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here are over thirty
different languages
spoken on the island,
ne of the richest from
a linguistic and cultural
point of view. But what
really typifies this
island are the tribes
which used to live up
in the hills: the Big
Nambas in the North
and the Smol Nambas,
riginaly, in the central
part of the South.
Malakula is the
second largest island in Vanuatu with 2069 km2,
being 94 km long and 44 km wide at its broadest
end, from Melip to Rerep.
In 1965 a major earthquake caused the northern
part to lift by 40 cm. This is the most
accessible area of Malakula, the south is more
rugged and
inhospitable.
Ambat and
his children
According to legend, in South Malakula there
lived Ambat and his children who had the
particular trait of being white and having long
straight hair.
Then one day, the children ate a pink apple,
something their father had forbidden them to do
and thereupon they turned black. As a punishment
they were banished to the south and required to
wear a penis sheath.
In 1768, Bougainville gave his name to the
straits which separate Malakula from Santo.
Six years later,
Cook was given a hero's welcome in memory of
Ambat, because in the local people's eyes, the
white man was a god. Unfortunately, this notion
was to be short-lived with the arrival of the
labour recruiters, the black-birders.
Relations deteriorated very rapidly thereafter:
in retaliation, the villagers attacked the ships
captured the crews and sometimes they even ate
them.
In 1939, a copra cooperative was set up at
Matanvat in northern Malakula. In no time, it
took on some of the cargo cult traits, up until
1950, after which it returned to its original
purpose, copra production. Today, the
largest copra-producing plantation in Vanuatu,
the P.R.V. Plantation is located at Norsup.
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Big Nambas
Their specialty was tribal warfare,
which would flare up at the least
provocation. They would cease after
killing 3 or 4 opponents and would
then celebrate, finishing off with a
repast in which their victims often
figured on the menu. It was standard
practice for a village chief to have
several wives.
Young boys undergo a circumcision
ceremony in order to become men.
Smol Nambas
Their names stem from the size of the
penis sheath they wear, made out of
banana or pandanus leaves.
In the village, the men would sleep in
one house, the “amel” while the
women and children would sleep all
together in another house. The Smol
Nambas introduced the practice of the
heads elongating of their young
children, a custom unique to this area
of Vanuatu.
éservée à
cette partie du Vanuatu.
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Accommodation
Island bungalow and guesthouse accommodation is
available throughout Malakula. Please contact
local tour operators.
Visiting the island
Norsup and its Airfield is the main gateway to
Malakula.
The village is a former French centre, with a
store, a Saturday market, and the main
provincial hospital.
Lakatoro, the provincial centre, lies 5 km to
the south. Here you will find an NBV Bank, a
post office, Air Vanuatu Office and stores.
A bit further north lie the islands of Rano,
Wala, Atchin and Vao.
To see the Big Nambas, you will have to go to
the village of Mae, or up to the north-western
coast at Potovaro, Tenmaru or Amokh.
Smol Nambas tours can take you to Rano Mainland,
or Unua in the south.
Travelling south, don't miss Lamap, a charming
little village (the third major town in Vanuatu
in Condominium times) which has a wonderful view
of the volcanoes on Ambrym and still pratices
the art of Sand-drawing. There are stores,
a post office, a branch of the NBV Bank and an
airfield.
Go off on foot for a delightful 45 minute walk
through the bush to the wharf at Port Sandwich.
A magnificent a view, but beware of swimming in
the sea there, because this beautiful natural
bay is home to sharks.
Finally, if you have a chance before leaving the
south, do go to the unforgettable Maskelyne
Islands.
On the other side of Malakula lies Southwest Bay,
again with an airfield, bank and stores.
Southwest Bay has its own unique Smol Nambas
customs and natural beauty, and hosts an annual
cultural festival at Labo in August.
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