Sainiani Boila 
[File Photo]
The iTaukei community is confronting a profound identity crisis that threatens the very fabric of their culture and traditions, Opposition MP Semi Koroilavesau warned in parliament.
Speaking passionately in parliament, Koroilavesau highlighted the growing disconnection among i-Taukei from their ancestral roles, social structures, and cultural heritage.
This alienation from traditional systems, Koroilavesau explained, has resulted from a combination of colonial-era legal reforms, modernization, and socio-economic pressures.
“For too many of our people, especially the youth living in urban centres, there is a loss of knowledge of their Mataqali, their traditional kinship groups and confusion about their roles within those groups.”
Koroilavesau stressed that this crisis is not only economic but existential.
Yet, Koroilavesau struck a hopeful note, urging the i-Taukei to reclaim their cultural mapping and called for renewed efforts to teach and celebrate traditional roles, protocols, and stories, essential elements in rebuilding community cohesion and pride.
He calls for a holistic approach as Fiji continues to grapple with balancing cultural preservation and economic development amid the pressures of globalization and urban migration.
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