Constructing identity through ceremonial language in rural Fiji

This article re-examines the sevusevu, a ceremonial presentation of kava in Fiji, in light of recent literature on globalization. Scholars have traced the sevusevu to Fijian assumptions about the polity and about the cosmos and have argued that sevusevu reproduce assumptions about rank and are used to negotiate relative status. This essay argues that such concerns are now secondary to using sevusevu to define a meaningful place for rural Fijians in national and international contexts through asserting that their tradition is more valuable than money.