The traditional religion of Vanuatu Before Christianity, the indigenous religion of Vanuatu was inherited from
Oceanian and
Melanesian traditions. Missionaries often called this pre-Christian religion "
pagan" or "
heathen" in English, and as "times of darkness" in
the country's local languages, He was followed by other scholars, including anthropologists and linguists. Concepts central to the traditional religion include
mana,
tabu, and the worship of ancestral spirits (
tamate).
Christianity Christian missionization of Vanuatu began as early as 1606 upon the arrival of the Spanish explorer
Pedro Fernandes de Queirós in Vanuatu.
Missionaries representing several Western churches brought Christianity to the country in the 19th and early 20th centuries, specifically from Presbyterian, Catholic and Anglican missions. Because of the modernities that the military in
World War II brought with them when they came to the islands, several
cargo cults developed. Many died out, but the
John Frum cult on
Tanna is still large, and has adherents in the parliament. As well, Tanna is home to the
Prince Philip Movement, which reveres the United Kingdom's
Prince Philip. Villagers of the
Yaohnanen tribe believed in an ancient story about the pale-skinned son of a mountain spirit venturing across the seas to look for a powerful woman to marry. Prince Philip, having visited the island with his new wife
Queen Elizabeth, fit the description exactly and is therefore revered and even held as a god around the isle of Tanna.
The effects of colonial Christianity on Vanuatu culture The effects of colonialism and Christianization have differed enormously throughout Vanuatu, partially due to the Anglo-French condominium governance as well as due to the uncoordinated Christian missionization efforts throughout the nation. The diverse approaches of the Catholic mission, the
Melanesian Mission and the Church of Christ combined with varied cultural communities resulted in vastly different local attitudes regarding religion, tradition, and community restructuring. In doing so, the missionaries inadvertently thrust Ni-Vanuatu women into the separate, but similarly gender-segregated Christian church, where men hold disproportionate power. While this new religious system upheld women in familial, motherly roles, it "stripped away those sacred aspects of human kinship which gave women a crucial if subordinated place in the ancestral religion." Vanuatu indigenous culture and
kastom dramatically declined in the face of European colonization. The Europeans brought with them disease, weaponry and alcohol which lead to the death of indigenous peoples, as well as forcibly removed Ni-Vanuatu citizens, relocating them to Australia for forced labor. As well, European missionaries and Ni-Vanuatu Christian converts consciously oppressed certain
kastom ways of life. While tolerance of
kastom varied between churches, locations, and missions, the majority of Christians deemed the erasure of certain customs as a precondition to Christian conversion. Some of these practices included: "
Polygyny, pig sacrifices, '
idolatry,'
kava drinking, and men's secret societies," as missionaries believed such practices exemplified "heathenism" and "the powers of darkness."
The roles of Christianity, kastom and national identity on the 1970s Vanuatu independence movement Kastom played a key role in mobilizing Vanuatu's independence movement in the 1970s, through establishing a national identity within a largescale resistance against Anglo-French colonialism. In 1971, Ni-Vanuatu Christian converts established the
Vanuaaku Pati, originally named the
New Hebrides National Party (NHNP), a political party which aimed to revive and maintain
kastom as an essential part of Vanuatu nationalism. The Vanuaaku Pati highlighted the need for Vanuatu to break away from its colonizers, while simultaneously "emphasized the importance of
kastom as a non-European 'grass-roots' force exemplifying the 'Melanesian way' as opposed to 'the white man's way.' Prior to the 1979 national elections, the Vanuaaku Pati "published its electoral platform," affirming protection of
kastom within the government. The document outlined a plan to create a National Council of Chiefs, ultimately ensuring the inclusion of
kastom via leaders with power within custom law.
National symbols of kastom and Christianity • The
Vanuatu flag design, which features a boar's tusk symbolic of wealth and crossed palm leaves, a symbol of peace. • The
Vanuatu motto, "long God yumi stanap," translating to "before God we stand," appears alongside a warrior wearing traditional Vanuatu clothing, as well as a boar's tusk and crossed palm leaves. • The Vanuatu national anthem,
Yumi Yumi Yumi, both acknowledges God as well as the importance of
kastom. • Regarding God, the anthem states "God i givim ples ia long yumi / God i helpem yumi evriwan" translating to "God has given us this land / God helps us in our work." • Regarding
kastom, the anthem states "Plante fasin blong bifo i stap / Plante fasin blong tedei / Be yumi i olsem wan nomo / Hemia fasin blong yumi!" translating to "Many customs of before we have / Many customs from today / But we are all one / Despite our many ways!" • Independence Week of July 1980, which included the presence of both Christian and
kastom leaders, ceremonies, and celebrations, including church services,
kastom dance, pig-killing, and traditional feasts. == Symbols and rituals of
kastom in daily life ==