Who founded Rotuma?
The most prominent creation myth speaks of Raho, a Samoan prince who, shamed by his family, sought a new home with his daughters. He travelled across the Pacific in his canoe, and when he came to a spot with two protruding rocks, poured baskets of sand from Samoa over the rocks, forming the islands of Rotuma.
What ethnicity is Rotuman?
Rotumans are Polynesians with a distinct Polynesian language within the more Melanesian Fiji. Rotuma is a small island with few development prospects and is dependent on agriculture.
Why is Rotuma part of Fiji?
It is a volcanic island of approximately 43 km², with a few, much smaller, surrounding islands. The island has been politically part of Fiji since 1881. Because of their Polynesian appearance and distinctive language, Rotumans now constitute a recognizable minority group within Fiji.
Who are the Rotumans?
The island group is home to a large and unique indigenous ethnic group which constitutes a recognisable minority within the population of Fiji, known as “Rotumans”. Its population at the 2017 census was 1,594, although many more Rotumans live on mainland Fijian islands, totaling 10,000.
How do you say hello in Rotuman?
Noa’ia! (Hello in Rotuman) Rotuman night.
What is the nationality of Fiji?
The population consists of two principal ethnic groups: the indigenous Melanesian population or those of mixed Melanesian-Polynesian origin (subsequently referred to as indigenous Fijians), who now constitute a majority of the population (475,739, 56.8 per cent), and the Indo-Fijian (commonly referred to as Indian) …
What language is spoken in Rotuma?
Rotuman, also referred to as Rotunan, Rutuman or Fäeag Rotųam, is an Austronesian language spoken by the indigenous people of the South Pacific island group of Rotuma, an island with a Polynesian-influenced culture that was incorporated as a dependency into the Colony of Fiji in 1881.
Is Fijian Indian?
Indigenous Fijians make up more than half the population; about another two-fifths are people of Indian descent, most of whom are descendants of indentured labourers brought to work in the sugar industry.
Is Polynesia a country?
French Polynesia (Polynésie française) is a set of islands that is an overseas country attached to France. Located in the South Pacific Ocean, it is halfway between California and Australia. Tahiti and its islands cover four million square kilometers of ocean which is the same area as the European Union.
What does Hanisi mean in Rotuman?
proper. rtm To love someone, Tommy Hanua.
Does Rotuma have a flag?
A part-Rotuman man named Henry Gibson announced to the New Zealand newspapers that he had declared the independence of Rotuma from Fiji. Gibson proclaimed himself the King of Rotuma and gained a popular following on the island….
| Republic of Rotuma | |
|---|---|
| Flag | |
| Common languages | Rotuman |
| King | |
| • 1987-1988 | Henry Gibson |
Did Fiji have African slaves?
Never in the history of Fiji have blacks, who proudly claim their African ancestry, did they serve as slave to anyone, not even the British colonizers. In fact, I was told, the colonization of Fiji was based upon an agreement between the Fijian chiefs and Britain.
Where did the people of Rotuma come from?
According to Rotuman oral history the islands’ first inhabitants came from Samoa, led by a man named Raho. Shortly thereafter, additional settlers arrived from Tonga.
Where are the Rotuman people located in Fiji?
Although Rotuma has been politically associated with Fiji since 1881, when the chiefs ceded the island to Great Britain, the Rotuman people are unique, forming a distinctive enclave within the Republic. Location. Rotuma is located at 12 ° 30 ′ S and 177 ° 40 ′ E.
How old do you have to be to have a Rotuma website?
This section of the Rotuma Website is for young people, up to the age of 18, to express themselves through writing and artwork. It is a place to post opinions, essays, poems, (in either English or Rotuman), copies of artwork (in digitalized form), and other suitable creative productions that relate to one’s Rotuman heritage.
Who was the first whaler to visit Rotuma?
The first recorded whaler to visit was the Loper in 1825. The last known whaling visit was by the Charles W. Morgan in 1894. Rotuma was visited as part of the United States Exploring Expedition in 1840. Wesleyan teachers from Tonga arrived on Rotuma in June 1841, followed by Catholic Marists in 1847.