This presentation is dedicated to our forefathers and relatives who have gone before us and it is our prayers that one day we will all meet again.

Happy Reunion and God Blessgone before us and it is our prayers that one day we will all meet again.

Happy Reunion and God Bless

And Melanesian Roots: Fiji

…then, to Fiji!

Saint Peter Chanel was martyred on the Island of Futuna in 1841. • Some of his conspirators later became strong

followers of the Catholic faith. One of these men was SULIANO TEUKE who was

from the village of Lavegahau on the Island of Wallis (Uea).• Suliano and his brother volunteered to

accompany Bishop Vidal as missionaries to the Fiji Islands.

The BUATAVA and YAVALA families of Lomanikoro, Rewa; the KAVENI and TUKANA families of Nasilai, Rewa; are direct descendents of Suliano Teuke.

In Fiji, Suliano lived in Lomanikoro, Rewa. The ROKO TUI DREKETI heard about a ‘Wallisian’ in his village. He summoned Suliano, gave him land for a house, and made him a helper in his home. Some Tongans were also living at the village of Nasigatoka at the time.

Suliano married a Lomanikoro woman, presumably BUATAVA whose residence (yavu) was “Marakinakula”, and had 2 sons, SEVARO and WALUSIO. • WALUSIO married MELANIA from Lomanikoro, mataqali Nasimiti,

yavusa Sauturaga, and had 2 sons BATITA and WALUSIO Jnr who died young.

• SEVARO married ELA from Nasilai, mataqali Daunakelo, yavusa Vulagi and moved from Lomanikoro to Nasilai.

Sevaro and Ela stayed in Nasilai village until the Roko Tui Dreketi summoned them to Lomanikoro permanently. They belong to the family known as Qase Vale Levu, mataqali Naivikivai, yavusa Burenivalu, tokatoka Bure o Rewa. Their traditional role is heralds of the Roko Tui Dreketi with traditonal links to other villages around Fiji. Their plant is the famous misimisi. Their children were ABARAMO, SISILIA and RESINA

ABARAMO married ELA VOSA from Nasilai, and her father was Mateo Baraiwai from the vale o Nakuna, mataqali Vuaniboro, yavusa Vulagi, while her mother was Makarina daughter of a Catechist from Nakaseleka Kadavu. • They had 5 sons: MILIKADE, TUIMATEO,

SEVARO, WALUSIO, JOE KINGDOM; and 2 daughters: JOSIVINI and MAKERETA.

We are the grand-children, great grandchildren, and great, great grand-children of Abaramo and

Ela Vosa.

Abaramo and his family settled in Lomanikoro and their household names or yavu were Beqa, Marakinakula and Waya.

He was a self-sufficient, skillful, very religious and well respected. His plantations included Naselesele, Navukica and Naikorokoro.

He was also a great masseur, widely known for healing all sorts of sicknesses in Lomanikoro and surrounding villages.

His strong faith in Christianity has been passed down to all his all his children.

• One of his grandsons became a priest, Father Vitori Buatava (ordained ‘83 and deceased on 27/07/1997);

• His yaca (namesake) Abaramo is a talatala (pastor) in the Assembly of God faith.

Tukaqu Abaramo

Bu Ela

Nau MiliNau Tui

Nau Joe

Nei Ma

Nau Walusio

Nau Sevaro

Lorosio MakeretaKarolina

Milikade Maria Bai

Maika Siteri

TuimateoTabua

AbaramoJosivini Milikade

Batita Lora Paulina Salome Rosalia

Sevaro Maria

Abraham

Isaac

Ioane Batita

Linda

PatrickRosalia

Vernon

Vernon Snr

Maria Johnson

Salome

Sevaro Johnson

Avisake

Teuke Family

Walusio Avisake

Sevaro Walusio Maria Lavenia Manoa Kelera

Fr Vitori

VitoriJessica

Amelia

Christine

Lepani Ilisoni JnrIlisoni

Makereta Baraki

PatemoTaniela Abaramo

Sireli

Joe Sekove

Diana

Emele

Mary

AbaramoVoreqeTuimateo

Sevaro

Diana

Ela Ana

Milikade

Joe