ANZ presents
- Vanuatu 'Land Eternal'
 We
welcome Vanuatu (50
delegates, 5 VIPs) as
one of the latest countries to opt to participate in the 10th
Festival of Pacific Arts. The parliamentary republic is a "Y"-shaped
chain of 83 islands 500 miles west of Fiji. The islands range
from towering volcanic cones to others covered in dense rainforest
to others which are raised coral islands with wide beaches and
deep natural harbors.
 It
is believed the first settlers arrived in Vanuatu approx. 3,500
years ago, from New Guinea and the Solomon Islands by sea-going
canoe. Remains of the Lapita culture from at least 1000 B.C.
have been excavated. Still today, the art of canoe carving is
practiced in the islands.
The first European
to discover these islands was the Spanish explorer, Captain Pedro
Ferdinand De Quiros, in 1605. He named them "Tierra
Australis del Espiritu Santo", believing he had discovered
the great southern continent. The island he landed on still bears
the name Espiritu Santo.
 In
1774, Captain James Cook sailed through the chain from north
to south. He chartered many of the islands, gave many of
them their present names, and renamed the archipelago the New
Hebrides after the islands off Scotland, by which name it was
known until Independence in 1980. WWII brought many changes
to Vanuatu with the Americans moving in and taking over in order
to defend the Pacific against Japanese incursions. James Michener
was inspired to write "Tales of the South Pacific"
while he was stationed in Santo during World War II. He
wrote of the magic of the islands and the people.
With a population
of approximately 217,746, Vanuatu boasts 113 distinct
languages and innumerable dialects. This makes it one of the
most culturally diverse countries on earth.
 However,
throughout all the islands one thing remains constant, life is
characterized by a constant cycle of ritual events including
the famous Fire Dance performed to celebrate a joyous event.
Every aspect
of a person's life is celebrated by extended families that number
in the hundreds, filial relationships being remembered back in
time through countless generations. Birth, circumcision and initiation,
the achievement of status, marriage and death are a paramount
feature of a community's social life. With so many relatives,
there seems always to be a significant ritual of some sort happening,
or about to happen, somewhere.The website Santo Today sponsored
by Rotary Club of Santo tells of Mavoonlefu, a traditional Ni-Vanuatu
village situated on the southern end of Espiritu Santo.
It is similar to dozens of traditional or "custom"
villages located all over Vanuatu. These villages have
elected to maintain a more traditional life style as this approach
better fits the environment and economic condition of Vanuatu.
 Visitors
are welcomed with a flower lei by the women of the village attired
in traditional Mother Hubbard dresses. The Mother Hubbard
dress was introduced by missionaries and is now the predominant
clothing worn by Ni-Vanuatu women.
With no written
language, story telling, songs and dances are of paramount importance.
Art, in its many forms, from body decorations and tattoos, to
elaborate masks, hats and carvings are also a vital part of ritual
celebrations and the social life of the villages.
Similar to Australian
Aboriginal stories of the dreamtime, and Maori legends of the
past, ni-Vanuatu culture is also abundant in mythic legends.
Natural formations, the presence and causes of volcanic eruptions
and other natural disasters, are all imbibed with legends of
significant cultural importance.
 Vanuatu
is special because it has retained its culture and customs resisting
the pressure of western societies. Most of Vanuatu is Christian
and there are other predominant western influences but the people
of Vanuatu are very deliberate in there adoption of western ways.
They understand the value of their traditional approach to life
and the are reluctant to change.
[Compiled from
information found on the following websites: <http://www.infoplease.com> <http://www.vanuatutourism.com> <http://www.vanuatu-photos.com> <http://www.santotoday.com>]
Read part 1 of series
Read
part 2 of series
Read part 3 of series
Read
part 4 of series
Read
part 5 of series
Read part 6 of series
Read
part 7 of series
Read
part 8 of series
Read
part 9 of series
Read part 10 of series
Read part 11 of series
To send comments
on this series, email: webmaster@samoanews.com
© Osini Faleatasi Inc. dba Samoa News reserves
all rights.
|