UniFiji marks World Indigenous Day with focus on protecting isolated indigenous peoples

The University of Fiji celebrated the United Nations-designated World Indigenous Day at its Saweni Campus with students, staff and guests participating in the day-long event organized by the Centre for iTaukei Studies on behalf of the University.

The event featured panel discussions, dance items from the students and sporting activities.

University of Fiji Vice Chancellor Professor Shaista Shameem says the theme for this year is the protection of self-isolating and first-contact peoples who had chosen to live in their communities without necessarily wanting to be in contact with others.

She says the University was founded by the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji and it is a secular institution where everyone’s race, religion, belief and opinion are respected as part of the right to equality.

Professor Shameem says the rights of self-isolating indigenous peoples were to be respected by the State as it had duties and obligations towards all the diverse people in its territory.

Professor Shameem encouraged the University’s Centre for Itaukei Studies to consider researching whether there are indigenous communities in Fiji that are in voluntary isolation and wish to remain to protect their culture and identity including linguistic identity.

She also encouraged staff and students present to engage with each other openly on proposed reforms of the Constitution of Fiji, as was evident in media reports.

The Vice-Chancellor further says the cornerstone of the Constitution of Fiji, from 1970 until 2013 was the right to equality and the duty and obligation of the State to defend and protect it.

She says to use the Drua analogy of the University, we all fetched up in Fiji on one drua or another some first, others later and now we need to accommodate each other and everyone.

She adds to make it done successfully is through sensitivity, honest communication, compassion and recognition that good faith cannot be taken for granted when it comes to the rights and responsibilities of First Nation people as well as everyone else.