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Turaga : This mataqali descends from the original ancestor through
primogeniture - inheritance of the eldest son in each succeeding generation. The
chief of a village is always chosen from the Turaga mataqali.
Sauturaga : These are next in rank to the chiefs, support him, and enforce his
commands.
Mata ni vanua : These form the official heralds of the village. They are also in
charge of ceremonial functions.
Bete : This was the traditional priestly class. The kalou-vu was believed to
speak through the Bete.
Bati : This mataqali forms the traditional warrior class.
The mataqali are subdivided into Tokatoka, each comprising closely related
families.
Several Yavusa comprise a village, several of which form a district. The British
colonial rulers amalgamated the districts into Yasana, or Provinces. The
districts also form three Matanitu, or Confederacies. These are often said to be
agglomerations of provinces, but as the latter were a colonial imposition, the
boundaries do not coincide exactly, and the Provinces of Ba and Ra are each
split between two Confederacies. The Kubuna Confederacy covers Tailevu, Bau, and
Verata, on the south east side of the main island of Viti Levu. and the
Lomaitviti group, This Confederacy in modern Fiji is considered to be the most
senior. The other two are Burebasaga (covering the rest of Viti Levu), and
Tovata, covering Vanua Levu, and the Lau archipelago. Despite its isolation and
relatively small size, Tovata has been politically dominant since Fiji gained
its independence in 1970.
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