Berthold Seemann in Government Mission to the Fijian Islands (1862) notes that the Tasman gave the name "Prince William 's Island".
The inhabitants (no written language) called it Viti, the Tongans referred to it as Fisi, and the name which became accepted as the group evolved from a bunch of independed islands and matanitu, and documented by the missionaries in their writings was "Feejee" or "Fiji", the indigenous inhabitants were Fijians and the Bauan language documented by the missionaries was commonly know also as "Fijian".
While this is interesting, it is somewhat beside the point. Languages evolve. No matter what its beginnings were, the term Fijian continued refer to the indigenous inhabitants of Fiji, from the time other races started to reside in Fiji until today. Therefore the name belongs to these People.
To try to hijack it for some other meaning or purpose is theft from the People who own it. The Regime under Chaudhry and Samy has also tried to hijack and destroy every other support group in the Fijian culture. This includes the GCC, the Provincial Councils, FHL, the chiefly system, etc. These represent a threat to diasporics like Samy and Chaudhry because they give the indigenous people something that the immigrants to not have, and that is intolerable to them. Their idea is to destroy all cultural aspects of the indigenous people and them move in with their expertise in scamming, cheating, and lying to take over the economy and the nation. It us called "Let the better man win" and is justified in religion and culture by the Hindu caste system.
It is obvious why a diaspora would seek to do this, but it is an aggressive, negative reason, the purpose being to destroy something that your perceived competition has and you do not have.
For the John Samy's of the World there are ethnic identifiers, Fijian, Indian, Chinese, Part-European, etc. which have evolved over the years since foreigners started to arrive in Fiji.
Contitutionally the common name for all Fiji Citizens is "Fiji Islander". These can be used without offending anyone and in any case were agreed to by most folks, Indian and Fijian, when the 97 Constitution came in. Of course John Samy had run away by then and was busy spreading his ilk and seed in Manila. What John Samy is trying to do is implement a diaspora, and rob a People of a name that was given to them and they have accepted. The motives are obviously sinester. If John longs to be Fijian, why did he give up his work in Fiji and his citizenship. For the almighty $? Whatever, he has no claim whatsoever to the name "Fijian" now in any sense of the word and what is his business suggesting that the name should be taken from the Fijians? Perhaps if he divorces his wives and marries a Fijian he can become known as a "Vasu", but who would have the runt?
The inhabitants (no written language) called it Viti, the Tongans referred to it as Fisi, and the name which became accepted as the group evolved from a bunch of independed islands and matanitu, and documented by the missionaries in their writings was "Feejee" or "Fiji", the indigenous inhabitants were Fijians and the Bauan language documented by the missionaries was commonly know also as "Fijian".
While this is interesting, it is somewhat beside the point. Languages evolve. No matter what its beginnings were, the term Fijian continued refer to the indigenous inhabitants of Fiji, from the time other races started to reside in Fiji until today. Therefore the name belongs to these People.
To try to hijack it for some other meaning or purpose is theft from the People who own it. The Regime under Chaudhry and Samy has also tried to hijack and destroy every other support group in the Fijian culture. This includes the GCC, the Provincial Councils, FHL, the chiefly system, etc. These represent a threat to diasporics like Samy and Chaudhry because they give the indigenous people something that the immigrants to not have, and that is intolerable to them. Their idea is to destroy all cultural aspects of the indigenous people and them move in with their expertise in scamming, cheating, and lying to take over the economy and the nation. It us called "Let the better man win" and is justified in religion and culture by the Hindu caste system.
It is obvious why a diaspora would seek to do this, but it is an aggressive, negative reason, the purpose being to destroy something that your perceived competition has and you do not have.
For the John Samy's of the World there are ethnic identifiers, Fijian, Indian, Chinese, Part-European, etc. which have evolved over the years since foreigners started to arrive in Fiji.
Contitutionally the common name for all Fiji Citizens is "Fiji Islander". These can be used without offending anyone and in any case were agreed to by most folks, Indian and Fijian, when the 97 Constitution came in. Of course John Samy had run away by then and was busy spreading his ilk and seed in Manila. What John Samy is trying to do is implement a diaspora, and rob a People of a name that was given to them and they have accepted. The motives are obviously sinester. If John longs to be Fijian, why did he give up his work in Fiji and his citizenship. For the almighty $? Whatever, he has no claim whatsoever to the name "Fijian" now in any sense of the word and what is his business suggesting that the name should be taken from the Fijians? Perhaps if he divorces his wives and marries a Fijian he can become known as a "Vasu", but who would have the runt?
