Tu’i Nayau is the title held by the paramount chief of the Lau Islands in Fiji and is synonymous with the title holders over lordship of these islands. When translated, Tu’i Nayau means "Lord of Nayau", an island north of Lakeba, the latter accepted by many to be the chiefly island in the Lauan archipelago. Prior to being installed as Tu’i Nayau, the claimant must first be confirmed upon the decision of the noble households making up the Vuanirewa clan and then installed Sau or High Chief of Lau. Not every Sau has been installed Tu’i Nayau.
Tu’i Nayau was originally an independent title referring specifically to the overlord of Nayau, then separate from the Lakeba State.
The earliest oral records suggest that the progenitor of the leading family of Nayau stemmed from the Tu’i Naosara, son of Kubunavanua, celebrated chief and folk hero of Moala. Naosara had two sons, Buivaroro and Kalouyalewa.
The period after the death of Chief Niumataiwalu in Ono-i-Lau can be assumed to have followed with the conquest of Lakeba by the Levuka people from Bau and supplanting the supremacy of the Cekena dynasty in the Lakeba State with a dictatorship under the heavy hand of the Levuka peoples’ leader, Codro. Before this occurred, Niumatawalu’s surviving sons had fled and sought refuge with their relatives.
Nayau is an island of Fiji, a member of the Lau archipelago. Nearby cities: Nuku'Alofa; Mu'a; Lata
Coordinates: 17°58'39"S 179°3'13"W.
Nayau, north of Lakeba, is one of the islands in the Lau Group. Delaiwawa is the name of its highest mountain and is the tallest towering mountain in the whole Lau group. During the old days when they go to battle Nayauan Warlords were victorious in most battles because from these mountains they could see their enermies coming to their shores, and were slaughtered before they reached its shores. Has three villages which are Liku, Salia, and Narocivo. Very isolated island but is a chiefly island where the traditional ceremony of the TuiNayau and Sau ni vanua o Lau is installed. Nayau people are known as the Vunirewa meaning the origin, older, base or the Rewa tree itself and the Vuanirewa clan which are in Lakeba are from Nayau meaning vuana, younger, or fruit of the tree. Nayau, consists of the Masi ni vanua o Lau which are the VakaniNayau or TuiLiku {chief of Liku village], TuiDevobalavu or TuiDevo [chief of Salia] and TuiNarocivo or TuiNaro [chief of Narocivo]. These three chiefs make up the 'Masi ni Vanua O Lau' and they decide the next successor of the TuiNayau Sau Ni Vanua O Lau and installation of the TuiNayau in the chiefly island of Nayau.