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A Tribute to the Noblest and Fairest Lady of the Land

Naca Nabunobuno

19 August 2004

A tribute to Na Gone Marama Bale na Roko Tui Dreketi Adi Lady Litia Cakobau Lalabalavu Kaloafutoga Tuisawau Mara presented at her funeral mass on behalf of the Soqosoqo Vakamarama by Dr Eci Kikau Nabalarua at the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Suva, Fiji, Wednesday 3rd August, 2004.

O au saka. Your Grace the Archbishop Petero Mataca and the elders of the Church, your Highness Crown Prince Tupouto’a, your highness Princess Pilolevu Tuita, members of the royal entourage from Tonga, representatives of Maoridom and in particular the Mäori Queen Te Arikinui, representatives of the foreign missions, Members of Parliament, chiefs of the three confederacies, ladies and gentlemen, families and friends, it is my pleasant task today to offer this eulogy on behalf of the Soqosoqo Vakamarama.

When I was asked by Adi Ateca, the eldest of Adi Lalabalavu’s children, to provide a eulogy to this great lady on behalf of the Soqosoqo Vakamarama I accepted without question for two reasons. The first being that in terms of my own kinship ties to Na Gone Marama Bale na Roko Tui Dreketi, I have very close connections to her from both sides of my parents and as such afforded me with the right of passage to perform the task placed before me. Secondly I knew deep down in my heart that if we had asked the Lady when she was alive as to the people she would have liked to speak on behalf of the Soqosoqo Vakamarama, in the event of her passing, I have no doubt whatsoever that my name would probably have been one of the few she would have chosen alongside others like Lusiana Daucakacaka. It is therefore with great humility that I stand before this august gathering today to offer a special tribute to Na Gone Marama Bale na Roko Tui Dreketi whom we have come together to farewell. Not only is this a tribute from the Soqosoqo Vakamarama for whom she so tirelessly devoted and dedicated herself to the very end, but it is also a tribute from all the women of Fiji, from all walks of life and the different ethnic communities, the peoples and communities of the different faiths, grassroots organizations, the needy, disabled, poor and from those who felt continually oppressed, voiceless and marginalized, all of whom Adi Lalabalavu created time and space for. This is their tribute as well. In more ways than one, it is a tribute of the little people to the noblest and fairest lady of the land.

To the women who worked silently behind the scenes and who was always there for Adi Lalabalavu namely, Aralai Vava, Susana Evening, Mere, Salote, Ulita, Halatoa, Ruci and the bevy of workers, your loyalty to Na Gone Marama Bale is duly acknowledged in this tribute. To the people of Lakeba, the yavusa Vuanirewa and in particular to the sisters of the late Turaga Tui Nayau namely, noqu yaca Adi Eci in Sydney, ‘Di Viti, ‘Di Tara, ‘Di Sai, ‘Di Davila, ‘Di Koila in London, ‘Di Seka, ‘Di Lola and ‘Di Saurogo, your kindness and warmth during her time at Vatuwaqa is also acknowledged with gratitude. To the unwavering friendship and support showed to Adi Lalabalavu from the families of Barrett, Fenton, Raddock, Apteds, Ah Koy, Embersons, Beddoes, Evening, Mrs Brown and the Hong Tiys, your love and respect for the lady is also encapsulated in this tribute. To the Yavusa Toga, your loyalty and support of Na Gone Marama Bale na Roko tui Dreketi, Radini Lau and Radini Nayau, did not pass unnoticed and you may take comfort in the knowledge that Adi Lalabalavu had a special place for you all in her heart. Last but not least, it is also a tribute from her children and those near and dear to her. To Adi Ateca and Ratu Epeli, Adi Koila and Ratu Nailatikau, Adi Kakua, Ratu Finau, Adi Cakobau and Harry, Roko Ului, Adi Elenoa, and the grandchildren, this tribute is just as much as yours to give as it is to receive. And to the two most closest and dearest for whom Adi Lalabalavu would have had no hesitation in entrusting her children to namely, Adi Vuikaba Teimumu Kepa and the Turaga Na Ka Levu, Ratu Sakiusa Makutu, this tribute is to remind you to keep the interests of Adi Lalabalavu’s children very close to your hearts and that they will also be a part of your respective families as well.

For in standing up to acknowledge a great daughter and leader of the Fijian nation, you will over time come to appreciate that Adi Lalabalavu was special, unique and the only lady of rank in her time, who was chosen and imbued with skills and competencies of traditional leadership, that brought out a calibre of stewardship, strategic visioning and service, which was in a class of its own. For this, we thank the family for sharing their mother with us. As such it is indeed a great honour for me to offer this living tribute in a manner in which Adi Lalabalavu would have expected of me; no more and no less, a truth peppered with kindness, fairness sprinkled with compassion and a sense of visioning firmly grounded in grace and humility. As I meditated on God’s word and sought divine guidance on the shaping of this tribute, a message was immediately impressed upon my heart as follows ….. “the praises you seek will be provided for you in His Word”, and as I opened my bible, the epilogue pertaining to the wife of noble character in Proverbs 31 presented itself before me. I would now like to share some of its verses with you in an attempt to encapsulate God’s calling on the life of service of Na Gone Marama Bale na Roko Tui Dreketi, Adi Lady Litia Cakobau Lalabalavu Kaloafutoga Tuisawau Mara. The selected verses read as follows:

Proverbs 31 vs10-12: “A wife of noble character, who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good not harm all the days of her life …. (vs 15) She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls …. (vs 20) She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy ….. (vs 23) Her husband is respected at the city gate where he takes his seat among the elders of the land …. (vs 25-31) She is clothed with strength and dignity and can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also and he praises her. Many women do noble things but you surpass them all. Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”

Adi Lalabalavu’s life of service meant that she was always putting others before self as she tirelessly gave to things both big and small, held her own and with grace among her chiefly peers and royalty, mingled with ease among ordinary people, and always putting herself forward for causes aimed at making a difference in the lives of the needy, poor, disabled and marginalized. Among the women of the Soqosoqo Vakamarama, the YWCA, PPSEAWA, the Catholic Women’s League and the National Council of Women, Adi Lala’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the empowerment and advancement of women and raising the quality of life of families and communities at grassroots level will be remembered with great fondness and respect for a woman of great wisdom, vision and leadership. Given her own understanding of the socio-economic and political developments of the day. Adi Lala built up an effective network of people around her who provided her with support and advice on a whole range of issues that required her to make decisions on. Adi Lalabalavu observed widely and had a meticulous eye for detail, did not mince with words, was always at home with a modest demeanour and exuded warmth and kindness to all who came into contact with her. Capacity-building and skills development for women caught Adi Lalabalavu’s attention if we convinced her that its outcomes had the potential of alleviating the socio-economic disadvantages of people especially women.

Adi Lala’s Tongan name of Kaloafutoga given to her by the late Queen Salote translates to mean the ‘Star of Tonga’ and this reference to her high status was also articulated on Bau by my maternal grandfather, the late Tunitoga. The story goes that there was a function on the village green and during a brief respite in the activities, Tunitoga went back to his house at Vunivau and was sitting in the big spacious room fanning himself. Laughter drifted across the rara and as Tunitoga peered out through the louvred windows facing the main shed from which the sounds emerged, he saw the late Turaga mai Naisogolaca, Ratu Sir Etuate Tuivanuavou Tungi Cakobau, the late Turaga Vunivalu and first Govenor-General, Ratu Sir George Kadavulevu Cakobau, the late President and turaga Tui Cakau, Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau, the late turaga Tui Nayau and Tui Lau, Prime Minister and President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara and the now late Na Gone Marama Bale na Roko Tui Dreketi, Adi Lady Lalabalavu sharing lighter moments and thoroughly enjoying themselves. Tunitoga smiled to himself, singled Adi Lala out and said to one of his sons “there’s the diamond in the crown”. Having recounted the story to me I asked my maternal uncle to further explain to me what my grandfather the old Tunitoga meant by his comment. My uncle Malupo turned to me and said, “with all the jewels in the crown, the diamond is the most highly valued and the most prized of them all.” Adi Lalabalavu outranked all the other chiefs but she never showed it and while she always deferred with grace and modesty, the chiefs always returned this show of respect with reverence and awe for Na Gone Marama Bale na Roko Tui Dreketi. She was and is a ‘true royal blue through and through’ and for that alone, she stood head and shoulders above the rest.

For while Adi Lalabalavu is the paramount chief of Rewa and the titular head of the Burebasaga confederacy, she was a Bauan at heart. It was easy for us to fathom why we sensed a great affiliation with the Lady because of the fact that she was brought up in Bau under the tutelage and mantle of her paternal grandaunt Adi Litia Cakobau, and therefore was especially tutored in Bauan protocols, customs and rituals. When she was among the Bauans, we spoke a common language, shared a common understanding and listened as she pleaded earnestly for kindness and unity to be expended always between the chiefly families. Adi Lalabalavu drew her leadership skills from her Bauan heritage and she transferred these with ease to the Soqosoqo Vakamarama which she led up to the very end. For Adi Lala, the Vunivalu and Kubuna was and is the pinnacle of the three confederacies and as long as the high office remained vacant, the i taukei or indigenous Fijians would continue to drift in a void. Her great love and respect for the high office of the Vunivalu and his living descendants was sincere and genuinely real. As she watched those close to her getting involved in activities that led to fragmenting traditional alliances, and a distancing of chiefly ties that for her formed the basis of chiefly leadership, it broke the heart of this fair lady. In her last visit to Hamilton in April of this year, I had the opportunity to share a whole range of things with Adi Lalabalavu. She loved to hear all the funny stories reflected in the daily lives and mundane routines of ordinary people and their families, and I spent much of the time in Hamilton bringing joy and laughter to her living room at the Glenview Conference Centre, where Adi Lalabalavu was guest of the Maori Queen Te Arikinui.

The hallmarks of Adi Lalabalavu’s leadership, stewardship and mentoring were marked by values of compassion, justice, fairness, honesty, kindness, integrity, dignity and humility. These were the same values instilled in her and passed on to her through the legacy of her illustrious forebears. With a heart overflowing with kindness and compassion, Adi Lala bore no malice and harboured no grudge even towards those who betrayed her trust and who set out to undermine her leadership by undoing much of the groundwork that she had meticulously set out to achieve, and yet being the lady that she was, she took it all so graciously in her stride with great dignity and humility. She was never short of a kind word, a fleeting smile or a simple gesture that exuded warmth and a total sense of inclusiveness to one and all. Adi Lala’s uniqueness and grace was also reflected in the words of Sir Ian Thompson in his letter to Adi Ateca (insert here – read out selected lines…), and also echoed in the words of Brother Samuel of the Marist Novitiate at Pacific Harbour in Deuba where the couple often retreated to in the latter years of their life(insert selected lines from Brother Samuel’s letter to the family of Adi Lady Lala…). She applied herself effortlessly to the tasks in front of her and never stepped back from the added challenges of peace-building and national reconciliation even in the latter years of her life when ailing health seemed to increasingly take its toll on her. She had an inner strength and resilience and bore all the pains and the hurts that came her way. Towards the end, Adi Lalabalavu had experienced an inner joy and peace and in our conversations she constantly praised God’s greatness and goodness in her life. In the wake of her renewed spiritual awakening and rebirth, Adi Lalabalavu, a high chief of unparalleled stature was in my eyes also, a great woman of God.

Dr Eci Kikau Nabalarua.

Downloads

Tribute to Ro Lady Mara (22.4 KB)

Click the above link to download the tribute by Dr Eci Kikau Nabalarua. File is in PDF format.

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