Te Arikinui Kuini Ngawai hono i te po has travelled to Lakeba, an outer island in Fiji, to attend the installation of Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara as Tui Nayau, a paramount chiefly title that holds authority over the Lau Islands.
Tui Nayau is the title of the highest-ranking chief in the Lau group. It means “Lord of Nayau,” referencing Nayau Island, just north of Lakeba.
The role had been vacant since the death of Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, Fiji’s founding Prime Minister and father of the newly installed chief. This investiture marks a significant revival of traditional leadership in the region.
Rahui Papa, part of Te Arikinui’s delegation, says her presence honours decades of indigenous solidarity. Standing alongside royals from Tonga and across the Pacific, he says, Te Arikinui affirms deep, enduring whakapapa ties that span Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.
“This sacred gathering reminds us that Pacific unity, built on relationships that transcend borders and generations, offers our greatest hope for a resilient future.”
“E taratū ana te kaupapa whakawahi i te ariki rangatira ko te moutere o Lau i Whītī. He iaia moana e hono nei i a tātou, he karekare tai e tuitui nei i a tātou. Karanga te rā ōhākī a ngā mātā tūpuna o te pō, nau mai te awatea.”
Hononga e kore e motu
On Wednesday, Te Arikinui was formally welcomed by Parliament officials in Suva, in a ceremony attended by political leaders and traditional chiefs. Gifts were exchanged, and moments of shared history remembered.
Rahui Papa spoke of the longstanding connections between Kīngitanga and the leaders of Fiji. Some of whom would regularly visit Turangawaewae.
“And we remember well. Playing host to great leaders of Fiji like Ratu Kamisese Mara and Adi Lala, as they came to Tūrangawaewae on many occasions. We remember the South Pacific Forum as it was started back in those days. And in 1972, when the South Pacific Arts Festival had its genesis here in Fiji.”
“The theme of that hui, the theme of that gathering was to preserve our tribal connections and to preserve our tribal traditions, which is very, very similar, 53 years on,” he said.
The installation on Lakeba included traditional rites, dawn ceremonies, sacred kava offerings, and the wrapping of chiefly masi before Ratu Tevita was formally recognised as Tui Nayau.
