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For almost eight years straight, Rotuman farmer Pat Veu has dominated the Farmers Show yam and taro categories and this year, the 69-year-old did it again.

Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Veu said he was grateful for the win and acknowledged those who had supported him in preparing his crops for the annual competition.

“I have people who supported me to do the planting and the nurturing of the plants,” Mr Veu said.

“And I’m so thankful to those supporters, because at my age its becoming increasingly hard to do all the work myself.”

He said both were from the Filipai yam variety and placed first and second in that category.

He said when he first entered, he only managed to score one point but continued to improve each year.

“Then the second year, it improved a bit. From then on, I continued to win the taro.”

He said while he had mainly won the taro category over the years, he had managed to win both the yam and taro categories last year and again this year.

“But if anything that I want to come out of this winning, it is to pass on the skills to the younger generation.

“Maximising the usage of the backyard little spaces to produce good crops every year.”

He said backyard farmers association on Rotuma had produced yams weighing up to 183 kilograms, while the record for taro stood at 15 kilograms.

“I believe everything that you do, you need to work hard, you need to work smart, and you need to be consistent with what you do.

“And I think planting, some would say this is how you do it, you do it every year, but you need to improve.”

Pat Veu: For me, farming keeps me active. It's like exercise every day. When I see the crops growing well, it makes me feel good.

At 69, Rotuman farmer Pat Veu shows that consistent backyard farming can deliver strong yields and competitive success.

Mr Veu, of Tuakoi, Itu'ti'u, Rotuma, but lives at Wainibuku, Nasinu won top honours in the dalo and yam planting categories, as well as the overall points title at this year's Rotuma Day Farmers Competition.

He has been farming for more than 15 years, taking up agriculture more seriously after retiring as an employee of the Housing Authority (HA) and Public Rental Board (PRB). Since then, he has developed a five-acre farm growing taro, yams and cassava.

Mr Veu said the competition focused on backyard and small-scale farmers using available land to improve food production and household food security.

"This competition is mainly for backyard farmers. We use the small spaces behind our homes to grow yams and taro for food security," he said.

The annual event, held alongside Rotuma Day celebrations for about 20 years, remains an important platform for local farmers to showcase their produce.

Mr Veu is known for his consistent performance in root crop production, including a 107.5-kilogram yam he harvested.

When I see the crops growing well, it makes me feel good," he said. He believes backyard farming is essential for families, particularly in ensuring regular access to fresh food.

Veu is also encouraging young people to take up farming, saying traditional knowledge from the islands should be preserved and passed on.

"This is our traditional way of farming. We want to pass it on to the younger generation so they can be productive and keep it alive," he said.

While about 20 farmers currently take part in the competition, he hopes participation will grow, including greater involvement from women farmers.

Despite the demands of age and maintaining a large farm, he says consistency and discipline remain key to his work and he intends to continue improving his harvests.

This year's Rotuma Day celebration carried special meaning for young Rotumans trying to hold on to their culture in a changing world.

Miss Hibiscus 2025 Rhyelle Aisea who hails from Rotuma said young people played a central role in this year's celebrations as part of efforts to keep Rotuman culture alive.

She said Rotuma Day was more than an annual celebration, as it gave young Rotumans an opportunity to celebrate their identity, language, food, customs and heritage.

"Personally, growing up, we've been told that Rotuma Day is a day where you get to celebrate your identity," she said.

"That's everything from your culture, your food and what it means to be a young Rotuman.

"Especially now where everything is changing, so these days are important to us."

Ms Aisea said the celebration brought together children, dancers, elders and community members, creating a space where culture could be shared across generations.

She said this year's event was also special because her mother's district, Pepjei, was the host district.

She said the presence of the chief of Pepjei as chief guest also made the event significant for the community.

Ms Aisea also encouraged young Rotumans to continue speaking their language, even if they were still learning.

She said her own experience showed that young people could reconnect with the language through continued practice.

Rotumans in the Cook Islands gathered on Saturday to mark Rotuma Day, celebrating under the theme: "Strengthening our unity as Rotuman people to preserve our identity and culture."

Rotuma Community president Tofiga Injimo said the celebrations held at the Tupapa Dome was a great success after close to two months of preparation.

"We are happy we were able to showcase our culture to the community here on Rarotonga."

Injimo expressed particular pride in the group's performance of the tautonga, a traditional Rotuman dance.

The songs for the dance were composed by Gagaj Taimanav from the island of Rotuma and choreographed in Rarotonga by his niece, Jessica Pene.

"We were small in numbers compared to celebration in Fiji, Australia and New Zealand but we delivered a performance that would make our families back home watch on the Live very proud.

"This was the first time for some and others like myself. Its been over 20 years since I danced in one. I was happy that I was able to perform with my brother, the Honorary Consul for Fiji, Wayne Insimo and my nephew Onisimus."

He said the community was revived in March this year with a renewed vision to strengthen unity as Rotuman people.

There are close to 150 people in the community, made up mainly of workers who have come to the Cook Islands for better employment opportunities, as well as youth and children.

"Amongst us are Cook Islanders, Fijians and other communities who have Rotuman spouses or partners. There is also a small number of Cook Islanders with Rotuman ancestry that we intend to bring into the community. "It is our hope that the celebration and performance at the Rotuman Day would make them curious of their heritage. We look forward to them joining the community in future celebrations and performances."

On behalf of co-president Dorinda Sitiveni and the Rotuman Community Committee, Injimo extended heartfelt appreciation to everyone who accepted their invitation and joined the celebration.

Ms Fesaitu said this year recorded the highest number of women participating in the arts and crafts showcase, with 48 out of 55 registered women taking part.

The spirit of Rotuma filled the FMF Gymnasium in Suva yesterday as hundreds of families and friends gathered to officially open the three-day Rotuman Day 2026 celebrations.

Despite cloudy weather conditions, Rotumans from across Fiji turned up in large numbers to celebrate their heritage, language and traditions through dance, weaving, fashion, farming and fellowship.

The women proudly displayed traditional arts, crafts and weaving skills, while men displayed fresh yams, dalo and produce from their farms.

Youth groups also entertained the crowd with cultural performances to close the day’s programme.

Event co-ordinator Jacinta Fesaitu said the atmosphere throughout the day was “phenomenal” as Rotumans of all ages came together in celebration.

“To see the people coming out with joy, even though it was a little bit wet in the morning, was beautiful,” she said.

This year’s theme focuses on cherishing and honouring Rotuma through spirituality, land and language, and embracing the Rotuman culture.

Ms Fesaitu said this year recorded the highest number of women participating in the arts and crafts showcase, with 48 out of 55 registered women taking part.

The programme will feature performances and cultural showcases from Rotuma’s six districts, while Sunday’s closing programme will focus on prayer and thanksgiving.

Meanwhile, contemporary fashion judge Aisake Konrote praised the creativity and cultural pride displayed by the women during the fashion competition.

“The creativity and use of cultural aspects were the strongest part of today’s showcase,” he said.

Organisers also revealed that part of the fundraising efforts from the celebrations will go towards the Fiji Rotuman Association’s long-term goal of establishing a permanent Rotuman hub and cultural centre in Suva.

Backyard farmers are being encouraged to take up yam farming as a way to strengthen food security, support local markets, and create income opportunities.

At this year’s Rotuma Day celebration, 21 farmers are taking part in the competition, including two women participants, marking a major step forward for women in farming.

Chairman of the Rotuma Backyard Farmers, Francis sioni says the annual competition continues to grow, with farmers travelling from areas including Pacific Harbour, Suva, Tavua and Vatukoula to take part.

Backyard farming proves that even families with small pieces of land can contribute to food production, with a strong focus on yam and dalo farming.

“The significance of this is to actually promote the farming, backyard farming. You may have a small backyard, but that doesn’t mean you can’t farm. And we focus more on yams and taro. And it helps, you know, not just our families, but in the community.”

Sione says, farming should not be seen as an activity only for men, encouraging more women and youths to participate.

Another farmer from Tavua says they were well prepared for the event and harvested around two tonnes of yam, which has become a source of income for the family.

Rotuma Day celebrations will continue tomorrow, showcasing handicrafts, traditional baked goods, and many more cultural activities

Pacific youth and community practitioner Broderick Mervyn with ex-President Jioji Konrote

Concerns over the weakening of Rotuman culture and heritage are driving calls for urgent preservation efforts for future generations.

Pacific youth and community practitioner Broderick Mervyn says globalization and modern pressures are eroding cultural identity across the Pacific, especially among young people.

Mervyn says Rotuman culture is built on faith, discipline, respect and strong family values. He says these principles continue to strengthen communities.

He warns that the loss of language, customs, and traditions could weaken cultural identity among younger generations.

Mervyn says this decline is also linked to rising social issues. These include crime, substance abuse, family breakdown, and identity confusion.

He says Pacific traditions promote respect for elders and personal responsibility. They also encourage service to community and family unity.

Mervyn is urging Rotuman youth in Fiji and abroad to embrace their heritage. He wants them to take pride in their cultural identity.

He says the future of the Pacific depends on young people who understand their roots and values.

Mervyn is also calling on leaders, churches, schools, and media to invest more in cultural preservation. He wants stronger focus on language and youth programs.

He says Rotuman culture remains a valuable heritage that must be protected for future generations.

Rotuma Day is a celebration of the unique language, culture, and history of one of Fiji's most remote islands.

During their final taumaka over the weekend, the Rotuman Community of QLD invited Nesia Daily in for a taste of Rotuman hospitality and pride.

Each week, community members, both young and old, gather at the Kenani Community Church in Banyo, north of Brisbane, for language and dance classes.

For language teacher Kijiana Samuela, this loyal diaspora community has kept her connected to her island home.

It was a chance encounter with some "aunties" that first introduced her and her family to this Brisbane-based group that was founded around 40 years ago.

Community vice-president Viane Amato Ali is particularly proud of how the much younger members of their group have wholeheartedly embraced their familial roots.

"The fact that these very young Rotumans want to identify as Rotumans... [I'm] extremely proud because they want to be part of it," he said.

"Because our numbers are small, we have intermarried a lot… and that's why it's special when the children want to be acknowledged as Rotumans."

Nesia Daily spoke with various members of the Rotuman Community of QLD about their family's stories, dancing, and the warmth they feel in their hearts for their culture on Rotuma Day.

Rotuman artist Sofia Tekela Smith is using her Auckland Museum residency to reconnect with her roots through old maps, objects, and collections.

Proud Rotuman Sofia Tekela-Smith is the 2026 Matafatafa Aho
Pacific Artist in Residence at Auckland Museum.

Rotuman artist Sofia Tekela Smith says her residency at Auckland Museum has become more than a creative project. It has turned into a personal journey through memory, ancestry, and identity.

Tekela-Smith is the 2026 recipient of the Matafatafa Aho Pacific Artist Residency, which supports Pacific artists in working with museum collections and developing new work shaped by Pacific histories and taonga.

“It’s such an amazing honour,” Tekela-Smith tells PMN News. “It feels like our ancestors are being well looked after.

“It appears that a lot of Rotumans that have been through the corridors of this museum have spoken our language, sang our songs, woven our mats and looked at our treasures.”

Inside the museum’s archives and collections, she has been working closely with material linked to Rotuma and wider Moana craft traditions.

For Tekela-Smith, it is not just research, it is recognition. “One of the first things I saw was when they were demounting a tofua, a Rotoman skirt that was made with apei (fine mat),” she said. “I had the pleasure of having a really good look at this beautiful weaving.”

Rotuman communities across Aotearoa are celebrating Rotuman Language Week 2026 this week with a series of events recognising and preserving the language, culture and identity of Rotuman people.

Organised by the NZ Rotuman Collective, the annual celebration began in 2018 through the Auckland Rotuman Fellowship Group (ARFGI) and has since expanded to include Rotuman communities around the world.

Chairperson Rachael Mario said each day of the week carries a different focus, with elders, youth, children, community and religious leaders all playing a role in hosting activities and events.

The week opened on Sunday with a blessing and combined church service led by the Kingsland Rotuman Methodist Congregation, where the group’s roots began more than 30 years ago.

“Language is what makes us who we are. It is part of our culture and identity,” Ms Mario said.

She acknowledged the efforts of generations of Rotuman leaders and families who have worked to keep the language and traditions alive in Aotearoa for more than four decades.

Rotuma, located north of Fiji in the Pacific Ocean, is home to a distinct Polynesian language and culture while Rotuma Day is commemorated each year on May 13

Gasav Ne Fäeag Rotuạm Ta | Rotuma Language Week is being recognised this week as part of Aotearoa’s national campaign to promote and preserve Pacific languages.

AUT, led by the Office of Pacific Advancement, (OPA), are proud supporters of this important campaign, with the OPA team working alongside students to elevate their personal experiences of Pacific culture, practices and language; taonga to be protected and sustained.

The theme of Gasav Ne Fäeag Rotuạm Ta 2026 is "Ȧf'ȧk, putua, a'pumuạ'ȧk ma rak'ȧk 'os fäega ma 'os ag fak Rotuma, la se maoen 'e 'os tore" - treasure, nurture and teach our Rotuman language and culture so it may live on through generations.

Featured in this video are four current AUT students whose cultural backgrounds are linked to Rotuma, an island nation located 650km northwest of Fiji.

The students’ traditional Rotuman clothing pays homage to their ancestry and the video’s backdrop of Southmall, Manurewa, represents an aspect of their lives and that of other Pacific peoples – growing up and living in the diaspora, away from their ancestors.

AUT Bachelor of Engineering student, Anselm Nakaora, was born and grew up in Auckland but had the opportunity to live with family in Rotuma for two years, four years ago.

Anselm says his experience living on the island and going to school there allowed him to quickly pick up the Rotuman language.

“It’s important to me to be able to remember Rotuman as it’s such a big part of my identity. When you’re not speaking it every day, it’s easy to start forgetting the language. What I’m most proud of about being from Rotuma is that it is a very small, unique and still relatively unknown culture. During Rotuma language week I feel really proud to wear my cultural attire during special events where my language is being celebrated through song and dance.”

As AUT Bachelor of Health Science (Paramedicine) student, Samson Konousi, shares his feeling about his Rotuma culture, he says, “Being Rotuman could be a gift because it reminds me no matter where I go, I belong to a resilient and beautiful people, not just in my body, but in my heart.”

Celebrate Gasav Ne Fäeag Rotuạm Ta, Rotuma Language Week
10 – 16 May

Rotuma Language Week marks the launch of the 2026 Pacific Language Weeks series.

The launch of the 2026 Pacific Language Weeks programme gets underway with Rotuma Language Week from 10 May, marking almost 20 years since the series was introduced.

Stats NZ data indicates that while Pacific languages remain widely spoken among first-generation migrants, language retention drops significantly among New Zealand-born Pacific peoples, making Pacific Language Weeks a vital intervention for strengthening everyday language use and cultural continuity.

Rotuma Language Week celebrates the strengthening of language, culture and knowledge systems, guided by this year’s theme: “Ȧf'ȧk, putua, a'pumuạ'ȧk ma rak'ȧk 'os fäega ma 'os ag fak Rotuma, la se maoen 'e 'os tore” – Treasure, nurture and teach our Rotuman language and culture so it may live on through generations.

At Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, Rotuma Language Week is marked by recognition of the vital role language plays in sustaining identity, belonging and intergenerational knowledge.

Central to this kaupapa is Dr Ofa Dewes, a senior research fellow at the University and a leading Pacific academic whose work reflects a deep commitment to Pacific languages, communities and futures.

Born and raised in Suva, Fiji, she is part-Rotuman, Tongan, Tuvaluan, Tokelauan, with affiliation to Ngāti Porou. She was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2023 for services to health and the Pacific community.

Research director at The Cause Collective, Dewes is also a member of the Maurice Wilkins Centre's Research Leadership Forum. She also represented Papatoetoe as a member of the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board from 2019-2025.

Widely respected for advancing Pacific leadership across research, health and science, Dewes was instrumental in shaping the Maurice Wilkins Centre’s inaugural Pacific Strategy, which launched on 27 February. She says the move places Pacific values, knowledge systems and community relationships at the heart of biomedical research.

Rotuma Language Week aligns closely with Dewes’ advocacy for Pacific-led approaches across academia and research, where Indigenous knowledge systems are recognised as essential, not supplementary.

“For Pacific peoples, language is more than communication - it carries knowledge, values and responsibility,” she says.

“When we nurture our languages, we strengthen our ability to care for our people, our environments and future generations.”

Her work reflects the spirit of this year’s theme: treasuring cultural inheritance, nurturing emerging leaders, and ensuring Pacific knowledge continues to thrive in contemporary spaces.

As Aotearoa’s leading university, Waipapa Taumata Rau continues to support Pacific Language Weeks as a way of affirming cultural identity, strengthening community connections, and recognising the diverse knowledge systems that enrich Aotearoa New Zealand.

Rotuma Language Week is a reminder that the survival of language depends on everyday acts – speaking, sharing stories, teaching our children and creating spaces where Rotuman culture is valued and visible.

An Otago PhD graduate has won a prestigious Australian thesis award, with an academic work that ‘‘breaks the mould of what a PhD can be’’ and struck the judges with its ‘‘joyousness’’.

Dr Mere Taito was recently awarded the 2026 Tracey Banivanua Mar PhD Prize, by the Australian Association for Pacific Studies (AAPS), for her thesis titled Kavei Se Tae! — A Genealogy of Rotuman Texts: Reading Early 20th Century Rotuman Publications; Writing Multilingual Archival Digital Visual Poetry.

Born in Fiji and raised on the island of Rotuma, Dr Taito immigrated to New Zealand in 2007.

Rotuma is a volcanic island group located about 650km north of Fiji, acting as a self-governing dependency, with a distinct culture and language.

For her doctoral research, she applied creative and form-specific reading methods to analyse early to mid-20th century multilingual Rotuman mission archival texts, and designed a genre of poetry — archi digi vispo — in response to these methods of reading.

Multilingual archi digi vispo fuses archival content, multilingual text, visual elements, and digital functionalities, and is positioned in her doctoral research to support Rotuman language regeneration among the scattered population.

Last year, the University of Otago celebrated the completion of her thesis, which is believed to be the world’s first doctoral thesis focused on Rotuman literature with English and linguistics.

It was awarded ‘‘exceptional status’’ by the division of humanities at the university.

Now her thesis has been awarded the prestigious Australian prize for her outstanding work in the field of Pacific Studies.

‘‘Tracey Banivanua Mar was an exceptional and distinguished Pacific studies scholar.

‘‘It has been my absolute honour to receive this award that recognises her contribution to Pacific studies in Australia and abroad.

‘‘I am extremely grateful to the judges and the Australian Association of Pacific Studies for this recognition.’’

An AAPS spokesperson said her work ‘‘stood out for its originality, depth and impact’’.

‘‘The thesis embodied an indigenous commitment to writing and speaking back, to language revitalisation, to culturally-rooted methodology and to heart-full scholarship.’’

The judges said her thesis was ‘‘an imaginative, rich, and multilayered work’’.

‘‘Taito offers an incisive reading of early 20th century Rotuman texts, bringing the remarkable clarity of her literary analysis together with careful attention to archival objects, and her own creative practice.

‘‘This scholarly, analytical and creative work combines to produce something that breaks the mould of what a PhD can be.’’

The judges were struck by the originality and sophistication of her work, and also by its ‘‘joyousness’’.

‘‘It is a powerful contribution to the study of Rotuman literature, and to a creative and decolonial Pacific studies.’’

Dr Taito is now the inaugural postdoctoral fellow in Native American and Indigenous Studies at the Centre for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR) and Northwestern University’s English department, in Chicago.

As paragraph 1, recognise that the iTaukei and Rotuman communities were the first to arrive and settle in Fiji, and thus entitling them to be Fiji’s indigenous communities and the rights conferred upon them in the Constitution.

As paragraph 4, recognise the great significance to the Rotuman people of their Deed of Cession with the British Crown, through their Chiefs, in 1879, and the rights conferred upon them by Great Britain identical to those granted to the iTaukei and their traditional leaders. This included their right of self-determination to administer their governance under the Council of Rotuma.

For the Eastern Division, because of the scattered and widespread nature of the islands, and their small resident population, create 5 single member geographical constituencies, comprising 2 for Lomaiviti and 1 each for Kadavu, Lau and Rotuma

Based on Fiji’s population as estimated by the National Bureau of Statistics since the 2007 National Population Census, set the total number of seats in the House of Representatives at 60, and this is to be distributed as follows: Central Division 24, Western Division 22, Northern Division 9, and Eastern Division 5 [with 2 for Lomaiviti and 1 each for Kadavu, Lau and Rotuma, based on their respective resident population]

a seat to be appointed by the Council of Rotuma. The right or entitlement of the BLV/GCC and the Council of Rotuma to nominate their Senate members derives from their right of special recognition conferred upon them by Great Britain in reciprocation of their cession to the British Crown of sovereignty over Fiji and Rotuma in 1874 and 1879 respectively. Their right to rule over their people was recognised provided they respected the laws of the British Colony.

So, their constitutional right to nominate their representatives in the Senate derives from their communities’ right of self-determination, and their solemn duty to ensure that any legislation or policy passed by the House of Representative does not harm or prejudice the rights and interests of the indigenous iTaukei and Rotuman communities.

Kotobalavu also strongly advocates the inclusion in the Constitution of express recognition of the Council of Rotuma as established under the Rotuma Act, and its responsibility to nominate a representative in the Senate to be appointed by the President, and to protect and safeguard the rights and interests of all Rotumans.

This recognition of the Council of Rotuma in Fiji’s Constitution is something new but the Rotuman people fully merits this. It derives from the reciprocal recognition given to them by Great Britain in return for the cession to it of sovereignty over Rotuma in 1879.

This is the origin of the right of self-determination of the Rotuman peoples to administer their island’s governance with the support of the central Government of the whole of Fiji.

Fijians who rely on kerosene daily for cooking, lighting or traditional obligations will now have to dig deeper into their pockets, as prices have recorded one of the steepest increases in recent months in the latest fuel price review effective today.

New prices released by the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) show kerosene rising sharply across the country, with the biggest increases among all fuel products.

On Viti Levu, kerosene has jumped from $1.69 to $2.40 per litre, an increase of 71 cents.

In Rotuma, the price has climbed even higher, rising from $2.38 to $3.14 per litre — a 76-cent increase.

The FCCC said the sharp increase was driven by a surge in international refined fuel prices, with kerosene rising by 59.80 per cent globally during the assessment period.

It said diesel prices were also affected by similar global trends, while motor spirit and premix increases were linked to higher international benchmark prices and a stronger United States dollar.

The commission noted that despite a drop in international freight rates, the overall cost pressures — including global supply disruptions and geopolitical tensions — pushed local prices higher.

Kerosene, which remains VAT exempt, is widely used by low-income households, making the increase particularly significant.

The FCCC said it had implemented measures to cushion the impact, including partial absorption of cost increases and close monitoring of supply chain costs.