King Charles III declared 'High Chief' in Samoa; sips traditional narcotic drink 'kava' | PHOTOS

Apia, Samoa: King Charles III participated in a traditional kava-drinking ceremony on Thursday, where he was honoured as a "high chief" by a group of bare-chested, heavily tattooed Samoans. This event took place during his 11-day tour of Australia and Samoa, marking his first major international trip since his cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

Dressed in a white safari-style suit, the 75-year-old monarch sat at the head of a carved wooden longhouse. He was offered a polished half-coconut filled with kava, a mildly intoxicating drink that plays a significant role in Pacific culture, known locally as "ava."

The kava roots were showcased and prepared by the chief's daughter, filtered through a sieve made from the bark of a fau tree. As the drink was ready, a Samoan man shouted as he poured it, finally presenting it to the king. Charles uttered the words: "May God Bless this ava" before lifting it to his lips. The ceremony concluded with claps. Queen Camilla, sitting beside him, fanned herself to cope with the tropical heat.

Many Samoans expressed their excitement to welcome the king, as this is his first visit to the Pacific Island nation, which was formerly a British colony. Later, the royal couple visited the village of Moata'a, where King Charles was named "Tui Taumeasina," or high chief. Local legends suggest that this area is where coconuts first originated.

"Everyone has taken to our heart and is looking forward to welcoming the king," said local chief Lenatai Victor Tamapua ahead of the visit. "We feel honoured that he has chosen to be welcomed here in our village. So as a gift, we would like to bestow him a title."

During the visit, he planned to discuss climate change with the king and queen and show them the local mangroves. "The high tides is just chewing away on our reef and where the mangroves are," he said, adding that food sources and communities were being washed away or inundated. "Our community relies on the mangrove area for mud crab and fishes, but since, the tide has risen over the past 20 years by about two or three metres (up to 10 feet)."

King Charles is also in Samoa to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Apia. The meeting will focus on significant topics, including the legacy of colonialism. Commonwealth leaders are set to choose a new secretary-general from an African country, following the rotation of positions. All three main candidates have publicly advocated for reparations related to slavery and colonialism.

One candidate, Joshua Setipa from Lesotho, mentioned that the resolution might involve innovative forms of compensation, such as climate financing. "We can find a solution that will begin to address some injustices of the past and put them in the context happening around us today," he said. Climate change is a key issue on the agenda, with countries like Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Fiji urging a "fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty," calling on Australia, Britain, and Canada to take stronger actions to reduce emissions.

Pacific leaders argue that these major nations have historically contributed over 60 percent of the Commonwealth's fossil fuel emissions. Vanuatu's special envoy for climate change, Ralph Regenvanu, has urged other nations to support the treaty. "As a Commonwealth family, we look to those that dominate fossil fuel production in the Commonwealth to stop the expansion of fossil fuels in order to protect what we love and hold dear here in the Pacific," he said.

Meanwhile, Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, stated that her resource-rich country is working towards becoming cleaner. "We know we have a lot of work to do, and I've been upfront with every partner in the Pacific," she said.

Pacific island nations -- once seen as the embodiment of palm-fringed paradise -- are now among the most climate-threatened areas of the planet.

Agency