Fijians apologise for ancestral cannibalism in bid to lift curse

The descendants of an English missionary eaten by cannibals in Fiji 136 years ago will receive an apology today at a ceremony staged in the village where he met his grisly end.

The Rev Thomas Baker, from Playden, East Sussex, was killed and devoured in 1867 at Nubutautau, a remote mountain community on Fiji's main island of Viti Levu. His great-great-great-grandson, Denis Russell, and 10 other relatives will receive an apology that locals hope will help lift a supposed curse on the village.

There are conflicting accounts of Baker's untimely demise, but one theory is that he touched the chief's head, culturally taboo and punishable by death, when trying to retrieve his comb. Baker's flesh was shared among inhabitants of neighbouring villages. One local reportedly boasted afterwards: "We ate everything but his boots."

The people of Nubutautau blame Baker's avenging spirit for the bad luck that they say has plagued them since that time. The village has no electricity and only a jungle logging trail links it with the outside world. Several family lines have died out, children leave school early and locals say they are regularly overlooked for development aid.

At the ceremony, to be attended by the Fijian Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, hundreds of villagers will gather to beg forgiveness for their ancestors' act of cannibalism. They will present Baker's descendants with 100 sperm whale's teeth: rare and significant gifts in Fijian tribal society.

Mr Russell and the other family members, who live in Australia, will make the five-hour trip from the coast, using four-wheel-drive vehicles to navigate logging tracks cut into cliffs. Mr Russell, 46, a coal miner from Brisbane, said: "They are obviously hurting, so we are basically going over there to help them." He said he was looking forward to the trip, although it was "a bit daunting, because you are walking into something you don't know a lot about". He added: "At least they will have peace of heart and peace of mind."

The village chief, Filimoni Nawawabalevu, said: "We are facing so many hardships. We believe we must have been cursed, and we must apologise for what happened. When we have made this apology, we will be clean again."

Chief Nawawabalevu is a descendant of the chief who led Baker to his death. Seven of the missionary's Fijian companions were also killed and eaten. Baker had been given the task of converting the inhabitants of the isolated interior of Viti Levu to Christianity. He reportedly ignored advice to remain in areas controlled by tribes that had already converted.

Thomas Baravilala, an elder in Nubutautau, said locals were still mocked by fellow Fijians because of their ancestors' behaviour. He said: "We are being punished by all of Fiji for what happened here. Every request to the government for help has been rebuffed."

Villagers have apologised several times in the past, apparently without lifting the supposed curse. In 1993 they said sorry and presented his boots to the Methodist Church of Fiji.

Cannibalism was renounced in the late 19th century, when Fijians converted to Christianity.