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Whose History is Exhibited? Public History and the Multicultural Conundrum in Fiji

Dr. Mumtaz Alam, Associate Professor in History and Acting Dean, Centre for Graduate Studies, Fiji National University.


Upon entering nearly any government structure in Suva, the capital of Fiji, one will see images adorning the corridors – chiefs in ceremonial attire, colonial governors clad in white linen suits, and independence festivities captured in monochrome. These photos convey a narrative. However, they do not convey the narratives of all individuals. In a society as complex as Fiji’s, determining whose narrative is showcased, honoured, or imparted is inherently subjective. Fiji hosts several communities with distinct historical trajectories. 

The iTaukei Fijian people are the indigenous stewards of these islands, possessing oral traditions, clan lineages, and ceremonial knowledge that extend back millennia before the arrival of any European vessel. Indo-Fijians, descendants of indentured labourers transported from India by the British colonial administration between 1879 and 1916, possess a past characterized by crossing oceans, embracing diverse cultures, enduring sorrow, and demonstrating fortitude. Communities of Rotuman, Banaban, Chinese, part-European, and other Pacific Islander descent each have distinct connections to this region and its history.  Public history, the endeavours of rendering history visible, accessible, and significant beyond the confines of the university classroom, is central to how these communities perceive themselves and one another. 

In 1904, discussions began to create a museum to showcase and safeguard traditional Fijian culture. The Fijian Society was established in 1908 with the express purpose of studying and preserving the nation’s history and culture. The Fiji Museum in Suva contains one of the Pacific’s most important collections of traditional material culture, including the cannibal fork allegedly utilized in the murder of Reverend Thomas Baker in 1867. It is a remarkable artifact, presented with meticulous attention and contextual interpretation. However, visitors often overlook the less conspicuous narrative of indenture. The girmit, a distortion of the term “agreement” that indentured labourers were compelled to sign, has inflicted a lasting scar on the communal memory of Indo-Fijians that remains unhealed. Yet, it occupies a very small position in Fiji’s public commemoration landscape compared to its significance in community awareness. 

This disparity is not exclusive to Fiji. Postcolonial nations around the Pacific confront the problem of creating public histories that respect indigenous sovereignty while recognizing the intricate and often traumatic legacies of colonialism within their societies. Fiji’s situation is particularly intriguing because no single community holds a simple majority of the population. The political history of the post-independence period, including the coups of 1987, 2000, and 2006, has at times exploited historical grievances instead of fostering reconciliation.

In secondary schools, where many young Fijians first encounter formal history, educators must carefully navigate this delicate balance. Curriculum papers and the communities to which students return each evening influence the pedagogy of history in Fiji. A history instructor in a primarily Indo-Fijian agricultural hamlet in the Rewa Delta delivers the same curriculum as a peer in an iTaukei village near Labasa; nevertheless, the emotional and cultural significance that their students attribute to the material varies significantly. The classroom serves as a venue for public history, where national narratives are evaluated in relation to personal family memories. There are promising indications. Community-oriented observances of Girmit Day on 14 May are attracting growing interest and are gradually receiving official recognition. The iTaukei oral history initiative receives assistance from academic institutions and local groups. The University of the South Pacific and Fiji National University are cultivating researchers who examine Fijian and Pacific history utilizing innovative theoretical frameworks, constructivist, sociocultural, and community-centered, that contest the hierarchical dissemination of a singular authorised narrative.

Public historians in Fiji, as well as their counterparts in other heterogeneous communities, understand that the objective is not to create a singular, cohesive narrative. History is not continuous. The objective is to establish sufficient space–in museums, classrooms, and public commemorations–for many facts to coexist without negating one another. In Fiji, that area remains under negotiation. However, it is currently under negotiation, and this negotiation represents a manifestation of public history in progress.


Dr. Mumtaz Alam, is an Associate Professor in History and Acting Dean, Centre for Graduate Studies, Fiji National University, Fiji.

OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Bridging Editor (April 22, 2026). Whose History is Exhibited? Public History and the Multicultural Conundrum in Fiji. IFPH-FIHP. Retrieved May 18, 2026 from https://doi.org/10.58079/163vb


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