Return to Ouvea, New Caledonia

"Ouvea is everything you'd expect in a South Pacific island. Twenty kilometers of unbroken white sands border the lagoon on the west side of the island and extend far out from shore to give the water a turquoise hue. The wide western lagoon, protected by a string of coral islands and a barrier reef, is the only one of its kind in the Loyalties. On the ocean side are rocky cliffs, pounded by surf, but fine beaches may be found even here. At one point on this narrow atoll only 450 meters separates the two coasts. Traditional circular houses with pointed thatched roofs are still common in the villages".

Those words appeared in the 1985 edition of my South Pacific Handbook after a visit in 1983. Just over 20 years later I returned to Ouvea to discover that little had changed in this large French colony east of Australia.

Most Ouveans still live in traditional thatched case (houses) and the beach is as dazzling as ever. On my first evening there, as I watched the red fireball set slowly across the lagoon, I felt a strong affinity with my previous visit.

Yet something terrible had happened in my absence. On May 5, 1988, 300 French elite troops stormed a cave near Gossanah in northern Ouvea to rescue 16 gendarmes captured two weeks earlier by Melanesian freedom fighters.

Nineteen Kanaks (the collective name used by the indigenous peoples of New Caledonia) died in the assault, including several who suffered extrajudicial execution at the hands of the French police after being wounded and taken prisoner. None of the hostages had been harmed.

Thus began one of the final chapters of what is now known as the evenements (events) of the 1980s. Three years earlier independence leader Eloi Machoro had been murdered in cold blood by police snipers as he stood outside a rural farmhouse near La Foa, on New Caledonia's main island, Grand Terre.

By 1987 France had 14,000 troops stationed in its mineral-rich Melanesian colony, one for every five Kanaks. The independence movement was to be crushed one way or another.

When I tried to visit the cave at Gossanah on my recent trip, I was told that the area was taboo to allow the spirits time to rest.

Instead I was permitted to visit the grave of Djoubelly Wea in Gossanah and allowed to take pictures of his home. My host on Ouvea told me the story. Evidently, the hostages had been taken by young Kanak activists from other parts of the island, and the captive gendarmes were brought to Gossanah only because the cave was considered remote.

Residents of the area weren't involved. Yet when the French police arrived in search of their comrades, they rounded up the people of Gossanah and assembled them on a football field in front of the village church.

There they were tortured for information, and Wea's father was among those who died of shock. Later 33 Ouveans were sent to prison in France, Djoubelly Wea among them.

These events chastened Kanaks and French alike, and the heads of the main political parties, the Kanak leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou and the representative of the French settlers Jacques Lafleur, were called to Paris by Prime Minister Michel Rocard to negotiate and eventually sign a peace treaty known as the Matignon Accords.

A referendum on independence was promised in 1998, and massive economic aid was to be channeled into the Kanak regions. An amnesty was granted to all those arrested during the troubles, and no investigation into the Ouvea massacre or the murders of several dozen other Kanaks by French settlers or troops would be required.

Fast forward to May 1989, as the top Kanak leaders Jean-Marie Tjibaou and Yeiwene Yeiwene arrive on Ouvea for a commemorative ceremony exactly one year after the massacre.

As the leaders are being received at the chefferie (chiefly house) of Wadrilla near the center of the island, Djoubelly Wea steps forward and shoots the pair dead at point blank range. Wea was reflecting a feeling still palpable in New Caledonia that Tjibaou had sold out to the French and derailed the struggle of independence.

Tjibaou's bodyguard killed Wea, the final shot of the evenements. Today the chefferie of Wadrilla is much the same as it was in 1989, a large thatched case surrounded by a palisade of driftwood logs.

Across the coastal highway, a large monument has been erected to the 19 Kanak martyrs of 1988. Designed with two curving white walls to resemble a cave, the monument bears the photo, name, and date of birth of each victim.

Their traditional war clubs have been placed on the back side of the monument and their remains are interred below.

No memorial to Jean-Marie Tjibaou exists on Ouvea but the French have constructed a massive cultural center to his memory in their stronghold Noumea.

In fairness, it must be said that Tjibaou only considered the Matignon Accords a temporary stop on the road to independence. His assassination froze the agreement into a sort of permanent solution which the French have used to justify continuing colonial rule ever since.

The promised 1998 referendum was never held. Instead an updated treaty called the Noumea Accord was signed. This postponed the referendum for another 15 or 20 years and promised many things the French government has yet to deliver.

For example, a key provision creating a special New Caledonian citizenship status intended to control immigration from France was declared unconstitutional by a French court in 1999.

Metros (metropolitan French) continue to flood into the territory (in violation of United nations resolutions on the norms of conduct for colonial powers in non-self-governing areas) and Europeans may soon from a clear majority of the population.

Toward the end of my stay I visited the Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center on the Tina Peninsula, 12 kilometers northeast of New Caledonia's capital Noumea. Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, it was built by French contractors between 1994 and 1998 at a cost of over US$50 million. The center opened on May 4, 1998, 10th anniversary of the assassination of Jean-Marie Tjibaou.

No visitor can help but be impressed by the spectacular botanical garden interwoven with references to Kanak legends which encircles the center's three villages.

A contemporary art gallery, temporary and permanent exhibitions of Kanak and other Pacific art, a library, an audiovisual room, indoor and outdoor theaters, and a large ceremonial area are only some of the center's outstanding features.

Yet the Tjibaou Cultural Center presents Kanak culture as a regional folklore rather than a national tradition.

Events such as the Ouvea Massacre and the other murders of the 1980s are barely mentioned. A room in Village Three provides photos and texts on the life of Jean-Marie Tjibaou, but there's no explanation as to why he was assassinated or the background of his assassin.

The 19th century land seizures and the muscle flexing and maneuvering that have prevented independence are carefully avoided. The highlight for me was an amazing three-meter-high bronze statue of Tjibaou himself, clad in a Roman toga, on a hill overlooking the center.

Tjibaou was the last real Kanak leader, and in a land where the spirits of the dead have an important role in the lives of the living, his soul must be suffering.

==============================================================

David Stanley is the author of Moon Handbooks South Pacific http://www.southpacific.org/pacific.html which has a chapter on New Caledonia. His online guide to New Caledonia may be perused at http://www.southpacific.org/text/new_cale donia.html and his New Caledonia travel photos are on http://www.pacific-pictures.com/new_caledonia/

==============================================================

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, so long as the byline and resource box are included. Please do not use this article without the byline and resource box. Many thanks!

---

Creating a Virtual Art Gallery

To the online artist, it might seem a paradox, at first glance, to hear a recommendation to hold back work. The artist on the Internet often overproduces and displays their entire body of... Read More

In Seach Of Heroes - Matrimonial Heroes (Part One)

Just as our arrival at destination is tied to the supply of fuel, even if we are travelling by a perfectly functioning vehicle, so are our destinies tied to the Heroes in our... Read More

Bureaucracy in Peru!

This article is from the pen of a New Zealander currently living in Lima, Peru.I have never experienced anything like this!This is not the first developing country I have ever lived in, The... Read More

Tribal Masks

Original Tribal masks are often seen by unknowing eyes as art objects in themselves. That is not the case, unless of course they are modern copies. A tribal mask has embued power and... Read More

Christopher Columbus

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS: - It seems a mystery to most academics why the governments who are based on Manifest Destiny and the 'colon'-ization of the world by Christophe Colon (this is the name he... Read More

The Monsters Mother

Somewhere in the world, every eight seconds, a mother is throwing her hands in the air and declaring that her child is a little monster. But for Echidna it was the literal truth.Echidna... Read More

Astrology Signs and Planets Reveal Who You Are

But people are starting to take a new look at astrology.The well-known astronomer/astrophysicist, Dr. Percy Seymour of Plymouth University, wrote in his book "The Scientific Basis of Astrology," that "The resulting fluctuations of... Read More

Personal Protection Specialists and Celebrity Stalking

Celebrity stalking has become the way for the socially inept to; A. "normality" or B. stardom. They may have no friends, they may never have had a date or spouse, but when stalking... Read More

Return to Ouvea, New Caledonia

"Ouvea is everything you'd expect in a South Pacific island. Twenty kilometers of unbroken white sands border the lagoon on the west side of the island and extend far out from shore to... Read More

Carly Patterson: What Makes A Champion?

If you have been following gymnastics for any length of time, odds are you have heard of a particular gymnast by the name of Carly Patterson. You probably also know that she is... Read More

At 60 plus Amitabh Bachchan Rules! - A Vastu Study

No words in this universe are enough to describe him, superstar, living legend, and the face of Indian cinema. Amitabh Bachchan today is an icon to reckon with, both nationally and internationally. He... Read More

Mexican Living: Daily Schedule of an Expatriate

I was wondering if you might be interested in what I do with my time as an expatriate and if I have any sort of real life. I guarantee you that I do.... Read More

Ernesto Apomayta offers Explanation of Mediums, Paints, & Techniques Used by Artists

Special Types of MediumsRice paper is a very delicate medium with lots of natural imperfections that lend beauty and character to the painting. Some rice paper has flecks, sparkle, gold, and silver incorporated... Read More

A Look At The Years of Celebrities Wearing Jewelry

As far back as one can remember famous celebrities have been wearing the jewelry made by famous jewelry designers. Through out many eras and many styles the celebrities and jewelry designers have held... Read More

Propaganda and American Journalism, Born Joined at Birth

Passion was the main stuff of journalism long before the Civil War, the birthplace of modern American journalism. The Press of the American Revolution during the War and before it, was borne of... Read More

The Oldies? Nostalgia? Watchyacallit?

Our culture is defined by what we have access to! With the concentration of media the access as been restricted to the newest tunes...Or the latest product of the marketing strategy department decided... Read More

Tarot Cards Demystified: The Suit of Pentacles

There are many ways to interpret the symbolism found in Tarot Cards. There are varying points of view that exist about what each card means or represents. This is just one way of... Read More

Amber Mysteries Revealed

Amber, the gem of a stone that's not really a gemstone at all, is actually fossilized pine sap. People have collected, traded, carved, and coveted amber for more than 10,000 years. Yet despite... Read More

Mythology and Parables in Modern Communication - Part 4

At the end of Part 3 in this series I was using my own Inspirational experiences as examples of how Self and Soul can erupt into your life. After the book manuscripts stopped... Read More

The American Melting Pot Myth

Most myths have some element of truth in them. The 'melting pot' that media of all sorts (which includes our propaganda in law and education) tell us became America, is another of the... Read More

Gymnastics Olympic Champions From 1988-2004

Here are the men's and women's all-around champions from the last five Olympic Games -- these are just brief biographies, but they surely give you an idea of your gymnast's potential.2004 Paul Hamm,... Read More

Understanding Astrological Predictions

Opinions about astrological prediction are generally divided: "Mysterious! Magical!", say some; "Nonsense!", reply others. In fact, both views are based on a misunderstanding of the nature of how astrology really "works". In this... Read More

I, Ego, and Power

I: - A vowel that didn't appear in sacerdotal alphabets for which there is little, or should I say not one IOTA of, reason to hold up for personal glorification. The ego is... Read More

Mexican Living: Doctors, Doctors, Doctors

I am sick. I don't know what's wrong nor if what I have has an official name. Maybe they call it, "Ah-ha-now-you-can't-breathe-well-and-feel-like-you-are-going-to-die virus. I don't know. I will probably go to the doctor... Read More

When Does Man Become God?

Some scientists argue over creation and evolution and they argue did man create god or did god create man. And without that ongoing and predictable out of debate, lets discuss our scientific advancements.... Read More

Flows of Civilization; Views from a Think Tank

Over the past few years we have been discussing many topics. Most of what is discussed here has to do with observations of the world we live in. We discuss how we might... Read More

Civil War Uniform Shirts ? When to Use a One and Two Piece Body!

So, you want to make your own Civil War shirt. You have so many decisions to make - one or two-piece body, type of front, buttons, material, colors, collars! Wow.A common pattern is... Read More

ML - CHI - Zadok and the Making of Gold

ATOMIC HIGH-SPIN TECHNOLOGY: - In 1950 B.C. there was a priest-king in Salem who understood the 'highward fire-stone' according to Gardner in 'Genesis of the Grail Kings'. His name was Melchizedek, and there... Read More

The Year of the Rooster

The Rooster is traditionally considered to be a favourable sign. His crow signals the break of dawn and the beginning of a fresh start, driving away the ghosts and evil spirits of the... Read More