Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has stressed in parliament that iTaukei culture and language is well promoted and protected under his government despite SODELPA’s Niko Nawaikula’s claims that it is not.
Bainimarama highlighted this when Parliament was debating on the ‘Consolidated Review Report on iTaukei Trust Fund Board 2013 and 2016 Annual Reports’, where Nawaikula claimed that when government terminated the Great Council Chiefs, they breached the rights of the first people or the iTaukei.
Nawaikula says that was the biggest mistake by government and he also questioned how the Prime Minister became the Chairman of the Native Land Trust Board.
He says most of the indigenous culture is oral and will die with the older iTaukei people that are alive.
Nawaikula says universities should introduce subjects of studies in the iTaukei culture.
The Prime Minister says that Nawaikula is wasting his time talking about all this and needs to go back to his village and learn about the iTaukei culture.
The Prime Minister says that Nawaikula should be aware that a former Minister that is sitting in the Opposition was also the Chairman of the Native Land Trust Board.
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