Our Nat Geo
leaders, Lisa and Brett, gave us a very helpful “Village Etiquette 101” talk
before leaving for the village, so we would know what to expect. Villages still
operate under a chiefdom system, which means that in order to enter a village
you must present yourself and be approved by the chief. Upon arrival, visitors
are greeted by the entire village, a “meke”, or traditional Fijian dance is
performed, introductions are made, and kava is served. When accepting your half
shell of kava, you clap once, drink it all in one gulp, then clap three times. Men
and women must wear sulus, which are similar to sarongs tied around the waist.
The women in the village have to wear them at all times, but the men only have
to wear them for ceremonies. The village has been preparing for our arrival for
months, as we are the first westerners to stay with them.
We got to Natokalau at
night in the pouring rain. The villagers were immediately welcoming, and helped
us with our bags. It was easy to tell they were excited to have us there. We
all sat under a shed for the ceremony. (This shed would be used for meals and
other gatherings, as it was the biggest are to accommodate a large group) Some
teenaged village boys performed a highly entertaining dance, and small children
performed as well. Everyone in our group was presented with a handmade flower
necklace, pretty much a Fijian lei. A sweet girl named Janet shook my hand and
put mine on. We all introduced ourselves, drank kava, then ate a huge feast
that had been prepared for us. The girls slept in Angie and Leone’s house, the
boys in another house, and Holly and I slept in a small building used as
a health clinic that had been cleared out for us. Sleeping on the floor was
easy, as we were all exhausted by the end of the night.
Due to the ceremonious nature of the night, none of us had our cameras out. But here's a picture of me holding puppies the next morning, just for kicks.