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Un siècle et demi de contacts culturels à Tanna, Nouvelles-Hébrides

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Jean Guiart

Documents d'histoire

Dear Father Somo,

Texte intégral

A

  • 1 Les auteurs de ce texte sont les Révérends Dr. Gunn et Nicholson.

Lenakel, Tanna, New Hebrides. 8th September 19121.

1When the Condominium was proclaimed in the New Hebrides we hoped a new era of law and order had dawned but we have been woefully disappointed. When a Condominium agent was appointed to reside on Tanna, three months ago, and to act for the five Southern Islands we thought the time for rest from the disturbances caused by French recruiters and their outrageous charges against missionaries was also come, as the agent being on the spot could make immediate investigation, and his reports would surely be accepted. Again we have been disappointed. The agent's settlement has been but the signal for a time of disorder which has landed us on the verge of, not merely intertribal war but, a general war. Let me state emphatically at first that Mr. Wilkes, the agent, has been in no way responsible for this, on the contrary he has had to exert himself day and night to avert the trouble and disturbance which has been caused and stirred up by French recruiters and French Government officials, who, although Mr. Wilkes holds a Condominium appointment, have flouted his authority if they have not actually ignored his letters of appointement.

2Mr. Wilkes had only been settled on Tanna a few weeks, when the French man of war visited Tanna, having on board the French Resident Commissioner. Without calling on Mr. Wilkes, they opened up communication with a few heathen on the North East of Tanna. On what pretext? To investigate charges made by the notorious Willie Uvea of the French recruiting vessel Guadeloupe. Willie Uvea has been convicted by the Joint Court of illegal recruitment of women and sale of grog to natives on Tanna, and yet in spite of that, again illegally recruited a women here in June last, and has never returned the woman for whose recruitment he was convicted. Now Willie must be protected, his character white washed, so the French Resident Commissioner, ignoring the Condominium agent resident here, comes down in the French man of war, gets into communication with a chronic alcoholic, returned some years ago from Noumea, named Iaris Yahuto. This man's grievance is that he was warned by the Commissioner of Police that he must not buy or accept grog from recruiters. After spending a day in the company of this man and a few others like minded, the French Commissioner next visited White Sands and decoyed on board the most powerful chief on that side of Tanna, on the pretext that he wanted to speak about the illegal recruitment of a woman, over whom a war of correspondance has raged between British and French officials, in Europe and Vila for two years. Mr. Wilkes went on board with this chief and, but for his presence, the chief would have been arrested on the charge of presiding at native courts. The matter ended by the French Resident telling the chief that the natives were not allowed to hold any more native courts. Where do the British come in the Condominium? There are no French, men or women, resident in the Southern Isles to protect, so anarchy and lawlessness need not be feared by French officials. The peace and order of the Southern Islands were too great a contrast to Malekula where are so many French men.

3But this did not succeed, other methods must be used. A French recruiter called Mattei was in Vila and had been summoned to appear before the Condominium court on the charge of kidnapping a native of Ambrym. This native happened to be a teacher and his missionary followed him to Vila. Mattei claimed that the case must be tried by a purely French court, but the Condominium court decided that it came under their jurisdiction. Before the case came off Mattei, who had boasted that he was going to make trouble in Tanna, sailed for Tanna and got into immediate communication with the before mentioned chronic alcoholic. With his help he gathered some heathen, declaring himself an agent of the Condominium. He sent out messengers to the half dozen or so people working on the roads in different parts of Tanna, telling them to go home and threatening the law abiding people that the day had come when any man could do as he pleased and no one could punish or forbid him... Mr. Wilkes the Condominium agent had a busy time trying to restore order, and had at last to call on all people, heathen and christian, who were on the side of law and order to stand by and help him. They did so. He saw Mattei who tried to bluff but at last admitted that he had not been appointed a Condominium agent.

4Mattei remained about Tanna for two or three weeks, and during that time the Joint Court in Vila had convicted him and fined him £ 8 and costs. When he went back to Vila he was reprimanded by the British, and it is said by the French Commissioner for posing as an agent of theirs. But Mattei was not much troubled by fines or reprimands. He presented a report of 39 pages of closely written matter to the French Resident, and the French man of war with the assistant French Commissioner was despatched to Tanna. Its first call was as usual to pay its respects to the alcoholic who is neither a chief or representative man. With his aid they got the disaffected and turbulent section of the heathen on Tanna to meet them on Sunday November 3rd, at Waesisi. Mr. Wilkes the Condominium agent went to see them. They informed him that they were acting on the « authority » of the British and French Resident Commissioners. Afterwards they took this back and said : « With the kwowledge of both Commissioners ».

5What was done at the meeting I cannot say, not being there. But the natives say that all who desired the French to annex the island were asked to put up their hands. Led by the chronic alcoholic some heathen put up their hands. The French Commandant of Police then led a party to effect the arrest of the chief who had been decoyed on board the man of war on its former visit but failed to do so. Messages were sent out to the heathen all over Tanna to gather here at Lenakel at two o'clock on Tuesday the 5th inst. to arrest all the principal christian natives. On Tuesday the heathen gathered in force, mostly from the North East and South, many of whom I did not know. They were threatening and insolent. I asked them what they wanted and what they were going to do. They said : « Wait till the French come on shore and we will soon show you ». All the principal people at Lenakel went inland, but were determined if it came to the worst they would fight. All got hold of some kind of a weapon, women and children were put in the school house. What might happen no one could tell. The French man of war arrived to time, and Mr. Wilkes arrived overland at the same time. I asked him what was going to be done. He said he did not know. When the French boats came in the heathen swarmed down to meet them, their women carrying baskets of food and blankets with them. This I did not understand at the time. I ordered all heathen of the Mission grounds and saw that they went. I asked the French Officer who seemed in Command what was the reason of the visit, and why all the turbulent heathen on Tanna should be called to Lenakel, and warned them that they were endangering the lives of British subjects as well as natives. I was answered by a shrug of the shoulders. I protested against the gathering being on our grounds and the French men moved to that of a British traders. I also asked by what authority this demonstration was made and the officer pointed to his epaulette and informed me he was President of the Joint Naval Commission. I informed Mr. Wilkes that they were on Mr. Griffiths land and he told the President who immediately went to ask permission to use his grounds for a meeting. He was refused by Mr. Griffiths for commercial reasons. The French man who acted as interpreter, and whom I afterwards found out was the Assistant French Commissioner, was extremely impudent and insolent. He kept shouting at me telling me to go and read convention, and once while I was speaking to the President said : « The you. You nothing, get away. » I did not attend to him at the time, but afterwards Dr. Gunn who was standing by reminded me of it and I asked him what he meant. He climbed down and denied it and then said that he only said « I was not official ». The President who all through had acted as one who was not convinced of the righteousness or justice of the proceedings now told the interpreter to inform the heathen that he was going away, and that there would be no meeting, but that the British and French man of war would return together sometime and make an investigation of the state of affairs. The insolent interpreter's face flushed more deeply still when he was compelled to make this statement to the heathen, and their showed dismay and disappointment as they gathered their women folk and slunk rapidly away. Then it was I learnt the reason of the women and blankets. The Interpreter Assistant French Commissioner had told them them that the French man of war would stay three days, and after the capture of all the principal christian men they were to have a big « Sing sing ». I suppose to celebrate the downfall of Christianity and the beginning of a new reign of Frenchified heathenism on Tanna. No wonder the poor heathen looked dismayed. French prestige suffers sadly at the hands of such men as M. Foucard, Interpreter and Assistant French Commissioner.

6But the worst feature of the whole trouble is an underhand action of the French Resident Commissioner. When he visited Tanna he gave a letter written in French and signed by himself to the chronic alcoholic which declared native courts were illegal and abolished them. He did not inform the Resident Condominium agent nor the British Resident Commissioner that he had done so.

7Native courts are not new but are now deprived of the power of ordering a man to be shot or clubbed. They had the sanction of both the Commissioners after the Condominium was proclaimed. First money fines were inflicted and sent to Vila. But on the second of January 1909 a proclamation in French and English with the seals and signatures of both Commissioners, was sent down to the chiefs and people of Tanna, instructing them to impose hard labour on the roads, or its equivalent instead of money fines. This was made known, and those courts held by heathen and christian have been so well conducted that for the past five years there had not been a simple murder on Tanna, nor even an approach to the intertribal warfare that prevailed before the courts — which always existed — were remodelled.

8I was able to get the names of 70 people who were killed in intertribal fighting during the year 1904.

9Why then do the French want to abolish the courts which have been productive of peace and prosperity to the island? From their recruiter's point of view I suppose, because recruiting was much more free when war was being waged. Natives were driven on board their schooners for safety, and sometimes the remnants of a beaten tribe would be all carried away at one time. A most profitable haul at £ 15 or £ 20 a head in Noumea.

10What is the French official point of view? They pose as champions of the oppressed. They will find a wide field for their new activities in New Caledonia and on French plantations in the New Hebrides.

11Jealousy is the only good reason I have heard put forward. They have no residents in the Southern Islands not even a priest. And to get French Condominium agents put on Epi and Malekula they have had to permit the appointment of a British Condominium agent for the Southern Islands. Since he came they seem to have slahed themselves into a fury which gives them no rest. Their man of war has been here as often in two months as it was during the past 12 years.

12The Condominium has been declared a farce, but it is now assuming a more dangerous phase, and the sooner it ends the better for all concerned.

B

District Agent at Lenakel, Tanna. 6th June 1941.

13REPORT ON JONFRUM.... MANEHEVI AND HIS CONFEDERATE KARAUA, BOTH OF GREEN POINT TANNA

  • 2 Rapport adressé aux deux Commissaires-Résidents.

14GENTLEMEN2,

15I have the honour to report that on the 27th November 1940, on the complaint of one of my supplementary assessors Nokues, I held an enquiry at Lenakel over the killing of goats by the natives of Green Point to feed the followers of Jonfrum.

16This was the first I had heard of Jonfrum. The court had to be postponed so that a native named Kahu could be present. On my return from Aneityum Kahu and Karaua and the headmen of the two villages at Green Point were brought before me.

17They admitted that Jonfrum had a house in their village and came at night to talk to them. He had not promised them anything and had merely insisted that they should do their communal work and not allow the slackers to evade their work.

18This did not satisfy me. There was a great deal of going and coming from Green Point and a yarn got around that there would be no necessity to make garden as Jonfrum had promised plenty of money to buy food at the stores. Jonfrum could not be seen or heard by white people and spoke to the natives in the southern dialect.

19I got before me the assessor at Lenakel, the Presbyterian Pastor and Iehnaiu a supplementary assessor and told them to go to Green Point to examine the place. They went there and saw Jonfrum in the dark and all came back ardent followers of Jonfrum.

20A village had been built to hold the strangers who had wished to settle there. I pulled in the people from Green Point and detained them until such time as the strangers should return to their own homes.

21While the people of Green Point were detained, Karaua who with Kohu was being questioned every day over the matter of Jonfrum, ran away and although the police searched they could not find him. This happened on the 29th January 1941.

22Jonfrum then went under ground and although the Missions were feeling the effects of messages on the subject of kava, there was little to hear of further promises.

23When I left for Aneityum on the 29th April a rush on the stores at Lenakel took place. This rush is still continuing on a smaller scale. By the 16th May more than one thousand pounds had been taken over the store counters and many bullocks had been killed, also pigs, and there was a dance being held nearly every night at different villages and kava was being drunk in the villages of all the school natives except from White Sands to Kwamera.

24On the 16th May I arranged with the assessor Sam Nako to go down to Green Point the following Monday. Mr. Bell and I went but Nako had a sore tummy. He is terribly supertitious. There was nothing to be seen at Green Point except the house of Jonfrum and other miserable shanties which had been built for the strangers.

25We returned and I asked for twenty police to be sent down as the headmen were as silly as the others and they would have to be brought in before we could bring the hoax to an end.

26Spending in the stores was still going strong and kava drinking, dances, non attendance of school were the order of the day.

27The police arrived from Vila on the evening of the 30th May and on the 31st ten were sent to gather in Nako, Iaruel (Lapkët), lau (Lowaneay) and Nakopas (Lokwatay) and did so by 1. am. Nako asked that one of his villagers should be allowed to summon the natives of Green Point and this was granted as I was rather afraid these natives might get frightened and run away in the bush. In the afternoon ten police were sent towards White Sands to see the chief Koukare who was loyal to us and gather in any men who had been most active on the matter of Jonfrum. Four police were sent south to fetch in Nëpika (Enfitana), Nokues and Koku whom I suspected of being Jonfrum. All these natives had appeared at Lenakel on Sunday morning with the exception of the natives of White Sands who appeared by noon.

28On questioning Kohu we gradually got from him that Karaua was in hiding at Green Point. I called up Kuinillamanga and Kameti but they said they had never seen Karaua from the day he was taken away from Lenakel. Kohu then gave instructions to two natives of Green Point where to find Karaua and to show the police. Karaua was brought in on the morning of the 2nd June and on being questioned stuck to his story of Jonfrum until Kohu said that while he was sick in the village of Jonfrum he had seen Jonfrum quite closely from the back and suspected he was a native named Manehevi. Karaua then broke down and confessed that Manehevi was Jonfrum and that he had known this about a month after the racket commenced. Manehevi had sworn him to secrecy.

29Manehevi was sent for and stoutly denied the charge but confessed the same night. He was kept carefully away from the others until he confessed. He however refuses to reveal where he kept the clothes with which he acted the part.

30The headmen were very much cut up when they found they had been deceived but I left them to stew a bit until Manehevi confessed.

31They then sent a deputation to me and offered to do all in their power to bring the island into normal condition. I pointed out to them that if it hat not been for their support the movement would have been killed long ago and that they had thwarted me efforts to kill it. I also said the Condominium Government had been put to much expense to show up the hoax. They said that they were old men and wanted to die on Tanna and were quite willing to lead their villages back to the old state of affairs and continue to serve the Government and would the Government at Vila accept money as a present to help cover the expenses of sending police down to Tanna. I told them that I would consult Vila in the matter. They suggested that they should pay one hundred pounds towards the cost. I radioed to you and got your consent. On the 5th June I heard a rumour from the bush that Manehevi was still at large at Tukosmeru and I called the headmen in again. They denied this rumour but I told them I would call a meeting of the people today to finish this business of Jonfrum and would make them sign a paper that they would be responsible if the matter was raised again. Of course the bush natives are rather peeved that a good market for kava has been spoiled.

32I have just been down at the meeting of all the headmen and have got the signatures of the more important and have made them tell the people Jonfrum is now exposed and must be forgotten and that anyone who raised the subject again will be punished. As far as blame goes it is impossible to send one without sending about seventy five per cent of the island.

33I am therefore sending you Jonfrum and Karaua or rather Manehevi and Karaua. I have prepared statements by the various natives who received the orders of Manehevi as Jonfrum and also a statement by Karaua and Kohu who have identified Jonfrum as Manehevi. It must be remembered that Karaua did not accompany Manehevi to the house at Green Point after he ran away from Lenakel, on the 29th January. Karaua did not hear the later orders given by Jonfrum which so upset Tanna.

34There is no doubt that although the trouble started against the Missions it would only have been a short time before the authoritiy of the Government would have been challenged.

35There was no doubt that on the last few occasions the launch was pulled up and launched with a very bad grace. I thought at the time that it was owing to messages being badly delivered. The headmen have requested me to send the police to Green Point to burn the village of Jonfrum and I have consented to do so; all the people of Green Point have their houses at other spots quite clear of the village of Jonfrum.

36A similar meeting of the people of East Tanna was held to day and Koukare was to speak to them in the same strain.

37I am inclined to think that Karaua was in the affair from the beginning and it may have been his idea.

38Manehevi was a wanderer and never had a garden or a house since his mother died. Karaua has a garden of sorts.

39You may have occasion to use a policeman named Joe Nalpin as interpreter. He is suspect here on the matter of Jonfrum. I considérer that an absence of two years from Tanna would allow the Tannese to forget all about Jonfrum.

40I enclose statements by Karaua, Kohu, Kamti, Nokues, Noklam. Ī will place with M. Marinacce a bag of money said to contain £ 100 Aust. and a statement from the headmen of Tanna duly signed by them.

41James M. NICOL.

42Their Honours :

43His Britannic Majesty's Resident Commissioner and the Resident Commissioner for France.

C

44TRANSLATION OF LETTER FROM PRIVATE JOE NALPIN TO HIS FATHER SOMO AND TO SAM NAKO, CHIEF AT LENAKEL, TANNA

45(Dictée par Karòh)

46I am Joe. I forgot something I had to tell you I say to you Somo and Sam Nako that I come here to Vila. The Government at Tanna tied you up but that is nothing. Do not forget the tobacco which came to me from John Frum and Nauka. John Frum wanted Nauka to show him the road to come out. Nauka did not know the road so he sent the tobacco to me, to you Somo and to Sam Nako. I made the road so that all the chiefs could go and shake hands with John Frum because I was not there but Karaua softened his heart and showed the chiefs John Frum. John Frum only spoke to them because he did not see me with them. He asked Karaua where I was and Karaua told him I was in Vila.

47John Frum and I were together and we arranged that all the others should come to Vila. We talked together about them (the chiefs) and we arranged that the chiefs should follow us when we came out of jail.

48John Frum and I came to Sidini (mission village near Lenakel) to look for a place for a house. John Frum pointed where his house was to stand just alongside mine but he did not describe what kind of house. So listen well you Somo and Sam Nako : Nako will provide three men, Natoga will provide three men : Bangor will send three men to build the house and Sidni will provide the food for the workers.

49You are not to say that the house is for John Frum or for me, but just say it is a company or a communal house.

50We two are only waiting for the chiefs to go back to Tanna and when the house is ready you will send word to us and John Frum and I will come to the house you will have prepared at Sidni. Then John Frum will gather the white men and talk to them. He will send his son to America to bring the king. You must not be afraid. He showed me aeroplanes at Lonopina (name for Tukosmeru, the highest mountain in Tanna) as thick as the bush.

51You must conceal the contents of this letter. This is not my letter, John Frum is sitting by me as I write. This is the end of my letter, but John Frum's is underneath.

52John the great

53my brother here is joe : my name is karapanaman

54every thing is near to us

55see us two joe captain cockle shell.

56I am Joe. I am saying to you brothers and father that this spirit writing speaks to you these four lines only wich you see. See how his writing has no capital letters. He says cockle shell. The meaning of this is that we two fit like the two halves of a cockle shell. Everything will come from Sidni John frum wants you to answer this letter by the Morinda.

D

578th April 1949.

  • 3 Native Medical Practioner.

58From : J. Kalsakau, N. M. P.3, Loanegou, Tanna (N. H.).

59To : Resident Commissionner for French Republic, Vila (N. H.)

60Jonfroom.

  • 4 British District Agent.

61There is no doubt that every thing in the world has a cause and an aim follows by action. So Jonfroom movement has procedures. The word anti white which many people fixed in their mind that it was the cause of Jonfroom is completely false. Their action taken against the white settlers on the island was originating from the cause and was not the origin of the movement. The origin of the movement or the cause started more than thirty years ago. This spirit has been occurred likally in villages from other islands in the New Hebrides, from time to time. I will say one here for an example. Presumably in 1931, two school (christian) lads from my island (Fila) were trying to leave the Presbyterian Mission to Seventh Day Adventist Mission. They were complaining bitterly that our Presbyterian Mission was only teaching the Bible lesson and failed to teach any other subjects from which to uplift them in their worldly life. But as my father had taken prompt action against the matter, helped by Mr. Seagoe, the ex B.D.A.4, Vila, the lads were prevented from their attempt, and as the British Resident Commissioner had decided to send some of us to Fiji for schooling, the spirit is now completely eradicated from the island. The same spirit was the cause of Jonfroom on Tanna. The natives who were born as members of the Presbyterian Church, left the Church (most of them) and joined the S.D.A.M., but they found the same teaching, so they had to find some way to relieve the pressure.

62Some people may think that kava was the cause of Jonfroom, but kava was really acted as a sugar-coated and a stimulant for the movement, to attract people away from the religion of the Chruch, and was not the cause of the movement. The movement may be dying down, but two main rules, what they called « Jon-froom's law », namely : (i) people must no got to school (church), and (ii) people must drink kava. These rules are still strongly carried out at present. So the aim and action taken have come from the cause of one focus. Therefore, Jonfroom is simply a strike for Education, and it can be said with sufficient accuracy that the spirit have arise from the school (church) people, and not by heathen natives.

63J. Kalsakau.

E

64Rapport du missionnaire J. Bell au Synode presbytérien de 1941

65REPORT FOR SYNOD 1941

66There is little or nothing to report save the Jon Frum campaign, for whatever was before has collapsed in the hour of testing. And first you must realize this fact that much of what you have heard in the way of rumour is probably wild fancyings. This kind of sensation loses nothing save truth in its spread.

67Its inception dates some three years ago and pretty vague it was then; some whispers of spirits, to which I replied. Nothing was heard again for about a year and in that interval I had forgotten it.

68The next I heard was about strange happenings at a place called Green Point. Fred, a teacher from Nguna, told me of them, but he knew little of the nature of what was happening. Fred is teaching, rather was teaching, in the South end, about eight miles from Green Point. Inquiries elicited corroboration of his report, but nothing definite. I am sorry to say my elders were extremely reticent in the whole matter and failed to act consistently with their office.

69However, evidence filtered in and accumulated, all of course over a long period of time and too misty to reveal form to seize hold of. The cunning of those responsible can be seen in the way they captured the minds, imaginations and loyalty and fear of the Tanna people. We are apt to see the collapse of the work without apprehending the subtle, underground work, which brought about the collapse. Fifth column activities were just as effective on Tanna as elsewhere.

70Making inquiries after Fred had spoken to me, it was evident that most people knew about events, albeit in a very vague manner. I was told that this spirit embodied as a man Tanna was here to help Tanna and that he urged all to go to school and to give heed to the Government. School and Government had his approval evidently, but as events showed the cult was typically Hitlerian in its opportunism.

71I advised them from the pulpit and outside to have nothing to do with such talk, adding that I feared it was merely an effort to destroy the school.

72Straws show which way the wind blows and straws were not lacking in this, but do remember that straws are feeble things to grip. Slowly the real attitude towards Government, Mission, and whites became apparent, though there were denials.

73Roughly twelve months ago meetings were called secretly and took place in a clearing cut out of the bush, with a huge banyan over all to shut out the light from the sky. They took place at night and no light was allowed not even the glow of a cigarette or a pipe. Chiefs and elders and others were given positions befitting their rank, near to Jon Frum. A few bold spirits tried to peer into his face, but his face was well hidden by a big hat. When he spoke it was in a falsetto voice and he said little. He was said to have told the chiefs they were fools to work for the Government for nothing, but I could get nothing concrete, as to what he had spoken.

74Wonder tales spread like wildfire. Here are some of them. He lived before Noah, but ascended above the clouds during the flood and has never known death. He too served God and was sent by him. When Mr. Nicol arrested some of the suspects it was bruited about that Jon Frum would cause him to release them, where on considerable credence was lent to the tale which was further elaborated. Jon Frum was said to have visited the Government Agent, and punched his nose, drunk beer at a trader's and driven in a golden car to another. There was much and indefinite talk about « steels » which had power to kill or draw. Later I received a clue as to the meaning and origin of the term when an Aniwan asked me about steels placed by the Government in Vila harbor to destroy enemy ships — evidently a product of the imagination produced by seeing wireless aerials and other war preparations and having war news.

75Then there were promises made very early in the business, promises of money in plenty, new houses similar to white folk's houses, new schools (day schools that is), a new and true religion and a new Government; in brief a native Utopia.

76There were also threats. Any who did not believe would not receive anything in the day when Jon Frum would appear in power. A child was drowned and it was said the child was drowned because the father would not believe. In addition Jon Frum could hear all that was said and people were frightened to speak. Along with all this was incitement to kava drinking, immorality and the like.

77It all came to a head soon after Dr. and Mrs. Armstrong left and while Mr. Nicol and we were away. Neither launch was to return, but Mr. Nicol returned after a terrible trip and we also reached land safely after a tiring trip. On our return we found a chaotic state of affairs. Few were attending worship, only a few villages stood true and a few individuals elsewhere. Nearly all the elders had fallen and one of my Tangoan teachers had also fallen. My other English teachers, including those from Nguna and Vila stood fast and were pillars of strength at a time of great trial.

78Orders had gone out for gardens to be despoiled as they would not be needed and some obeyed. Many killed their cattle, also by order, and money saved for land purposes and other things was spent without stint, with a passion to be rid of it in many instances. The idea was to buy out the stores and so get rid of the white man's money and then the white traders would leave. Other ways of ridding the island of whites and others faithful to the truth were voiced. Knives were bought up particularly the small ones. One man, a loyal one, remarked that short knives were handy for throwing when trouble came. Dances were pointedly held on Sundays. It was noticeable to us how the heathen retained their cattle and gathered in the money, « white man's money », for nakawa roots.

79Sons were given Jon Frum and queer incidents occurred at Ipikil, a village near the volcano, where a son was said to be, incidents suspicious in the extreme, but well hidden and kept amazingly secret.

80The District Agent acted with decision and vigour as soon as he could and many of the leaders are now in prison. That is not the finish. They still believe Jon Frum is on Tanna, that the one allegedly Jon Frum was merely he for convenience. In fact strong and widespread expectations are abroad that all will be home soon with the Government's blessing and acknowledgement of error on its part. Should such an early return eventuate it will be fatal, as they say they will make Tanna as it was before the white man came. The majority look far from repentant, indeed their attitude is not a pleasing one. A few have come back to church, but they too in many cases exude a faint air of watching and waiting. The change in the people is sadly amazing. They are dirty and extremely lazy and their health seems to be suffering already. The whole business was and is heartbreaking.

81What are the causes of this thing?

  1. First of all I should place heathenism on the offensive. Some two years ago I was informed how the heathen were setting up men to foster heathenism in their villages and outside.

  2. Secondly the efforts of a number of trouble makers to gain power, leadership and money. One of them sent to Vila for vile practices in medicine had visions of the Jon Frum variety which he assiduously spread abroad — this was revealed to me recently. He is now in the police force, evidently on the theory of setting a thief to catch a thief, but I fear he may be described as a carrier of the disease, with extended opportunities to transmit the evils for which he was sent to prison. There are always trouble makers in all communities and Tanna is no exception. There are a few anti-whites, but I am told that the vast majority wanted the white people.

  3. Thirdly divided Christianity, which is bad enough amongst civilized people, but poisonous amongst primitives. It raises questions and doubts which are hidden usually, but are not less dangerous because they are hidden.

  4. Fourthly, Copra markets collapsing left idle hands for which Satan can find plenty to do. Ample time, no work, people who love to talk and who are adept at turning the truth into strange shapes, a few trouble makers, flickering firelight and dancing, fantastic shadows, superstitious minds of an unreasoning kind provide the requisite ingredients for such a pie as is served up to us all Government and Mission.

  5. Fifthly, war unrest and news-all distorted-coming from news given locally with caution and from other places by boys who have been elsewhere. The talk is a hotch-potch of S.D.A. apocalyptic nonsense, war news and Bible language and images.

  6. Lastly, belief in Jon Frum as a spirit sent from God. Of that all were convinced. Even those who stood loyal admitted to fear and deserve all the more credit for their stand against such pressure and their own fear of the unknown.

82Add to these things the promises, incitements, threats and the like and you have a fair explanation. There was too an unamed recrudescence of the old gods, unrecognised by many even of the Tannase.

83What are the remedies? I dont intend to speak of what we have done, of which there is much. Dr. Inglis of Aneityum attended the Assembly in Edenburgh once. Standing up to speak he said : « Fathers and brothers, we are told that missionaries should state the facts and leave the Church to draw the inference. I wish to bring three facts to your notice.

  1. First (suiting the action to the word). I place on your table the shorter Catechism in the language of Aneityum.

  2. Secondly, I place on your table the Pilgrim's Progress in the language of Aneityum.

  3. Thirdly, I place on your table the holy Scriptures, Old & New Testaments in the language of Aneityum and now leave the Church to draw the inference.

84These facts apply throughout the Group, along with many others. To leave the Church to draw the inference is all right if it is capable of doing so. To do so aright it must know the Mission field and be interested in it. It must know men in all their diversity and be on fire to help them, not merely to gain evangelical scalps. It must have a knowledge of facts, not simply of the good to hear facts, the sugar plums, but of the facts that are not good hearing, the bitter stuff which acts as a tonic. As Brown puts it in his history of Missions, truth is my object. Friends of Missions often draw too glowing pictures of their triumphant progress, past success and future prospects, producing fallacious impressions and exciting false hopes. By stating facts impartially inexpressibly greater advantages will ultimately be gained. The spirit of prayer will be awakened and we shall give less confidence to the apparatus of means and be made to realize our dépendance on God. He adds that the Gospels hides nothing. I fear pleasant facts only are circulated by the Church and even the ministery of the Church are largely fed the same stuff.

  1. I say therefore that the first remedial agent is knowledge which will create more prayer, interest and understanding throughout the Church.

  2. Secondly Government and Mission must endeavour to cooperate more fully and with a far sighted and sympathetic attitude to and understanding of the entire situation.

  3. Thirdly we must face up to the problem of education, not to be deterred by the complexity of the problem, knowledge has its place in the three ultimate values. « Ismael doth not know my people doth not consider (Is., I, 3).

  4. Fourthly. What has been done to build up trade or to foster primary industry in the Group? Copra which is absolute rubbish is allowed to be shipped so spoiling the name of the New Hebrides. No one will buy rubbish when he can get better. That is the Government's sphere. It collects enough from the natives indirectly through what they buy and does little to help them in return.

  5. Fifthly. We have taken dances from them and have done little to replace them or to meet the problem created by such a loss. They spent days and days preparing for dances and talking about them. Why has not more been done to build up new dances and to preserve the good in the old?

85Dancing is frowned on by many, after all there are good dances and a large percentage of Christians dance. David danced, it was then and before has been since a means of religious expression as well as means of enjoyment and expression in every day life. My own feet tingle when music throbs and I am no dancer, but then my conscience may be a darkened one. Music and dancing are part of our essential make up, too deep rooted to be sins in themselves. It is the abuse of them which constitutes the sin. There's some truth in Yeats lines.

86« For the good are always the merry,

87Save by an evil chance,

88And the merry love the fiddle

89And the merry love the dance. — The fiddler of Dooney ».

90We have clothed religion in black and sombre garnments, rubbed the smile off its face as unseemly, suppressed the instinct to express our feelings dramatically as being evil, and brought people to confuse Christianity with so called respectability which is synonymous with drabness. God gave us the rainbow which is really light broken up into its constituent colours.

91We cannot expect to meet with success until we prohibit less and are more positively constructive. We must do all we can to make Christianity native Christianity and allow the Holy Spirit a chance to vitalise the native church instead of trying to force it into moulds. Christianity is a living organism which grows.

92Football is good, but it needs money to buy footballs. So with many other games, but these do not meet the loss of the means of dramatic expression so essential to the natives. I don't deny the difficulties in all these things, but difficulties are there to be over come by God's help.

93What has happened on Tanna can and may happen elsewhere. In dealing with this you are dealing with potential dangers to all the Group. I ask you then to cogitate on the situation on Tanna, not to condemn hastily. Man Tanna is to blame in no small degree, but judgement must be followed by construction if it is to be worthwile. The really important questions are. Are these things symptoms? If they are, then of what are they symptoms?

Rev. J. Bell

Notes

1 Les auteurs de ce texte sont les Révérends Dr. Gunn et Nicholson.

2 Rapport adressé aux deux Commissaires-Résidents.

3 Native Medical Practioner.

4 British District Agent.

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