Kelera Ditaiki 
[Photo Credit: Fiji Museum]
The Veiqia Project team, in partnership with the Fiji Museum, is on a mission to revive traditional weaving practices that have been fading under modern influences.
Many Fijian women and young people today have missed the chance to learn weaving, a skill that carries ancestral knowledge, storytelling, and cultural identity.
Program organiser Joana Monolagi stresses that weaving is more than just a craft; it is a living narrative passed down through generations.
“Right, because of our research, that’s how we came across, we looked at the Likus here, from the different parts of Fiji, the different weaves, the young chiefly families, they’re very different from the everyday Fijian families. Yeah, theirs are more colourful and more intricate in the veiqia here, and for the rest of us, it’s just plain looking, but still telling that story, of when they first received their Veiqia.”
Monolagi says the project has uncovered a rich diversity of weaving styles across Fiji, each reflecting the social hierarchy within the traditional caste system.
Differences in patterns, colours, and knotting techniques all carry deep cultural meaning.
The program has brought together weavers from across the country, creating a space for women to exchange skills, dialects, and stories.
Participants are not only learning unique weaving techniques but also reconnecting with the heritage that shapes Fiji’s cultural tapestry.
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