ROKO TUI DREKETI (Title)

 
TITLE:  Roko Tui Dreketi DYNASTY: Tuisawau
STATE:   Fiji (Rewa) CREATION: 18xx 
   
PRESENT TITLE HOLDER:  Ro Adi Teimumu Vuikaba Kepa (née Tuisawau), since 2004.
born 1945, she is a former students' co-ordinator at the University of the South Pacific and principal of Corpus Christi College, she has served in the Fijian Cabinet in 2000, having joined the interim government of Prime Minister Qarase as Minister for Women, Culture, and Social Welfare; appointed Minister for Education in 2001/-, Chairperson of the Rewa Provincial Council in 2005 (May to August); elected to the executive board of UNESCO in October 2005; married Sailosi Wai Kepa of Ono-i-Lau, born 4th November 1938, died 1st March 2004, he was educated at Draiba Fijian School, Lelean Memorial School and Nasinu Teachers College 1959/-, later qualified with a Law degree; he served as the Director of Public Prosecutions, a magistrate, High Commissioner to London, Minister for Justice and Attorney General from 1988 to 1992, when he became a High Court judge; he was appointed the first Chairman of Fiji's Human Rights Commission in 1998; he served as Fiji's Ombudsman 2001/2003; Chairman of the Fiji Rugby Union 1983/1986; Life Member of the Fiji Rugby Union (1994), and has issue, two sons and two daughters.
  • Filipe Kepa
  • Sailosi Kepa
  • Asenaca Kepa
  • Tupoutu'a Kepa
PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: The Roko Tui Dreketi is the Paramount Chief of Fiji's Rewa Province and of the Burebasaga Confederacy, to which Rewa belongs. This title is considered the second most senior in Fiji's House of Chiefs. The dynasty holding the title is the Tuisawau family. Unlike many other chiefly titles, this one is not reserved for males. Title holders were...
  • Ro Tura [Tera], married and had issue.
    • Ro Lutunasobasoba, married and had issue.
      • Ro Buisavulu
      • Ro Rokomautu, married and had issue.
        • Ro Rovarovaivalu, he left Verata and settled in Levuka, and later travelled to Namosi.
      • Ro Rokoratu [Romelasiga], travelled from the Verata coast to Rewa in his canoe at Namako' and settled at Dreketi in the southwest coast of the delta; married and had issue.
        • Roko Ralawai (qv)
      • Ro Tuinayavu
      • Ro Daunisai
      • Ro Sagavulunavuda
    • Ro Kubunavanua
  • Roko Ralawai -/1825, 1st Roko Tui (Dreketi), he was installed by the vanua of Rewa on Lomanikoro.
  • Roko Tabaiwalu 1825/1839, became the Roko Tui Dreketi of Rewa in about 1825 with the help of white adventurers, he brought the island of Kadavu under his control; married (amongst many wives), (a), a lady of rank from Kadavu, married (b), his chief wife, Adi Waqainaiveni, the Radini Dreketi, married (c), Adi Salaisai, said to be a daughter of Ratu Banuve Baleivavalagi, 3rd Vunivalu of Bau, and had issue, allegedly over 100 children (though only seven sons from three wives had any status). He was killed by his son at an advanced age in 1839.
    • Roko Koroitamana (by the Kadavu lady) (qv)
    • Roko Macanawai Tuisawau (by Adi Salaisai) (qv)
    • Roko Vidovi, died 1842 in New York.
    • Roko Cokanauto [aka Mr. Phillips] (by Adi Salaisai) (qv)
    • Roko Nagraningiou (by Adi Waqainaiveni)
    • Roko Qaraniqio (by Adi Waqainaiveni) (qv)
    • Roko Banuve Kania (by Adi Waqainaiveni) (qv)
    • Roko Bativuaka (by Adi Waqainaiveni) (qv)
  • Roko Koroitamana 1839, due to the intrigues of the Radini Dreketi who wished to have her sons succeed, he was the target of a number of assasination attempts, with the approval of his own father, finally to end the attempts on his life, he had his father killed, but was killed shortly afterwards on the orders of the Radini Dreketi who pretended that her husband was still alive and wanted his son dead. He died 1839.
  • Roko Bativuaka 1839, he was unpopular, and soon found himself in competition with his half brother Roko Macanawai, trading threats and insults with him until a confrontation became inevitable, which came about resulting in his death by clubbing. He died 1839.
  • Roko MacanaWai Tuisawau 1839, full brother of Roko Cokanauto, he killed his half brother with a throwing club and took control of Rewa, while the Radini Dreketi fled to Ambau with her two remaining sons, from there she hired Roko Vidovi to kill him, who shortly afterwards shot Ro Macanawai through the chest whilst he was eating his dinner in his house. He died 1839.
  • Roko Cokanauto 1839/1841 and 1845/1851 or 1845/1852, born about 1810, married and had issue. He died 1851.
    • Roko B. V. Rabici (qv)
  • Roko Qaraniqio 1839/1840 and 1851/1855, died 26th January 1855
  • Roko Banuve Kania 1839/1845, full elder brother of Roko Qaraniqio, he took control of the government after the murder of his half brother; married Adi Liku Qoliwasawasa, daughter of Ratu Naulivou Ramatenikutu, Vunivalu of Bau, and his wife, Adi Kawanavere, and had issue. He died December 1845.
    • Ro Adi Saunalewa, married Ro Peceli Musudroka, Vunivalu of Rewa, and had issue.
      • Ro Epeli Vakacaracara, Turaga ni Valu, Vunivalu of Rewa, married Adi Sanimili Rokolewasau, daughter of Ratu Timoci Vakaruru, 2nd Qaranivalu of Naitasiri, and his wife, Adi Arieta Kuila, and had issue.
      • Ro Kelerayani Yatovanua, married Ratu Aca Ravulo, Tui Suva.
      • Ro Joni Cure Mataitini, Vunivalu of Rewa, married 1stly, Maraia Pickering, daughter of Charles Pickering, married 2ndly, 1893, Sereani Tolani, died sp 1897, married 3rdly, 1898, Adi Florie, died 1905, daughter of Ratu Vuniani Vukinamualevu, Roko Tui Ba, and had issue. 
  • Roko B. V. Rabici 1855/1874 
  • Ratu Timoci Tavanavanua 1874/1888, born 1847 in Lakeba, second son of Ratu Cakobau (see Vuinvalu title), Roko Tui Rewa (and, by Fijian title, Roko Tui Dreketi); married and had issue. He died 1888.
    • Adi Teimumu Vuikaba, married 1903, Ratu Lutunauga Bativuaka Tuisawau, and had issue (see below).
  • ....
  • Ro Emori Bikavanua Logavatu 1920/1924
  • Ratu Lutunauga Bativuaka Tuisawau 1924/1936, born 1881, married 1903, Adi Teimumu Vuikaba (see above), died 1945, and had issue.
    • Ratu George Cokanauto Tuisawau (qv)
  • Ratu George Cokanauto Tuisawau 1936/1961, born 1901, Roko Tui Dreketi and Paramount Chief of Burebasaga and Rewa, married 1stly, Adi Asenaca Vosailagi Makutu of the Ka Levu household of Nadroga, and had issue, as well as further issue by Flora Black of the Tui Kanacea household of Vuna in Taveuni, and Miliakere Lewavaro from the Yavusa Nakovacake of Namotomoto Village in Nadi. He died 1961.
    • Ro Adi Lalabalavu Litia Katoafutoga Tuisawau (by Adi Asenaca) (qv)
    • Ro Adi Teimumu Vuikaba Tuisawau (by Adi Asenaca) (qv)
    • Ratu Aporosa Rageci Tuisawau (by Flora), born 20th September 1924, married 1959, Maraia Sau (Tuisawau) of Vutia in Rewa, and has issue.
      • Ro Adi Asela Flora Tuisawau, born 11th January 1960
      • Ratu George Cokanauto Tuisawau, born 6th May 1962
      • Ro Adi Alumeci Susu Tuisawau, born 4th April 1964
      • Ratu Mosese Varasikete Tuisawau, born 18th May 1966, died 1993.
      • Ro Adi Vasemaca Laisa Lewatubekoro Tuisawau, born 30th March 1977
    • Ro Mosese Varasikete Tuisawau (by Miliakere), born 26th March 1926, married Leba Losana (Tuisawau), and had issue. He died 24th November 2000 in Lautoka.
      • Ro Lutunauga Bativuaka Tuisawau, born 1960. 
      • Ro Miliakere Lewavaro Tuisawau, born 1962. 
      • Ro Filipe Qaraniqio Tuisawau, born 1964.
      • Ro Alipate Komaiwai Tuisawau, born 1965. 
      • Ro Asela Lalaciwa Tuisawau, born 1967.
  • Ro Adi Lalabalavu Litia Katoafutoga Tuisawau [Lady Adi Mara] 1961/2004, born 3rd January 1931, Roko Tui Dreketi and Paramount Chief of Burebasaga and Rewa, married 22nd September 1950, Ratu Sir Kamisese Kapaiwai Tuimacilai Mara, 3rd Tui Lau and Tui Nayau, and had issue. She died 20th July 2004.
  • Ro Adi Teimumu Vuikaba Tuisawau (see above)
 
 ADDITIONS,CORRECTIONS,SUGGESTIONS?...Click_here
 Back to GENEALOGICAL GLEANINGS or INDIAN PRINCELY STATES


SOURCE: Elites: Choice, Leadership and succession, Chapter 6 Making the Chief – Page 116, By Antonia Pedroso de Lima, Joao de Pina-Cabral, Published first in 2000 by Berg Editorial Offices, Oxford, U.K