The Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, in partnership with the Department of Heritage, is encouraging iTaukei students to take part in the first round of cultural enhancement programs in schools.
ITaukei Affairs permanent secretary Savenaca Kaunisela said the iTaukei Institute of Language and Culture (TILC) is undertaking the cultural enhancement and urban cultural revitalization programme, which focuses on promoting iTaukei culture to urban youths.
This programme, which was drawn from the combined experiences and observations of the Cultural Mapping Program, was introduced to the John Wesley College in Raiwaqa this afternoon.
Mr Kaunisela said the cultural mapping programme documents the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the iTaukei community from its traditional home base (the village) and its custodians (elders and chiefs).
Mr Kaunisela said while the study of vernacular is mandatory at schools, there is still a great need to educate iTaukei students in the urban schools of their cultural ways and behaviors.
“In the process of the cultural mapping programme, gaps and potential erosion of intangible cultural heritage emerge and programs are facilitated by the TILC to revitalize these with the elders and chiefs,” Mr Kaunisela said.
“The approach undertaken was designed for a mass audience to complement the classroom based activities rendered through the vernacular curriculum. While the curriculum’s main approach is through the “think, analyze, change” paradigm, the approach implemented at John Wesley College took the “see, feel, change” paradigm because it integrated psychology and indigenous approaches that the young iTaukei population can positively respond to.”
Students at John Wesley College revisited their intangible cultural heritage by way of oral narratives, traditional ceremony oration and presentation, and the potential for revitalizing one’s cultural heritage through modern folksong or serenivanua compositions and performances.
Mr Kaunisela added that the ministry implemented strategies to initiate a publication programme that included work in the final stages of editing, including books on legends, local history, traditional medicine, translation techniques, and translations from English to valuable historical material.
“These will allow our younger generation to learn more of their culture and their ability to relate to through this production. From initial observations and comments from teachers at John Wesley College, the change in students’ outlook and behaviour have been encouraging and teachers attributed this to the initial positive impact from students’ cultural awakening,” Mr Kaunisela said.
Meanwhile, numerous cultural revitalization exercises were carried out in clans in Ra, Tailevu and Rewa provinces.