclusion
To conclude, not all Pacific ideals or ways of being are appealing or beneficial tocontemporary society, but they must be allowed to be brought to the fore, discussed,and understood. Those that fit in with Pacific peoples’ contemporary notions of wellbeing, health, and security should be promoted, if only for the practical purposes of
avoiding civil conflict and its associated costs. It is wasteful for international andregional organizations, bilateral and multilateral funding sources, nongovernmentalorganizations, and national governments (and taxpayers) to spend millions of dollars
trying to ’clean up‘ devastated societies a�er the fact, when common sense dictatesallowing those societies the time and opportunity to articulate their own approaches
to the world and its multitude of developments. Many will argue that this is a luxury
for which the modern world does not allow time. But if we in the Pacific do not taketime, we will continue to suffer from the ’maldevelopment‘ that is presently affecting
the region, as highlighted in the many reports issued by UN agencies, the AsianDevelopment Bank, the World Bank, and regional organizations. We need to take stock
now and to listen to the voices that have remained silent for so many years.

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R���������
Tuiteci, S. (2018). Personal communication.
Vrolijks, L. (1998). Disaster Resistant Housing in the Paciﬁc Island countries. Available at: https://www.
sheltercluster.org/sites/default/files/docs/disaster_resistant_housing_in_the_pacific.pdf [accessed14 January 2018].

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