On November 17, 1977, The Fiji Times covered the funeral of Adi Litia Waqainaweni, one of a few women chiefs who led their vanua in the 1970s.
She was the paramount chief of the vanua of Nakelo, Tailevu, and was popular among her people as a benevolent lady. Hundreds turned up to bid her farewell at the chiefly burial ground located a mile away from her Nauluvatu Village.
According to the report, she died at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital at the age of 89.
Then prime minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara and his wife, Adi Lady Lala Mara, led the hundreds of mourners who showed up to pay their last respects to Adi Litia.
Other prominent people at the funeral were the deputy prime minister Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau, Ratu David Toganivalu, the Minister for Labour and Minister for Agiculture, Fisheries and Forest Charles Walker.
Fijians from the 13 villages that make up the vanua of Nakelo came in large numbers to perform their traditional duties and tasks in a day of solemn ceremonies. Hundreds of women in black lined the roadside while guards in traditional costumes policed the village.
The village of Nauluvatu observed silence for more than seven hours before the burial ceremony.
The only sound came from clapping beside the yaqona bowl during ceremonies that involved the yaqona and kamunaga ceremony. Small children were kept indoors and no one was allowed to wander aimlessly around the village.
The periodic beat of the wooden lali signified that burial was near, The president of the Methodist Church, the Reverend Daniel Mastapha headed the church service and conducted the religious part of the burial ceremony.
Adi Litia, who reigned as Tui Nakelo for about 30 years, was survived by her only daughter, nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
She succeeded her brother, the late Ratu Luke Raiwalui.
