Thread by @maseikula

Totally agree with @fijianintheuk

While iTaukei (both diasporic and local) wish to learn about their vanua history via social media certain information is not appropriate to share on an online forum. 1/7

https://twitter.com/fijianintheuk/status/1329862659420938240

Social media makes it easier for diasporic populations to connect with their culture and languages remotely. It helps indigenous people in engaging and controlling their own [cultural] development. 2/7

However, as Mander (1991) warns in "In the Absence of the Sacred", this could lead to the breakdown of unique cultures partly due to the "hard sell tactics of the exploitative Western world". 3/7

The vulnerability lies especially in areas of legally unprotected ownership of intellectual and cultural property. With the ease of digital replication, it makes it difficult to control cultural misappropriation. 4/7

And as @RobynKamira (2001) rightly puts it, "There is a threat again to have our stories and histories reproduced by others who have no stake in their integrity or survival." 5/7

The other danger is that we run the risk of creating for ourselves a homogenized identity and you've heard @islandernerd and @ShadyIslander talk a lot about this. 6/7

Lastly, most elders who actually hold traditional knowledge and who are well versed with the practices are not on social media to correct or ensure that tk is shared accurately. 7/7

(Disclaimer: Au sega ni via veisisivi thread. 😅)