Ratu ''Ratu'' () is an Austronesian title used by male Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, ''adi'' (pronounced ), is used by females of chiefly rank. In the Malay language, the title ''ratu'' is also the traditional honorific title to r ...

'' Jione Atonio Rabici "Tom" Doviverata (1906 – November 1971) was a Bau chief and

medical doctor A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the study, diagnosis, prognosis ...

and administrator in colonial

Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

Heritage and family

''Ratu Dovi,'' as he is better known, was a scion of the

Tui Kaba Tui or TUI may refer to: Places * Tui, Pontevedra, Spain * Tui, Iran, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Tui, North Khorasan, North Khorasan Province, Iran * Tui Province, Burkina Faso * Tui railway station, New Zealand Computing * Tangible use ...

, the powerful ruling clan of the

Vanua __NOTOC__ The word ''banua'' or ''vanua'' (the latter from Fijian, as well as various languages of Melanesia, see below) – meaning "land," "home," or "village" – occurs in several Austronesian languages. It derives from the Proto-Austronesia ...

of Bau in Fiji's

Tailevu Tailevu is one of the 14 provinces of Fiji. Its main town is Nausori, which lies along the banks of the Rewa River. Overview One of the eight provinces based in Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island, Tailevu's 755 square kilometers occupy the sout ...

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

. He was the youngest child of Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi, an early colonial administrator who served as Roko Tui Ra and later as Roko Tui Tailevu. Dovi's mother,

Adi Adi or ADI may refer to: Abbreviations * Acceptable daily intake, in health and medicine * Acting detective inspector, a type of police inspector * Africa Development Indicators, a compilation of data assembled by the World Bank * Alternating ...

Litiana Maopa hailed from the chiefly

Vuanirewa Origins The members of this clan all hail from the village of Tubou on the island of Lakeba and from their original roots in Nayau. The Lakeba faction are the descendants of Kalouyalewa whom now form four noble households that make up the trib ...

clan of

Lakeba Lakeba (pronounced ) is an island in Fiji’s Southern Lau Islands, Lau Archipelago; the provincial capital of Lau is located here. The island is the List of islands of Fiji, tenth largest in Fiji, with a land area of nearly 60 square kilometers. ...

; she was the eldest child of Roko Tevita Vakacere Uluilakeba

Tui Nayau ''Tu’i Nayau'' is the title held by the paramount chief of the Lau Islands in Fiji and is synonymous with the title holders over lordship of these islands. When translated, ''Tu’i Nayau'' means "Lord of Nayau", an island north of Lakeba, the l ...

suzerain A suzerain (, from Old French "above" + "supreme, chief") is a person, state (polity)">state or polity who has supremacy and dominant influence over the foreign policy and economic relations of another subordinate party or polity, but allows i ...

of the Lau

. Her mother, also of the

was

Asenaca Kakua the eldest daughter of Ratu Seru Cakobau the

Vunivalu of Bau ''Turaga na Vunivalu na Tui Kaba'', shortened as ''Vunivalu'', is the Paramount Chief of the Kubuna Confederacy of the island of Bau in Fiji. Loosely translated the title means ''Warlord of Bau'' or "Root of War". The succession to the title ...

who ceded the islands to the United Kingdom in 1874. Dovi's eldest brother

Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna ''Ratu'' Sir Josefa Lalabalavu Vanayaliyali Sukuna (22 April 1888 – 30 May 1958) was a Fijian chief, scholar, soldier, and statesman. He is regarded as the forerunner of the post-independence leadership of Fiji. Lineage Sukuna was born ...

was an elder statesman and held the paramount title of

Tui Lau ''Tui Lau'' is a Fijian chiefly title of recent history which was created by the Vuanirewa Clan of Lakeba with the endorsement of Tui Nayau during the time of Ma'afu and his conquests. A Brief History Ma'afu was disclaimed as a Tongan Prince b ...

. ''Ratu Sukuna'' was the first Fijian to obtain a university qualification. He read law at Oxford, attained an LLB and was admitted as a Barrister (

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...

) in the High Court of England. He served in the

Legislative Council A legislative council is the legislature, or one of the legislative chambers, of a nation, colony, or subnational division such as a province or state. It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the Brit ...

as a member and later as Speaker. He is best remembered for his work as Secretary for Native Affairs (Talai-ni-Kovana) and Chairmanship of the Native Lands Commission; his accomplishments include the passing of the ''Native Lands Ordinance'' and establishment of the Native Land Trust Board. His eldest sister

Kacaraini Loaloakubou, was the mother of former

Lord Mayor Lord mayor is a title of a mayor of what is usually a major city in a Commonwealth realm, with special recognition bestowed by the sovereign. However, the title or an equivalent is present in other countries, including forms such as "high mayor". A ...

Suva Suva (, ) is the Capital city, capital and the most populous city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rew ...

Meli Vakarewakobau. His next eldest sister

Asenaca Teimumu Kuini Vuikaba was the first Fijian to graduate as a fully qualified nurse. She married the ''Tui Noikoro'' a high chief of the Navosa district of Nadroga

. Her granddaughter and namesake Adi Kuini Vuikaba Speed was briefly Deputy Prime Minister in the People's Coalition Government of Mahendra Chaudry. His other older siblings were

Tiale Wimbledon Thomas Vuiyasawa and

Salote Mokoiwaqa. After Dovi was conceived, the Roko Tui Bau at the time, approached his parents with an unusual request. He presented a ''

tabua A tabua () is a polished tooth of a sperm whale that is an important cultural item in Fijian society. They were traditionally given as gifts for atonement or esteem (called ''sevusevu''), and were important in negotiations between rival chiefs. ...

'' or

sperm whale The sperm whale or cachalot (''Physeter macrocephalus'') is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the Genus (biology), genus ''Physeter'' and one of three extant species in the s ...

's tooth as was customary with traditional ceremonies of Fiji and asked that the unborn child become heir to his title upon his death. Presumably Dovi's older siblings would be in the line of succession for the superior title of

. The old chief's request was granted and so when he completed his education and returned to Fiji, he was installed by the Vusaratu chiefs (

Roko Tui Viwa Roko may refer to: * Roko (given name), a Croatian masculine name * Roko, a surname: ** Amy Roko, the stage name of a Saudi Arabian comedian ** Nasoni Roko, a Fijian rugby union player * Roko (title), a title of chiefly rank used in Fiji, includin ...

Roko Tui Kiuva Roko may refer to: * Roko (given name), a Croatian masculine name * Roko, a surname: ** Amy Roko, the stage name of a Saudi Arabian comedian ** Nasoni Roko, a Fijian rugby union player * Roko (title), a title of chiefly rank used in Fiji, includin ...

, Roko Tui Cautata) in a ceremony witnessed by Ratu Popi Seniloli (at the time

Roko Tui Namata The ''Roko Tui Namata'' is the title of the Paramount Chief of the Namata district in Fiji's Tailevu Province. The chiefly family of Namata is closely related to that of Bau, with frequent intermarriage between them. ''Adi'' Viniana Gavoka, ...

, Roko Tui Veikau in a simple yaqona ceremony in the ''Vatanitawake''. Dovi, as most chiefs, had a dynastic marriage partner chosen for him by his elders. He spurned that choice and married

Losalini Raravuya Uluiviti, a lady of rank from

Nairai Nairai is an island of Fiji belonging to the Lomaiviti Archipelago. The island is of volcanic origin and has a land area of about 30 square kilometers. To the west of the island is Batiki, and to the south-west is Gau. Its population of more th ...

, in Fiji's Lomaiviti province. She was one of the first women to become a member of Fiji's

and subsequently a Member of Parliament. They had four children: Ratu Joni Maenabua Tuimacilai Madraiwiwi,

Timoci Taniela Taliai Tavanavanua,

Litiana Maopa,

Viviana Valotu Sofi Veisaca. Dovi's eldest child, however, was a daughter,

Monika Tuikilakila whose mother was a lady of rank from the island of

Kadavu Kadavu may refer to: * Kadavu Island, the fourth largest island in Fiji * Kadavu Group, an archipelago in Fiji including Kadavu Island * Kadavu Province, a province of Fiji including Kadavu Group * Kadavu Airport or Vunisea Airport, an airport on K ...

. His eldest son succeeded him as Roko Tui Bau (title) and is a former

Vice-President of Fiji The position of the vice-president of the Republic of Fiji was created in 1990, to provide a constitutional successor to the president of Fiji, in the event of the latter's death or resignation, or of his otherwise being unable to carry out his ...

, prominent lawyer and former High Court Judge.

Education and career

Like all his older siblings, he was educated by an English tutor engaged by his father at home. At the time this was the residence of the provincial administrator or ''Roko Tui'' in the

of Ra. When the tutor indicated he was ready, he was sent off to boarding school at the Wanganui Boys' College in New Zealand. After attaining university entrance, he attended Otago University and studied medicine. After completing matriculation, he became the first fully qualified Fijian medical doctor, much as his brother was first university graduate/lawyer and his sister was the first nurse. Their father was the first Fijian provincial administrator or ''Roko Tui'' and had to struggle to educate himself and had always stressed to his children the importance and value of a western education. He died in November 1971.Ratu Dr. J. A. R. Dovi
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', December 1971, p112

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Doviverata, Jione Atonio Rabici Fijian chiefs Tui Kaba Vuanirewa 1906 births 1971 deaths Officers of the Order of the British Empire University of Otago alumni