Polynesians See Return of Age-Old Tradition

The islands of French Polynesia have been experiencing a resurgence of traditional culture and practices in recent years. Wayfinding, a type of navigation by sea, is among the ancient methods currently undergoing a revival.
The practice of wayfinding dates back centuries, and describes the traditional instrument-free navigational practice by which the first native Polynesians came to these beautiful South Pacific islands. Wayfinding involves the use of sturdy canoes and reliance simply on elements of the natural world to guide one’s journey on the ocean. Through this precise science, Polynesians were able to expand their island culture and venture out farther into the Pacific, exploring and settling nearly all islands in the region before the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century.
The art of wayfinding is making a comeback thanks to Nainoa Thompson, the first Polynesian in modern times to learn the old traditions used by the islands’ original inhabitants. He has participated in several long-distance ocean voyages, including a trip from Tahiti to Hawaii and from Hawaii to New Zealand. As director of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, he also supervised the building of a double-hulled canoe out of purely traditional materials, thus introducing islanders to traditional craft methods. Thompson hopes to encourage fellow Polynesians to take an increased interest in their culture, which is being threatened by modernization.

Degree of Independence Varies Among Departments

A lthough the islands of Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia, and New Caledonia have all been awarded the same general political status by France, the independence of each department differs.
The small islands of Wallis and Futuna are among the most dependent of all of France’s overseas possessions. A mere 1,500 of the islands 14,500 inhabitants are employed in social services; the remainder survive by subsistence farming. Given the lack of exportable resources and products on these islands, Wallisians and Futunans depend on the French government to supply social services as well as manufactured goods.
The French Polynesian islands have considerably more autonomy than Wallis and Futuna. Agreements made between France and French Polynesia, the most recent being in 1990, led to the amendment of the Polynesian constitution and more power was awarded to local officials. The islands are also economically self-reliant, drawing huge crowds of tourists as a result of their natural beauty and romantic appeal. Of all the departments, New Caledonia enjoys the largest degree of economic and political independence from France. The Noumea Accord of 1998 changed the status of New Caledonia from Overseas Territory to that of French Overseas Country. With this agreement came complete internal autonomy and the chance for a referendum vote on full independence in 2014. New Caledonia supports itself economically through tourism, agriculture, and most importantly mining. It is the third largest producer of nickel in the world, and shipments of this ore total 90 percent of the island’s total exports.

Studio Introduces New Caledonian Music to World

A music studio in New Caledonia has become instrumental in popularizing the sounds and rhythms of Kaneka music. This blend of ancestral Kanak music with modern Pacific flavor is becoming increasingly well known and Mangrove Studios has spearheaded the drive to distribute Kaneka music beyond the islands.
Mangrove Studios, created in 1989 by Alain Lecante, has risen from relative obscurity to become the leading recording studio and publishing company of New Caledonia. Its rapid development is closely tied to the rise of the Kaneka genre, a type of music that closely resembles reggae. Mangrove helped produce the first three albums from a Kanak singer, called Pedro, but it was his fourth album that thrust him into the limelight and gave Mangrove Studios the breakthrough it needed. Now equipped with the latest recording techniques and the cooperation of Australian and New Zealand engineers, Mangrove Studios is striving to meet the growing demand of Caledonian artists. The musical groups Gurejele, Mexem, and Edou are among the other artists that Mangrove sponsors and have become the most important World ambassadors of Kaneka music.