World Heritage Site Finds Place In Guinness World Record

PRLog (Press Release) - Nov 27, 2009 -
A World Heritage Site, Chief Roi Mata’s domain, has once more hit the world stage. It is the final chapter of a story that involved 838 participants in a Guinness World Record Challenge, held in Port Vila, Vanuatu, in the South Pacific, on the 19th November. You Me Support Foundation, a Vanuatu charity, hosted the event.

The story was spread-out across the 83 of the archipelago, which stretches across 1000kms. On each island the stars of the story revealed wonders that not many people know about, from giant burial stones, to a fire walking ceremony, to where giant lobsters and coconut crabs live.

In the closing chapter of ‘Vanuatu Treasure’ the two main characters, Natou-Kole and Laena are seen standing outside Roi Mata’s cave home, on Lelepa Island, with the treasure chest, while Maui, the giant tortoise, completes a victory roll in the sky.

Chief Roi Mata was the last of Vanuatu’s paramount chiefs. He was a strong and very powerful 17th century Melanesian chief and generally known for his social reforms and conflict resolutions. He was the first to hold the great peace feasts, where he introduced a system of totemic clans, which succeeded in binding the people together through maternal links.

Roi Mata is even yet an inspiration and source of power for many of the Ni-Vanuatu people. It is widely felt that the ancient cave drawing on Lelepa Island is a drawing of Roi Mata.
For around 400 years custom tabu (prohibition) has applied to Roi Mata’s mass burial site, which contains between 25 - 50 members of his personal retinue. They were buried alive with the great chief. It is thought the men were permitted to drink kava, a soporiphic local drink, but this privilege was not allowed for the women.

According to legend he was the first chief to beat the land and unite the tribes. Though Roi Mata had a peaceful reign, he was poisoned to death by his brother.

Roi Mata’s body was delivered to the island of Artuk for burial, for the locals feared his spirit. A small community living on Artuk was forced to be relocated to the main island of Efate.

Because of the oral tradition to the culture, it is difficult to find much written about this powerful chief, however no one since has dared to take the name of Roi Mata since.


Dr Wendy Stenberg-Tendys and her husband are CEO's of YouMe Support Foundation (http://youmesupport.org) provide high school education grants for children who are without hope. You can help in this really great project by taking a few minutes to check it the Tropical Island Treasure Chest at Win a Resort (http://winaresort.com) It really will change your life.
Feel free to contact Wendy on admin@youmesupport.org

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/10429620/1