Sevusevu Welcome Ceremony

Last week, our program had the opportunity to visit a local village here in Fiji and partake in a welcome ceremony known as sevusevu. This ceremony is performed for visitors coming into and being accepted into the village by the village headman or Turaga ni Koro. Before we went inside for the ceremony, the Turaga ni Koro said a chant in order to announce our presence for the ceremony to begin. All of the students and staff then entered the building where the ceremony took place and removed our shoes before coming inside. We also all dressed moderately out of respect for the people of the village, and the Fijians were similarly wearing clothing that covered their shoulders and knees. We then all sat down on a woven mat before the Turaga ni Koro and the elder men from the village with Dr. Garton sitting before us as our representative. For this ceremony, a half bundle of waka is offered to the village which is the lower part of the same plant that produces kava. The Turaga ni Koro then gave our offering to the chief of the village, and the ceremony commences. The chief then clapped three times which in Fiji is known as a cobo and continued to proceed with the traditional speech in Fijian. The kava, or traditional Fijian drink, was simultaneously being stirred, and each act of mixing the kava is significant to the sevusevu. It ended with Dr. Garton accepting a drink of kava and all of us participating in a cobo.

I am very thankful to have been a part of the sevusevu ceremony. While it is incredible to get to stay at the Uprising resort, the sevusevu allowed all of us to visit a village and experience a whole different side of Fiji. My only regret was not researching more about the sevusevu so I could have maybe understood the significance of the chief’s and Turaga ni Koro’s actions within the ceremony. Once, the sevusevu was complete, we were treated to Fijian foods which were so delicious. The villagers were all so welcoming and friendly to us and getting to meet them all was so special. I noticed that there were no children in the building during the ceremony, but once it was over I saw little heads peeking out from the kitchen area. My friends and I then got to play with all of the kids, and we even got a game of duck duck goose started. The whole experience made me so excited to visit the local school to paint and interact more with the people of Fiji.

In my personal experience, I was looking to seek acceptance of friendships here on the Pacific Program. Before this program, the only friend I knew coming here was Jillian, and we were already fairly close. I knew, however, I could not only cling to her as my only friend and would need to go outside of my comfort zone in an effort to meet more people. For my very first weekend in Dunedin, the weekend trip plans I was going to be a part of had fallen through. I was scared of being alone at the university my first weekend in New Zealand, and I was panicking asking people if they had space for one more person in their cars and Air B&Bs. Luckily for me, Jillian had made plans with a group of people to go to Queenstown, and she thought there was probably enough room for one more. She told me that she would ask the group chat going to Queenstown if there was any chance I could join their travel group. I remember waiting and being so nervous to hear back. To my pleasant surprise, Jillian burst into my dorm room with me mid-crying and saved the day. She told me that everyone was happy for me to join and that they said, “The more the merrier!” I had such a sense of relief, and the people that accepted me into their travel group ended up being the best friends I have had during the program since. The sevusevu helps me understand and appreciate this past experience by being friendly and welcoming to people and by giving people the benefit of the doubt.