The descendants of the original inhabitants of Munia Island in Vanuabalavu, Lau, are facing the ongoing challenge of raising funds to reclaim their island, which was sold as freehold land to an American for $400. Munia Island, measuring approximately 5.3 kilometers in length with a coastline of 10 kilometers, was first inhabited by elders from the neighboring Avea Island.
More than 200 years ago, the ancestors of the Avea villagers were forcibly removed from Munia due to a transaction involving the Tui Cakau, Ratu Galea, and the American buyer. During a visit to Avea Island, village headman Etuate Umu discussed the community’s efforts to pay the government $450,000 for total ownership of Munia, which was purchased by the government in 1983 and later resold to the Munia people.
According to a 1989 Land Buy Back Scheme agreement, the Munia people are obligated to repay the government over 30 years, making annual payments of $15,000. However, after two years, they have only managed to pay $30,000. Mr. Umu noted that their request for a reduced payment was met with a decrease to $7,000, which was still unmanageable, leading to a further reduction to $3,000.
Mr. Umu, aged 69, explained the lack of a stable income for many villagers, even those working in the copra industry, has hindered their ability to meet the financial obligations. Over 30 years, they have paid only $225,000. He shared how the elders had attended Mavana Primary School, relying on relatives in Mavana village, resulting in significant hardship for families. Mavana is located on the mainland of Vanuabalavu, approximately a 45-minute boat ride from Avea.
As children, they had to move to Mavana for schooling at a young age, which limited their educational opportunities and future job prospects. The government’s decision to resell Munia to them for nearly half a million dollars was seen as a financial burden. Mr. Umu emphasized that their island was nearly taken from them again due to their inability to pay.
Currently serving his third term as village headman, Mr. Umu remains hopeful that they can gather the remaining $225,000 by December, with the four clans on the island expected to contribute $25,000 each. Each working man from Avea who lives outside the island is also tasked to contribute $1,000 by the deadline.
The clans involved are Marama, Nakie, Narocake, and Saweilau. Mr. Umu informed that money held in their trust fund would help address the remaining balance, and plans are in place for some villagers to move back to Munia once the payment is settled. However, there is also a proposal for Munia to become a state-operated area while the villagers remain on Avea but work on the island.
It is understood that upon full payment, ownership of Munia will be transferred to the four clan trustees as freehold land. If the trustees fail to meet their payment commitments, the minister has the power to revoke the agreement, resulting in the loss of all funds paid to the government.
The Freehold Buyback Scheme was implemented in 1989 to facilitate the purchase of ancestral land that had previously been alienated.
Mr. Umu recounted how the 118 villagers on Avea are descended from early migrants from Vuna, Taveuni. History shows that his forefathers initially settled on Munia Island before being displaced in the 1860s due to tribal wars and the transaction with foreigners led by Ratu Galea. Elders who remained on Munia at the time of the sale experienced intimidation from the incoming settlers, leading them to flee to Vanuabalavu.
Mr. Umu, who began working on Munia Island in the 1950s, recalls the period of white occupation, which continued until the 1970s. He reflected on the fact that when the island was returned, little remained. Today, the voices of the Munia descendants in Avea resonate through Fiji’s music scene, represented by several local bands and a gospel group.