“Our Home is on Fire” – the cry of creation from Suva, Fiji

For years, we have witnessed the stories of the Pacific on the front lines of environmental justice, dealing with issues such as climate change and extractive industries. This year, indigenous communities cried out against these injustices through the Tagi Production, which Caritas was honoured to witness. 

The Tagi Production, entitled ‘Our Home is on Fire’, involved two performances on 23rd June in Suva, Fiji – one in the afternoon to schools, and one in the evening to the general public, including a representative of the Prime Minister.

Tagi was organised by the Archdiocese of Suva, as well as our He Oranga Taurikura partners Caritas Fiji. The production included performances and storytelling of environmental and social justice issues from communities around Fiji, as well as Vanuatu, West Papua, the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, and Aotearoa's own Whanganui River. 

Approach 

Tagi Production focussed on indigenous storytelling and arts, providing the Pacific's unique indigenous voice on global issues such as climate change at a very local and personal level. Performances included some modern songs (Man in the Mirror was a hit with the crowd), but the biggest highlights were traditional dances and songs from across the Pacific, such as the Fijian Meke. Performers were proud to represent their cultures, and the audience was wowed by what many said was one of the largest cultural performances in Fiji in recent memory. What made things even more impressive was that the bulk of the performers were school students. We had the privilege to speak with two students, Sitiveni and Trevor, who told us they were “hyped up” to perform. They had put a lot of practice into their performances, both early mornings and late nights fitting around their studies. 

This approach was chosen to emphasise the interconnectedness of Pacific peoples and the challenges they face. Many people we spoke to said they were unaware that people on other islands had been dealing with similar problems – such as deforestation in both Fiji and the Solomon Islands. Sitiveni and Trevor both said they previously weren’t aware of the issues of climate change, and its impacts across the Pacific, but that taking part in Tagi had motivated them to take action about it. Sitiveni was particularly proud to do so while representing his family and his country. 

The Fiji national gymnasium was packed full of students waiting to see their classmates perform in the afternoon show.

Stories 

The Tagi cast included many powerful storytellers, and we cannot possibly do them justice within the space of this article. There were deeply moving songs and stories about the plight of people in West Papua, about the Melanesian community in Fiji who were blackbirded from their home islands and brought for labour, and about the issues of logging in the Solomon Islands. 

There was also a deeply moving story from Lavenia McGoon, who spoke of how rising sea levels overtaking her village have already submerged the graves of her ancestors. Similar stories from Kiribati and other parts of Fiji emphasised the horrific toll climate change is already taking on these nations. 

Local leaders from around Fiji, including the Namosi province, also spoke of how mining projects threaten their land and livelihoods. Caritas has been following the story of Namosi since 2014, and it was heartbreaking to see that their struggle continues to this day. 

‘Tagi’ is the Fijian word for tears, and these stories emphasised the vulnerability of the Pacific, which Archbishop Peter Loy Chung has explained as a powerful motivator to action. However, they also brought a message of hope – it was inspiring to see so many people, young and old, brought together by their determination to stand up for their homes. 

Aotearoa's involvement 

Alongside other indigenous Pacific performers, we were very proud to see a Māori performance by mana whenua from the Whanganui river. Merekānara and Hoani Ponga, accompanied by their son Te Korou (who stole the show!) shared the story of their people's fight to protect their awa through a powerful performance. Their story was followed with keen interest in Fiji, including a television interview. 

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is very proud to have supported the Ponga family, funding their journey to Suva to represent our country's unique indigenous voice, and travelling with them to provide support. We are also proud to have financially supported the Tagi Production through our partners in Caritas Fiji, who we also partner with through our He Oranga Taurikura programme.