“Fijian” replaced with “i-Taukei” This is like calling all New Zealand Citizens “Maori”
“Fijian” replaced with “i-Taukei
A Fijian Affairs Amendment Decree has been gazetted which sees all written laws amended by deleting the word “Fijian” wherever it appears and wherever it currently refers to indigenous Fijians.
The word Fijian or indigenous Fijian has now been replaced with “i-Taukei”, unless the context otherwise requires.
The decree signed off by President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau also stated that all state documents of any nature whatsoever, are consequentially amended by deleting the word “Fijian” wherever it appears and wherever it currently refers to indigenous Fijians, and replacing it with “i-Taukei”, unless the context otherwise requires.
The Fijian Affairs Act has also been cited as the i-Taukei Affairs Act.
Story by: Vijay Narayan
http://www.fijivillage.com/?mod=story&id=060710187e088651a4a9b311164367
One of the reason why Fiji definitely needed a media authority is because of the deliberate misinterpretation of information. A classic example of that is what this blog has done here. Although the Fiji media decree would not be able to get this blog under its authority, the type of deliberate misinterpretation done here is a classic example of a media blog misinforming its readers for a deliberate purpose.
The reason why the name “Fijian” has been replaced with ‘i-Taukei” is because the name will now be used as the common name for all Fiji citizens while “i-Taukei” will become the common name for indigenous Fijians. Previously, the name “Fijian” was used to identify indigenous Fijians but that has now changed.
The word “i-Taukei” has always been used by indigenous Fijians to identify themselves in their own dialect just as the name Maori is used by the indigenous people of New Zeland to identify themselves with. It is clear that the name change is vastly different from calling all New Zealanders “Maori”.
If blogs like this one are against the implementation of a media decree in Fiji, then it doesn’t do your cause justice when you yourself deliberately misinterpret and misinform your readers. It morelorless justifies the current government’s action in implementing a media decree. So you have moreorless shot yourself in the foot with this kind of article.
Yes, Leon (or ramshit as we really know him) is correct. The criminal regime has again shot itself in the foot with yet another racist and deplorable decree. This indian supported coup has certainly brought out the worst with its attacks on Fijians (including human rights abuse and murder). It is only a matter of time before Fijians turn against the feral military jumping to the orders of the non-fijian masters of this failed racist coup.
Although the real strories cannot be told in the censored Fiji media the ferals and slum dwellers can’t control the worlds free press.
Mr. Elanicolo:
Please explain EXACTLY how his blog misinforms the public. As near as I can tell, it is totally factual. Although the blog does omit the reason for the change, I’m sure that the informed public knows the reason since it has been discussed for many years, even before the duly elected democratic government was overthrown and replaced by the current dictatorship.
The change in nomenclature may be reasonable, but the way it was imposed was NOT reasonable.
leon delanicolo ……At the least you are using this blog to give your uncensored version of the situation. This is a right not allowed the average citizen in our country. No one asked my opinion of if I asked to be called enything other than Fijian. When I call myself Fijian I mean a native of Fiji as my family has meant for every generation since the white man arrived. While it may be more pure to call myself “i-Taukei’ this is not the name I use inside myself to express my native identity.
This the first action by this Government that has offended me personally. Up til now to be honest I didnt give a shit.
@ shot in the foot
In what way is this government racist and Indian supported? Just because it has some Indians in cabinet positions and permanent secretaries? Your comment above shows the shallowness of mind that really should be eradicated in Fiji.
I am an indigenous Fijian myself and by now I wouldn’t careless who becomes the PM or whatnot in Fiji because every indigenous Fijian administration that has lead Fiji in the last 20 years has been a total failure in so far as uplifting the livelihood of my own indigenous Fijians. Rabuka’s SVT ended up further disintegrating the vanua, the people etc and the optimism that we young folks had at the time he made his coup evaporated over the years because of corruption, nepotism, etc. Qarase was even worse because, for someone who always portray himself as a nationalist ended up selling or giving away most of the assets to foreigners while on the other side, never improved the livelihood of the indigenous folks. The only ones who were profiting the most from his leadership were himself and the shareholders of Fijian Holdings Ltd.
@ FRE
It is simple as a midday sun to see how this blog misinformed its readers by not including the reason for the name change. As an indigenous Fijian myself, it doesn’t make me of lesser value to my own vanua of people don’t call me a Fijian. i-Taukei has far much more value to me then just calling myself Fijian. Long before this name change came about, non i-Taukei people that have become citizens or were born in Fiji were calling themselves Fijian. you just have to meet them in Australia, New Zealand, UK, Europe, USA, Canada etc to see how proud they call themselves Fijian. The word i-Taukei is the real name with which we indigenous Fijians should be calling ourselves with. It is in our own word and language.
@ Samu
I would suggest you read what I’ve mentioned above and think about it. No one is an average citizen of Fiji. For you to be saying that there are average citizens of Fiji shows the kind of mindset that is really the biggest problem with some of our indigenous people. I’m very sad by your comment.
The complete post above is direct from Fijivillage website only the “Maori” comment is mine.
@ fijitoday
It’s the title that is your own which clearly was written to mislead even before reading. Any person who were uninformed of the reason for the name change and just happened to have had a glance of the headline while surfing the net would have been totally mislead.
For those of you who deliberately do this kind of thing because you don’t like the current leadership doesn’t even help anyone let alone your cause.
@ delanicolo:
The fact that the blog did not give the reason for the name change does not make it misleading. Everyone who was not born yesterday knows the reason for the name change. Therefore, there was no need to include it in the blog.
Considering the disingenuous statements by the military dictatorship, it is nothing short of hypocritical for it to complain that statements made by others are dishonest.
Whether the name change is reasonable or not is not the point. The fact is that the change was made by fiat and decree by a military dictatorship rather than by a democratic government. That makes it improper.
Fortunately, after living in Fiji for 10 years, I returned to the U.S. before the government was overthrown. Otherwise, I’d have had to sell my property at a loss and leave as quickly as possible because I would not want to live under a dictatorship for even five minutes.
@ FRE
I assume you no longer live in Fiji so tell me, how would you know that we are now living under a military dictatorship? Did you just get you information from blogs and internet news? Too bad but good riddance don’t come back to Fiji. We certainly don’t need your likes here.