Eaten missionary's family head for Fiji

The residents of a Fiji village are preparing to apologise to the family of
a English Christian missionary who was eaten by tribes people 136 years
ago.
Cows, fine mats and 30 sperm whales' teeth are to be presented to Thomas
Baker's descendants in the traditional ceremony on Thursday.

The inhabitants of Navatusila on the island of Viti Levu believe their
village has been suffering bad luck ever since the cannibalism incident,
and hope saying sorry will help their fortunes.

There are various stories as to why Thomas Baker was killed and cooked by
the people of Navatusila on 21 July, 1867. Some say that he tried to take a
comb out of the village chief's hair, or a hat from his head, without
realising that touching a chief's head in Fiji is forbidden.



We believe we must have been cursed, and we must apologise for what
happened... When we have made the apology we will be clean again
Filimoni Nawawabalevu, chief of Navatusila
But others say that a wider power-struggle between different chiefs was to
blame.

Thomas Baker's great-great-great-grandson, Dennis Russell, a miner from
Brisbane, and 10 other family members plan to travel to Navatusila for the
ceremony.

It will take them five hours by four-wheel drive to get there, and the
final 3 or 4 kilometres of a makeshift road have reportedly only been
bulldozed in the last few days.

According to the French news agency AFP, the ceremony will begin with a
Christian church service and will be followed by an apology to the family
of Thomas Baker, and also to the paramount chief of the neighbouring
district who represents the Fijians killed in the incident.

Fiji's Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, is expected to attend.


We are facing so many hardships," Ratu, or chief, Filimoni Nawawabalevu
told AFP.

"We believe we must have been cursed, and we must apologise for what
happened... When we have made the apology we will be clean again," he said.

One villager who took part in the feast was quoted in contemporary accounts
as saying "we ate everything but his boots".

One of his boots is reportedly on display in the Fiji Museum.

Reverend Baker is one of the few recorded examples of a Westerner falling
victim to Fiji cannibals.

Cannibalism died out in Fiji in the mid-19th century with the end of
warring and the acceptance of Christianity.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3263163.stm