Grassroots badly burnt

The loss of ni-Vanuatu archaeologists whose careers spanned 50 years

Abstract

Here we salute the exceptional contributions of five ni-Vanuatu, who passed away over the last year, to the archaeological understanding of Vanuatu and the wider Pacific over a 50-year period. They were all at one time members of the Vanuatu Cultural Centre’s unique network of Filwokas (fieldworkers) who are involved in protecting, promoting and preserving the country’s cultural heritage. Their careers spanned the pre and post-Independence (1980) period when archaeological research itself was transformed from a largely colonially controlled exercise to being fully locally coordinated and regulated with an emphasis on grassroots awareness.