The Vola ni Kawa Bula, commonly known as the VKB, is the official
Fijian register of native landowners. It is known in English as the Native Land Register. By law, all
indigenous Fijians
Fijians ( fj, iTaukei, lit=Owners (of the land)) are a nation and ethnic group native to Fiji, who speak Fijian and share a common history and culture.
Fijians, or ''iTaukei'', are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in ...
who are now to be known as
iTaukei
Fijians ( fj, iTaukei, lit=Owners (of the land)) are a nation and ethnic group native to Fiji, who speak Fijian and share a common history and culture.
Fijians, or ''iTaukei'', are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in ...
are entitled to be enrolled as members of the VKB, which is in the charge of the
Native Lands Commission. Some 87 percent of Fiji's land is classified as iTaukei land, owned communally by the members of the VKB and administered by a statutory body known as the iTaukei Land Trust Board.
[iTaukei Land Trust Board Website, Homepage - Corporate Information, http://www.tltb.com.fj/] Most
squatting in Fiji
Squatting in Fiji is defined as being "a resident of a dwelling which is illegal according to planning by-laws regardless of whether the landowner has given consent". As of 2018, an estimated 20% of the total population was squatting, including p ...
tends to be on state land although tribal lands have come to be occupied as well.
On 22 November 2005, the Native Lands Commission expressed concern that parental negligence or ignorance had resulted in an estimated 20,000 indigenous Fijians not being enrolled in the VKB. Many parents wrongly assumed, they said, that a
birth certificate
A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the birth of a person. The term "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document certifying the circumstances of the birth or to a certified copy of or representation of the ensui ...
automatically registered every child in the VKB. Consequently, it was announced that a system of automatic registration might be introduced.
See also
*
Culture of Fiji
The culture of Fiji is a tapestry of native Fijian, Indian, European, Chinese, and other nationalities. Culture polity traditions, language, food costume, belief system, architecture, arts, craft, music, dance, and sports will be discussed in ...
References
Society of Fiji
{{Fiji-stub