South-West Pacific Cultural Heritage Training Program 2003.
Interim Report September 10, 2003.
Dr Stuart Bedford
The Vanuatu fieldwork and training workshop component of the 2003 South-West Pacific
Cultural Heritage Training Program has been completed. It largely followed the earlier
proposed and approved fieldwork training schedule. Dr Stuart Bedford (Auckland, New
Zealand) and Yoko Nojima (Osaka, Japan) arrived in Port Vila, Vanuatu in late July to
finalise the details of the Training Program with Ralph Regenvanu, Director of the Vanuatu
Cultural Centre (VCC), Martha Yamsiu, Manager of the Vanuatu Cultural and Historic Sites
Survey (VCHSS) and Willy Damelip and Richard Shing, field staff of the VCHSS. The
various fieldworkers who had expressed interest in attending earlier in the year were
contacted and provided with commencement dates and flight details. Bedford gave an
interview with Abong Thomson at the VCC in relation to the project and its objectives which
was broadcast on Radio Vanuatu on the 2nd of August.
The workshop commenced on the island of Vao in Northeast Malekula where all participants
gathered on the 4th of September 2003. Those that attended the workshop who flew out from
Port Vila included Dr Stuart Bedford (Project Coordinator), Yoko Nojima (PhD student
Hawaii University), Warren Gumbley (archaeological and heritage management consultant,
NZ), Andrew Hoffman (archaeologist and VSA volunteer with the VCC), and Willy Damelip
and Richard Shing (VCHSS). Other participants who came from other islands included
Jimmy Sananbath (NW Malekula), Sangmuru Hatison (West Malekula), Timoti Taitai
(Ambae), John Star (Gaua, Banks Islands), Bernard Rossi (Atchin Island), Iarawoi Philip
(Uripiv Island), Naror Garry (Wala) and Numa Fred of the Malekula Cultural Centre.
Reports on the workshop in 2002 were distributed to communities and schools which the
workshop had visited that year. These included Uri, Uripiv, Atchin and Vao. Copies of the
Sasakawa newsletter Wave of Pacifika with accompanying maps of the Pacific were
distributed at the same time.
The workshop on Vao continued for three weeks and involved a number of surveys of the
island and areas on the nearby Malekula mainland along with archaeological excavation on
Vao. A series of presentations were given to the local community which included school
tours, video shows and group discussions. A shellfish workshop which involved members of
the community analysing the excavated shell remains was of particular local interest as it
demonstrated changing patterns of preference and radical reduction in shellfish size and
variety over time. People on the island were very supportive of the workshop and are well
aware of the potential pressure of increasing development as a series of new tourist ventures
have just begun to appear along the coast. While the community respect and protect the large
ceremonial structures on the island they were completely unaware of the rich archaeological
remains on the island which might also be affected by future development. Professor Geoff
Hope of the Australian National University visited the workshop on Vao for 10 days and was
able to explain and discuss issues such as human impacts on the environment, the geological
history of the islands and he also demonstrated various coring techniques used in establishing
environmental change and soil profiles. Dr Christophe Sand of the Museum of Noumea, New
Caledonia also visited the workshop for a week. The French speaking community on Vao
benefited from his discussions of similar cultural heritage issues and archaeological remains
that are found in New Caledonia. Dr Sand specifically joined the group to discuss with
VCHSS staff and VCC fieldworkers who were attending the workshop, the proposed
publication on Cultural Heritage Management and archaeology from an indigenous
perspective, which is also being supported by the Sasakawa Foundation.
The workshop on Vao finished on the 23rd of August and all participants then moved to the
very south of Malekula to the Maskelyne Islands. Here we were joined by the two
fieldworkers from that area Dickinson Dick and Macllen Dick. The workshop was based on
Uliveo Island, the most populated island of the group. Increasing population here has placed
pressure on cultural sites a number of which have already been badly damaged. A series of
discussions were held with different community groups emphasising heritage management.
School tours were also arranged in the last week as a series of excavations had by then been
commenced and students could clearly see the deep stratigraphy representing several thousand
years of human habitation on the islands. Copies of Wave of Pacifika were also given out to
the community. Other islands of the group that were visited included Sakau, Vulai and Awei
Islands.
The workshop closed on the Maskelyne Islands on the 4th of September and all participants
returned to their various islands, although the shellfish workshop is continuing for some
weeks on the island of Uripiv under the guidance of Iarawoi Philip. The planned cartoon
outlining the role of the VCHSS and its associated activities including site survey and
archaeology is near completion. Fidel Yoringmal the artist who is drawing the cartoon joined
the workshop for the full five weeks and was able to complete a final draft. During the
workshop, interviews with all participants were recorded and these were broadcast on Radio
Vanuatu along with a summary of the project by Dr Bedford. Press releases are being
prepared by Richard Shing and Yoko Nojima. While in Port Vila Bedford gave two public
lectures at the Vanuatu Cultural Centre, one in bislama and one in English.
All monies have been spent as per the proposed budget for 2003 which was approved by the
Sasakawa Foundation. Accounts for the Vanuatu phase of the project will be completed and
sent to the Australian National University the week following the return of Bedford to New
Zealand (13th September).