Changes

== History ==

== History ==

About four thousand years ago,{{fact}} [[Lapita]] people, ancestors of current Fijian aborigines settled in Fiji. These aborigines are genetically related to Malay and Polynesians, and linguists classify their language as Austronesian.

The earliest settlement of Fiji can be attributed to the [[Lapita]] people, seen as the ancestors of the current Fijian. Their settlement in the Natadola area of southwest Viti Levu Island can be dated to 1260 B.C. These aborigines are genetically related to Malay and Polynesians, and linguists classify their language as Austronesian.<ref>http://www.usp.ac.fj/index.php?id=2531&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=71&tx_ttnews[backPid]=331&cHash=b011137648</ref>

Fiji is the source of many of the tales of South Pacific [[cannibalism]], the consumption of enemy tribesmen captured in the internecine warfare being a major social activity, and other victims being used as foundations of buildings and living rollers to launch war canoes. The arrival of (initially Catholic) missionaries and conversion of the islanders to Christianity brought an end to cannibalism in the islands. However today, a second wave of missionaries (predominantly of recently formed American sects) is reigniting strife in the rural villages of Fiji, some of which may contain half a dozen different churches.{{fact}}

Fiji is the source of many of the tales of South Pacific [[cannibalism]], the consumption of enemy tribesmen captured in the internecine warfare being a major social activity, and other victims being used as foundations of buildings and living rollers to launch war canoes. The arrival of (initially Catholic) missionaries and conversion of the islanders to Christianity brought an end to cannibalism in the islands. However today, a second wave of missionaries (predominantly of recently formed American sects) is reigniting strife in the rural villages of Fiji, some of which may contain half a dozen different churches.{{fact}}