The people of Kanacea Island

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The island of Kanacea was initially given away to Tongan Prince Ma’afu at the time of tribal war by a late Tui Cakau Tuikilakila. Picture: SUPPLIED

Although the island of Kanacea was initially given away to Tongan Prince Ma’afu at the time of tribal war by a late Tui Cakau Tuikilakila, her people have continued to treasure the relationship with neighbouring islands such as Vanuabalavau in Lau.

Kanacea sits 15 kilometres west of Vanuabalavu and these islands are located behind Taveuni towards the Lau Group.

Her people now live in Kanacea Village, Vuna Taveuni.

Mataiasi Tucika, a village elder, said their relationship with the people of Vanuabalavu remained intact and most were familiar with their linkage even though they were relocated in the 1800s to Taveuni.

Kanacea Village elder Mataiasi Tucika explains their linkage to Vanuabalavu. Picture: SERAFINA SILAITOGA

“In fact, the vanua of Vuna in those days had its own traditional ruling government and Vanuabalavu came under our ruler-ship and was enlisted to Vuna,” he said.

“We had our own leaders and then in the early 1800s, Tuikilakila gave our island of Kanacea to Ma’afu, so we had to look for another place to live.

“Our elders then moved to Taveuni, and they named this village Kanacea, and then we came under the province and rule-ship of Cakaudrove so the traditional government of Vuna was abolished.”

Mr Tucika said the reason Tuikilakila gave Kanacea away was because he heard that the people of Kanacea supported the Tongans in the war against Cakaudrove.

“He got angry and he gave our island away to Ma’afu and when our elders shifted to Taveuni to come under Cakaudrove, Vanuabalavu also got listed under Cakaudrove Province as they were part of us.

“In those days, everyone knew and even we grew up being told by our elders that Vanuabalavu was always under Cakaudrove Province and not Lau.

“The change to Lau Province happened when Ma’afu took over the island and was made the first Tui Lau.

“Tuikilakila gave Vanuabalavu away to Lau because Ma’afu had initially owned Rabi Island and because Tuikilakila didn’t want Ma’afu near him as he stayed in Somosomo, he told Ma’afu to move to Kanacea.”

According to John Spurway’s book, Ma’afu Prince of Tonga, Chief of Fiji, the life and times of Fiji’s first Tui Lau, Ma’afu stated in his petitioner’s plea in 1849 during a voyage from Lakeba to Lomaloma in Vanuabalavu with Tuikilakila that he was offered the island of Vanuabalavu.

“En route, Ma’afu declared, Tuikilakila said to him, ‘I will give you all the islands between Lakeba and Taveuni,” the petition in the book stated.

Kanacea Village in Vuna, Taveuni. Picture: SERAFINA SILAITOGA

The same book also highlighted a conversation (after Tuikilakila’s death) between Raivalita, son of Tuikilakila who told a returnee from Vanuabalavu that his dad had given him the island but despite this, Golea had sold Vanuabalavu to a European settler, George Henry with the payment of guns and percussion caps.

The book also said: “The sale made at Henry’s suggestion took place at Wairiki (Taveuni) and Henry had reminded Golea of Ma’afu’s renunciation of all Tongan claims in Fiji.”

Tuikilakila was not a favourite in Vanuabalavu as another history book of Reverend James Calvert, The Journal of Religious History also said: “…the number of converts continued to increase at Lomaloma and among them were several young chiefs. All seemed earnest and zealous, but they looked forward with considerable misgiving to the approaching visit of Tuikilakila, the terrible King of Somosomo who had threatened to kill and eat of his subjects who should lotu.”

But despite all these historic events, Mr Tucika, 71, said whenever a Vanuabalavu villager sets foot in the vanua of Vuna, they were considered family.

“We tell them that this is their home and we will look after them. Names of people in Vanuabalavu are also here in Kanacea Village and that proves our history.”

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