People from all over New Zealand will be coming to the Bay of Plenty on Sunday for an important celebration of Vanuatu.

More than 500 Vanuatu RSE workers and Ni-Van Residents residing in Bay of Plenty and Waikato are expected to gather from 9am – 5pm at the Pāpāmoa Sports and Recreation Centre to celebrate the 43rd Independence Celebration.

“The purpose is to celebrate and showcase our culture, promote our culture in New Zealand, and to also bring unity amongst Ni-Vans in New Zealand,” says Vanuatu Association of New Zealand - Bay of Plenty spokesperson Billy Lop.

“[Ni-Vans] are under represented here in Aotearoa. The only way to stand out is to unite together and to engage with the whole community at large.”

For the Vanuatu community here, this celebration is any opportunity for bringing everyone together where in the past there have been smaller individual celebrations.

“The Vanuatu community becoming more organised and more visible in Aotearoa NZ. Residents are working alongside our RSE workers to host the event.”

The 43rd Independence Celebration Committee has been working hard for the last five months or so to gather everyone together.

Billy says each RSE contributed $20 each and there has also been sponsorships from various companies such as Pak’NSave Papamoa, DMS Progrowers and Zespri, individuals, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, and Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

The day’s celebrations will include a parade, an official Powhiri by Nga Potiki iwi and opening blessing by Pastor Peter Yavid, a flag raising ceremony, the singing of the Vanuatu National Anthem, and an Independence Day address and cake cutting by His Excellency H.E Jimmy Nipo.

Pāpāmoa Sports and Recreation Centre. Photo: Supplied.

Lunch will feature traditional foods, and there will be performances of cultural dances from Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and other invited cultural groups.  Stringband will do a special Independence Day Performance, and there will be performances by Tanna Kastom Dance, Snake Dance, John Frum, and Monkey Boys.

Invited guest speakers include Minister of Education Hon Jan Tinetti, Western Bay Deputy Mayor John Scrimgeour and Mary Tiumalu from the Ministry Pacific Peoples.

The day will end with the lowering of the flag at 5pm.

Vanuatu

Vanuatu is made up of 83 Islands of which 65 are inhabited. The population of 320,000 is spread through six provinces – Torba, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea, Malampa.

Vanuatu is the country with the highest density of languages per capita in the world with 135 different indigenous languages. Some of the indigenous languages are very endangered. English, French and Bislama are the three national languages. Bislama is similar to Solomon island Tok Pijin and PNG Tok Pisin and the first ever New Zealand Pilot Bislama Language week is happening in November this year.

A dive into the history of Vanuatu

In 1774 Captain Cook named the Islands New Hebrides, and in 1906, France and the United Kingdom agreed to administer the islands jointly.

On Sunday local Vanuatu people or ‘Ni-vans’ will be celebrating 43 years of independence from the colonial power of the British and French.

Vanuatu is the only country in the world and in fact the Pacific to have had a "condominium government" before the 1980s.  A condominium government means there is two of everything; one English hospital, one French hospital, one English radio station, one French radio station, one English church, one French church and so on. It’s said this became known as the pandemonium because it was very confusing.

Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and PNG played very important part in World War II. New Zealanders can say a big 'thank you' to these Melanesian countries for saving lives. Vanuatu provided a base for 500,000 US servicemen and women to supply services, ammunition etc for the war while Solomons and PNG were the front lines to the Pacific war.

New Zealand soldiers were based in Vanuatu. New Caledonia helped with all the logistics and supplies to the war.

“It is so important that New Zealand understand this history and to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions these countries have made in terms of the sacrifices on resources,” says Joseph.

Who are our Ni-Vanuatu people living in New Zealand today?

The Government Ministry for Pacific Peoples reports that Vanuatu is the third fastest Pacific population in New Zealand, and is in the top six fastest growing. Ni-Vanuatu in New Zealand has increased with a population that has doubled from 990 people in the 2018 census.

“Our Ni-Vanuatus here include those with dual passports; both citizens and residents, a huge number of us which are skilled workers under the RSE scheme-estimating easily over a few thousands.

“We also have our Ni-Vanuatu students who are on student visas for largely tertiary education in Universities.

“We do not have a special treaty like Samoa does with NZ where each year they have an annual net, so our populations have largely remained in Vanuatu.”

Billy says they do not see a lot of people seeking health services but there are ongoing talks about increasing the fishing industry to include the Ni-Vanuatu's who can come to the Nelson region and work in the fishing productions area there.