{{Nobility of Fiji ''Roko'' is a title of chiefly rank, specifically from the

Lau Islands The Lau Islands (also called the Lau Group, the Eastern Group, the Eastern Archipelago) of Fiji are situated in the southern Pacific Ocean, just east of the Koro Sea. Of this chain of about sixty islands and islets, about thirty are inhabited. T ...

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 ...

. Its equivalent from the Kubuna Confederacy is the Bauan form of ''

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 ...

'' and '' Ro'' from parts of the Burebasaga Confederacy. This title was widely used among members of 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 up to the mid-19th century. Increasing inte marriage among the chiefly households 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. ...

and Bau, thereafter, saw the increasing use of ''Ratu'' and ''

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 ...

'' by members of the Vuanirewa dynasty. The current heir to the

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 ...

title,

Finau Mara Ratu Alifereti Finau Mara (1957 – 15 April 2020) was a Fijian lawyer, politician, and diplomat. He was best known as the eldest son of former Prime Minister and President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. Since December 2001, he held the official positio ...

, uses the Baun title ''Ratu'' instead of ''Roko''. This is true for all of his siblings apart from his younger brother Tevita Uluilakeba Mara, who is generally known as Roko Ului.

References

* ''Lau Islands'', Fiji, By Arthur Maurice Hocart, Published 1929, Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Ethnology, 241 pages, Original from the University of Michigan, no.62 1929, Digitized Feb 23, 2007. ''Page 150 has details on titles like Ratu and Roko and their use'' Fijian nobility Noble titles Titles of national or ethnic leadership Vuanirewa Lau Islands

See also

References