(1888PressRelease)
November 19, 2008 - Vanuatu, a peaceful tropical island nation in the South Pacific, witnessed an never-before-seen custom ceremony when, Chief Joshua Batakoro Vanua, father of Lee Tamata, a high risk escapee, from the local jail, ceremonially offered ten pigs to the community heads, in a plea for forgiveness for the misdemeanors of his son.
Ten pigs were handed over to the community leaders during a custom ceremony held at the Chief’s Nakamal. The leaders included the newly elected Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Edward Natapei. This was the highest price ever paid for peace, in the traditional custom system of the island of Pentecost.
Earlier this year, before the general elections, a Pentecost chief demanded that Jenny Ligo,a woman candidate, pay 10 pigs in a custom ceremony for her right to continue to contest the elections. Jenny had already performed a 10 pig-killing custom ceremony, just to enter the male dominated arena of politics.
When Chief Joshua discovered how much fear and damage his son had caused to members of the local community in Port Vila, he felt duty-bound to offer the pigs on behalf of his son, asking for the leader’s forgiveness.
While Chief Joshua spend three months in the capital Port Vila, away from his island home and family, he counseled his son. Chief Joshua had to sell kava and taro to raise the funds to buy the pigs for the peace ceremony.
Ten mature pigs are not only highly prized, but a very expensive exercise for the father as pigs are the wealth of a village. Curled pig tusks are used as currency in some areas of the Vanuatu islands, with the Tari Bunia Bank having 14 branches. The bank issues cheque books, has reserves and gives loans, all on the currency of pig tusks. While there is a vault to the bank there are no need for locks. “The bank is protected by spirits and snakes,” says the bank manager.
Chief Joshua said “My son has erred and I ask for your forgiveness,” said Chief Joshua, who spent time counseling his errant son while in Vila. The Chief will now return home with assurances from his son that he will serve the full term of his sentence and act with respect towards the law. Lee’s name means peace in the language of his home island, Pentecost.
Vanuatu is a ‘Must See’ travel adventure destination of the South Pacific.
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