In search of Kastom, Malekula style - part one
Kokamo's Pacifc Meanderings
Tom and Rachel
Wed 25 Aug 2010 08:48
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Kokamo was recently at
16:28.7S 167:26.5E
Leaving Epi island, we decided to
divert from the usual yachtie route north (up Malekula's east coat), and head
straight for Malekula's south west corner in search of surviving
traditions of the 'Small Nambas' people on one of Vanuatu's most culturally rich
islands. Flying downwind, with the gennaker up all day again, we covered
the 55 miles in record time, and anchored up in the aptly named 'South West
Bay' for our terribly British and increasingly ceremonial afternoon
tea. We'd seen some Kastom dancers from here perform at the Independence
Day celebrations in Port Vila, so it seemed a good place to start.
Going ashore the next day, we
remembered it was Sunday when the otherwise ghost like village resounded to the
sounds of singing in the Presbyterian Church (yep, it was the Scottish
missionaries who got here first). Not a great sign for the survival of
traditional life, but once the congregation had poured out, we were introduced
to Aiar Randes, who explained that while he was Elder Aiar in church on Sundays,
from Monday to Saturday he was very definitely Chief Aiar.
On Monday, Chief took us up to his
nakamal in the hills behind the village, which had been devastated by a cyclone
in 2001. We talked with him for hours, and his passion for Kastom was
clear. He has reached the 10th grade in the famous 'grade taking
ceremonies' of the small nambas (there are at least 24 in total, with each one
involving different dancing over a 24 hour long feast, and most importantly
killing a very large pig in differing ways while mid-dance). He was keen
to move back to his nakamal, which the bush had fast taken over - but it was
clear that most people had left Kastom behind, and would not follow
him.
Talking to Aiar and others back in
the village, however, revealled that a family was more advanced in
their effort to reclaim their Kastom on an island off the south coast
of Malekula: Tomman Island. As our friend at the Cultural Centre on Tanna,
Jacob, had also mentioned Tomman, we knew we had been given our next port of
call...
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