As previously discussed in this blog, Vanuatu is quite culturally diverse. As a whole, Vanuatu holds a rich culture that tells the tale of endless years of colonization and seclusion. Aspects of the original native Malaysian culture still hold strong, but that is not to say that continuous European colonization did not affect portions of the population’s everyday outlook. Often a country’s societal customs are a reflection of its history, and Vanuatu is a clear case of this. 

The importance of the arts is deeply embedded within Vanuatu’s culture, from dance, to song, to drawing, art from this country tells tales of its past as they mix with modern-day ideology. Age is another key factor within Vanuatu tradition, it is widely celebrated and respected, and coming-of-age ceremonies are not rare throughout the area. Not only this, but Vanuatu’s history has inspired extensive language diversity within its borders. In fact, according to Wikipedia Vanuatu has the highest density of language per capita in the world.

But it is the separation found only in an island nation that has led to the unique differentiation in this culture between islands. According to Wikipedia, the islands of Vanuatu differ the most culturally in their concept of wealth, to the point that it can be divided into three separate regions. “In the north, wealth is established by how much one can give away, through a system of grade-taking. Pigs, particularly those with rounded tusks, are considered a symbol of wealth throughout Vanuatu. In the center, more traditional Melanesian cultural systems dominate. In the south, a system involving grants of title with associated privileges has developed(Wikipedia)”. Vanuatu is unique in the way it has built its culture around being united through diversity, the diversity found within the islands of Vanuatu inspires pride in its inhabitants and supports a unique ideology of curiosity and acceptance.

The National Museum of Vanuatu

Work Referenced

Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, August 20). Culture of vanuatu. Wikipedia. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Vanuatu