The Ministry of iTaukei Affairs in its effort to safeguard and promote the iTaukei language and culture is into its third month of carrying out Cultural Mapping in the province of Naitasiri.
The programme which started in 2004 is aimed at establishing a National Inventory on iTaukei Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Culture.
It includes research, documentation and storage of both tangible and intangible iTaukei Cultural Heritage.
The programme is managed by the iTaukei Institute of Language & Culture, that is mandated to ensure safeguarding and promotion of iTaukei language and culture.
It is also a resource centre that is widely used by both local and international researchers in the area of iTaukei anthropology, ethno history, language, culture and iTaukei artistic expressions.
The programme has been carried out previously in seven provinces that include Namosi, Serua, Rewa, Tailevu, Lomaiviti, Ra and Bua.
According to the permanent secretary of of the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs Mr Savenaca Kaunisela, there has been a lot of interest in the program as it is a first of its kind in the Asia Pacific region.
He added that the research methodology developed have proved to successfully capture iTaukei Intangible Cultural Heritage, something which has never been done before.
In addition the software that only received commands in the iTaukei language was developed to specifically store and access data collected from iTaukei villages.
Today a team is conducting a workshop on the issue with village headman from the province at the Vunidawa Government Station.
Aporosa Vorati, who is the head of the Yavusa Muaisolia in Waidracia, Naitasiri and a participant of today’s workshop, commended the initiative by the iTaukei Affairs.
“I am glad the iTaukei Affairs came up with this initiative because our parents and forefathers who used to teach us about our culture and tradition are no longer with us, so there is a need for such workshops to be conducted in iTaukei villages in Fiji and then documented for future generations,” Mr Vorati said.
iTaukei media liaison officer Setoki Qalubau explained in detail about the Vunidawa workshop.
“The workshop today here at Vunidawa is basically targeting iTaukei language and cultural expression. Since the transmission of knowledge and cultural expression is transmitted orally or verbally. And the ministry is for the first time ever to engage staff to document iTaukei traditional knowledge and expressions of culture,” Mr Qalubau said.
Mr Qalubau said the response so far from the turaga ni koro in provinces already visited by the team from iTaukei Affairs is quite encouraging.
“Well the response is encouraging. It’s like a reawakening of iTaukei’s on the importance and the significance of their culture. Their language is something they have taken for granted in the past years and for the first time they’ve realized the importance of safeguarding their culture and heritage,” he said.
The Ministry has in the past assisted other Pacific Island neighbors such as Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Cook Islands and Palau.
This is due to the ministry’s breakthrough in the research and documentation of iTaukei Intangible Cultural Heritage and the use of modern technology for data analysis and storage.
An officer from the Papua New Guinea Cultural Commission was seconded to the ministry for a month in 2010 which has resulted in the establishment of PNG Cultural Mapping program early this year.
The program is part of the ministry’s commitment to Socio-Cultural Development of iTaukei’s which is one of the four major intended outcome of Government in satisfying provisions of the Peoples Charter for Change, Peace and Progress.