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Two weeks have passed since the voters went to the polls in Vanuatu, in the South Pacific. The position of Prime Minister is yet to be decided, as controversy rages behind closed doors and in the Nakamals (local kava bars). The political parties jostle for position as they struggle to form a coalition government. However, emotions are also heated at lesser levels of the political scene.
September 16th is a holiday for people from the Penama province, a small group of tropical islands in Vanuatu. It was also the day set aside for a peace ceremony between the Vanuatu Agricultural and Technical Centre and Chief Molbarab. The Chief had counted on the votes from the Centre to reelect him into office. When the votes did not materialize as promised, tension quickly built up between the chief’s family and the Centre. It was alleged the Chief would place namele leaves at the door of the Centre, effectively closing the Centre down.
Namele leaves from the Chief''s Palm, are a very real threat in Vanuatu culture. If two namele leaves are crossed over and placed on any business, the staff will not enter the property, no matter what was said to try to convince them otherwise. The business grinds to a resounding halt and remains that way until the dispute is cleared up.
Namele leaves, which are seen on the Vanuatu flag as a sign of peace, along with the pig tusks, a symbol of wealth, are also used as a very strong emblem of taboo. If a senior person or family feels they have the right to the fruit of a particular tree, all they have to do is tie a namele leaf on the trunk. Anyone breaking the taboo is liable to a fine that will be reinforced by the chief of the village.
A dental clinic fell into a dispute and two namele leaves were crossed over and placed before the door. In spite of patients being booked into the clinic, business was compelled to stop. The clinic remained closed until such time as the dispute was settled.
In a dispute over the illegal use of some land as a village garden, the chief owning the property placed several sets of crossed namele leaves around the property, then killed a pig over the top of the leaves, in order to make the magic of the leaves even stronger. The offenders were ordered by the chief, to pay one pig each, for wrongful use of the land. When the six offenders refused to obey custom law, they were hauled into white man’s court and ended up being banned from using the land, forced to pay the full court costs for the defendant, plus still owing the chief a pig each. It is hoped that there will be no more threats of crossed namele leaves, or the need for more peace ceremonies, before the Vanuatu political scene returns to some sense of normality.
About the Author
Dr Wendy Stenberg-Tendys and her husband are CEO's of YouMe Support Foundation, Vanuatu, (http://youmesupport.org) providing high school education grants through a Blue Moon Opportunity. You can really help make a difference in some great kids’ lives. Take a few minutes to check it out
http://winaresort.com
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