sitting first from left, Joji Marau, Head of School for Mechanical Engineering at FNU, Eremasi Tamanisau, Electronics Instrumentation and Control instructor at FNU with Professor Ankim Swamy and Dean of School, Salabogi Mavoa.
Mere Ledua
Fijian Drua Builder Making Waves on Global Stage
Mere Ledua
Suva
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A traditional drua — a Fijian double-hulled canoe built without modern fuel or machinery — now sits proudly in one of Europe’s most prestigious museums.
The man behind the revival is Joji Marau, Head of School for Mechanical Engineering at the Fiji National University (FNU), whose passion for preserving traditional knowledge is earning global recognition.
Mr Marau’s handcrafted, wind-powered vessels have been exhibited in world-renowned institutions such as the Humboldt Forum in Berlin and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
There’s massive interest overseas in what we’re doing here, “Our people don’t realise how valuable this traditional knowledge is until we see it celebrated abroad.
Joji Marau
One of his most well-known drua canoes, Adi Eta, even earned him an invitation to Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday celebration in the United Kingdom.
He said many Fijian artefacts, including sacred items, were gifted by chiefs to European visitors during the colonial era and now remain overseas.
“We lost so much of our cultural heritage because it wasn’t protected,” Mr Marau said. “Now, it’s time to bring that knowledge back — starting with our students.”
At FNU, Mr Marau is spearheading an initiative to include traditional boatbuilding techniques in engineering courses.
“This is more than culture, it’s innovation,” he said.
FNU students are already demonstrating their potential, with one developing a prototype car powered by electromagnetic energy, requiring no fuel.
“We’ve got the talent,” Mr Marau said. “What we need now is more support.”
He believes traditional sailing can play a key role in climate-friendly transport, especially for island nations like Fiji.
“These drua canoes use no fuel, no oil — just the wind,” he said. “It’s clean, sustainable, and it’s ours.”
Plans are underway to build more drua and return this vital knowledge to classrooms across Fiji.
“This is just the beginning,” Mr Marau said. “We want our youth to master both modern technology and ancestral wisdom — and sail our culture into the future.”
These drua canoes use no fuel, no oil — just the wind, “It’s clean, sustainable, and it’s ours.
Joji Marau
