Mataqali Matarua has formally abandoned the centuries-old firewalking ritual vilavilairevo in Naceva Village on Beqa Island, marking the latest shift in a tradition that once underpinned community life and local development. The decision, made by the clan’s elders about five years ago during a wave of Christian evangelism, is now being cited by local leaders as a turning point that could hasten the ritual’s decline across the island.
Turaga ni mataqali Matarua, 66-year-old Samuela Bureicegu, said the choice was the result of deliberate reflection and village-wide consultations led in part by his brother, who served as the village priest (bete) at the time. “My brother… discussed it with mataqali members and decided to stop the vila,” Mr Bureicegu said, adding that once elders resolved to cease the practice others in the clan followed. The abandonment was not an isolated decree but part of a broader spiritual renewal initiated by visiting church ministers and local lay preachers.
Mr Bureicegu described a sustained period of fasting and communal reflection that followed the talatala of the Methodist Church’s Beqa Division and a lay preacher from Kalokolevu recommending the cessation of vilavilairevo. “After the veivakalotutaki, we then went on one month of fasting. We gave up smoking and drinking yaqona,” he said. The mataqali compiled a list of reforms for the community that included prohibiting marijuana cultivation on clan land and formally discontinuing the firewalking ritual.
Two mataqali from yavusa Kulu — Matarua and Naibale — have now stopped practising firewalking, Mr Bureicegu said. He emphasized that although the ritual has been discontinued, many of the spiritual responsibilities associated with it persist. “Even though we have discontinued firewalking, we still continue to help those who suffer from burns. That mana is still there – it hasn’t been taken away from us,” he said, indicating a continued social role for the clan despite abandoning the physical rite.
The decision has economic as well as cultural consequences. Mr Bureicegu acknowledged that vila historically played a significant role in village development, contributing to land clearing, house building, seawall construction and even to financing the village church. With the practice halted, some customary duties and revenue streams could disappear, he warned, although elders have sought to explain their decision to younger generations to maintain community cohesion.
Firewalking has not disappeared entirely from Beqa. Rukua Village, outside the Sawau custodial group, reportedly remains the island’s primary practitioner, charging roughly $1,500 per event — a sharp rise from previous fees Mr Bureicegu said could be as low as $200 in the past. Meanwhile, individual practitioners from other tikina continue to keep the ritual visible beyond the island. Rusiate Rokotavo, 47, of Dakuibeqa Village and member of mataqali Naivilaqata, said he continues to perform firewalking in the Western Division after moving to Lepanoni, Deuba.
“At the village they have stopped firewalking. It’s just me, my cousins and those with maternal links to my family who are still firewalking,” Mr Rokotavo said, noting he began performing in 2007 and regularly appears at cultural venues such as the Arts Village and resort sites. His decision underlines how the ritual is evolving: while some mataqali withdraw to align with new religious and social norms, others maintain the practice as a cultural performance and source of income outside the village.
The formal halt by Mataqali Matarua underscores how faith-led revivals are reshaping customary practices on Beqa. As more clans weigh spiritual convictions against cultural heritage and economic benefits, the island’s distinctive firewalking tradition faces an uncertain future—kept alive today by a shrinking number of custodians and performers who move the ritual beyond its traditional grounds.
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