The ''Roko Tui Dreketi'' is the title of the Paramount Chief of

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 ...

's Rewa Province and of the Burebasaga Confederacy, to which Rewa belongs.

Details on the title

This title is considered the second most senior in Fiji's

House of Chiefs A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air ...

. The dynasty holding the title is the Tuisawau family. Unlike many other chiefly titles, this one is not reserved for males, as it had become a common occurrence among many other parts of Fiji.

Recent history

The present ''Roko Tui Dreketi'' is Ro Teimumu Vuikaba Tuisawau-Kepa, who was the Minister for Education in the Qarase government. She succeeded her late sister Ro Lady Lala Mara, Fiji's former First Lady, in 2004.

Title holders

* ''Note that the table below contains incomplete information. The period from 1839 through 1845 was a time of conflicting claims to the title.'' {, table width="80%" border="1" align="center" cellpadding=3 cellspacing=0 style="margin:5px; border:3px solid;" , td width="5%" style="border-bottom:3px solid; background:#efefef;", Order, , td width="40%" style="border-bottom:3px solid; background:#efefef;", Roko Tui Dreketi, , td width="20%" style="border-bottom:3px solid; background:#efefef;", Reigned, , td width="35%" style="border-bottom:3px solid; background:#efefef;", Lived , - , 1., , Ro Rawalai, , , , , - , 2., , Roko Tabaivalu, , 1825 - 1839, , ? - 1839 , - , 3., , Ro Koroitamana, , 1839, , ? - 1839 , - , 4., , Ro Bativuaka, , 1839, , ? - 1839 , - , 5., , Ro Macanavai, , 1839, , ? - 1839 , - , 6., , Ro Cokanauto, , 1839 - 1841, , 1810 - 1851 , - , 7., , Ro Qaraniqio, , 1839 - 1840, , ? - 26 January 1855 , - , 8., , Ro Banuve, , 1839 - 1845, , ? - December 1845 , - , ., , Ro Cokanauto, , 1845 - 1851, , (s.a.) , - , ., , Ro Qaraniqio, , 1851 - 1855, , (s.a.) , - , 9., , Ro B.V. Rabici, , - 1915, , , - , 12., , Ratu Lutunauga Tuisawau, , - 1917, , , - , 13., , Ro Emori Bikavanua Logavatu, , 1885–1892, , , - , 14., ,

George Tuisawau '' Ratu'' George Cokanauto Tuisawau (18 August 1901 – 14 September 1961) was a Fijian chief and politician. He was '' Roko Tui'' of Rewa from 1936 until 1961, and spent two decades as a member of the Legislative Council. Biography Tuisawau ...

, , 1936 - 1961, , 1901 - 1961 , - , 15., , Lala Mara, , 1957 - 2004, , 3 January 1931 - 20 July 2004 , - , 15., , Ro Teimumu Vuikaba Tuisawau Kepa, , 2004–present, , b. 1945

References

*Elites: Choice, Leadership and succession, Chapter 6 Making the Chief – Page 116, By Antonia Pedroso de Lima, Joao de Pina-Cabral, Published first in 2000 by Berg Editorial Offices, Oxford, U.K 1. Ro Rawalai 2. Ro banuve Bativuaka Lutunauga

External links

Roko Tui Dreketi
Roko Tui Dreketi