History of New Caledonia - SpeedyLook encyclopedia

The first sources written concerning the history of New Caledonia go up with its discovery in 1774 by James Cook, but the archipelago was inhabited by the Kanak S since good a long time.

Settlement

Tradition of Koné

One calls “Tradition of Koné” the period of 1.300 with 200 av. J. - C., sometimes also called simply Lapita in reference to these potteries representative of this period and which were found in most of the insular Pacific and on primarily littoral sites, perhaps indicating an even ritual commercial use.

This last assumption seems confirmed by the fact that it are of looked after invoice, with " forms complex, manufactured carefully, and richly decorated with stylized reasons so characteristic that they evolve/move little in space and the temps." . This type of pottery disappears rather brutally during the first century. Also in parallel another type of pottery, known as of Podtanéan develops (also of the name of the site where this style was identified for the first time) or “with the beater” which seems on the contrary to have had a utility more practical as testifies the fact to it that they " of simple form and is decorated with impressions which one more often allotted to the technique of manufacture than to the artistic intention " , but also because they had a broader diffusion on the Grande Ground, not limiting itself to the littoral sites. Moreover, contrary to the Lapita, Podtanéan do not disappear truly but will evolve/move with in particular the appearance of decorations incised in the shape of rafter.

They are the potteries whose carbon dating makes go up the oldest traces in the neighborhoods of 1200 before J.C. Those are of two types.

potteries of the Lapita type. Those are characterized " by forms complex, manufactured carefully, and richly decorated with stylized reasons so characteristic that they evolve/move little in space and the temps." . This type of pottery was found on eight distinct sites all littorals, 4 on the west coast of the Large Earth (Koumac, Koné, Bourail-Nessadiou, Noumea), 1 in the island of the Pines (Vatcha) and 2 in the islands Loyauté (Luecila with Lifou and Patho with Maré).
potteries of the Podtanéan type. These also named potteries " potteries with the battoir" , " of simple form and is decorated with impressions which one more often allotted to the technique of manufacture than to the artistic intention . ". Those had a broader diffusion since one finds some including on the east coast and the interior of the valleys of the Large Earth.

For the New Zealand archeologist, R.C. Green, the coexistence at the same period of two types of potteries would be the result of two distinct migratory waves, which seems nevertheless to dispute to him Frimigacci or Galipaud for which these two styles would be the fact of the same population but used at different ends. Always it is that the pottery of the Lapita type disappears rather suddenly at the first century, as for that of Podtanéan type, if it does not disappear completely, it evolves/moves with the appearance of decorations incised in the shape of rafter. It is also about at this same period that appear new types of ceramics of which some continued to be worked juqu' at the beginning of the 20th century.

Traditions of Naia I, Naia II and of Oundjo

The following period, energy of 200 av. J.C or the beginning of the first century until the arrival of the first Europeans at the end of XVIIIe S. and XIXe S., is known as of Naia Oundjo. The archeologists distinguish several distinct traditions then: in the south of the Large Ground those known as of Naia I (potteries with handles found primarily on littoral sites) and Naia II (potteries of small size and with pustules with the broader diffusion because some were found inside the grounds), and in north that of Oundjo (of later appearance, certainly right before the arrival of Europeans, these potteries are also distinguished in two styles: one of small size and spherical form and the other bulkier and ovoid). During this period, the Kanaks (certainly coming from the hawaiien “kanaka” which means “man”, then taken again by Europeans to indicate the populations autochtones Pacifique, and more particularly of the Mélanésie, in the form “Canaque” who quickly took a term with pejorative connotation in New Caledonia before being asserted under the C-W communication “Kanak” by the populations mélanésiennes of the archipelago) control the art of the polished stone, and base their civilization on the culture of the ground (mainly yams and taros). At the time of ritual warriors, tribes practice also the Cannibalisme.

the potteries of the type Naia I are potteries with handles found primarily in the south of the west coast between Bourail and the island Ouen in exclusively littoral zones.
the potteries of the type Naia II are potteries of small size and with localized pustules they also primarily in the south, on the littoral but also inside the grounds.
the potteries of the Oundjo type would undoubtedly have appeared little before the arrival of the first European navigators and are present exclusively in the North of the Large Earth. The archeologists distinguish from them two styles, the ones being small sizes and of spherical form, the others bulkier and of ovoid form.

Discovered

The September 4th 1774, it aspiring Colnett, member of the crew of the HMS Resolution ordered by the British navigator James Cook, during the second forwarding of this last, is the first to see the Grande Ground. Cook baptizes it “ New Caledonia ” in the honor of the Scotland. Indeed, it is said that the aspect of the coasts would have pointed out to him this area of Great Britain, in which Cook is originating from his/her father ( Caledonia is the old Latin name of the province corresponding to the Scotland). The September 5th take place the first contacts between Europeans (Cook and his crew) and the Kanak S with Balade, on the north-eastern coast of the Grande Ground. James Cook skirts then the east coast and discovers the September 23rd the Île of the Pines.

Thereafter, the majority of the explorers to be been interested in the archipelago are French. Thus, it is probable that in 1788, the French forwarding led by Perugia recognizes the west coast on board the Astrolabe and the Compass , right before sinking in a shipwreck on the reef of Vanikoro to the the Solomon Islands. In 1793, the French rear-admiral Antoine Bruny d' Entrecasteaux, left in 1791 at the request of Louis XVI to find Perugia, passes off New Caledonia, recognizes the West coast of the Large Earth and would have stopped in particular with the Îles Honesty. Nevertheless, one allots the discovery of these last to the French explorer Jules Dumont d' Urville in 1827 which was the first to precisely locate them on a chart.

Thereafter, as of 1793, of the Baleinier S start to be interested in the New Caledonia near the coasts of which the humpback whales go up during the southern winter. Later, at the beginning of the XIXe century, fishing with the Sea cucumber, particularly appreciated in Asia, starts to develop. But it is especially through the trade of the wood of Santal, as of 1841 and especially starting from 1846 and until in 1853, that real contacts will be tied between Européens and Kanak S: the first then obtain seconds the wood sought in exchange of tools, of steel weapons, fabrics or of objects of glass. , and more slightly by hunting for the whale. To the beginning of the year 1850, the tradesman and adventurous British James Paddon will be installed on the island Nou in the roads of current the Noumea and will make come several members from his family and knowledge to settle on the island (what one will call the “Paddon colonists”, at the origin of the presence on the Territory of several British families of origin).

Colonization

Starting from 1841, missionary S start to come to settle. Protestants Anglicans of the London Missionary Society (LMS) settles then with the island of the Pines and the Îles Honesty as of 1841, then in Touaourou in the south of the Grande Ground in 1842. If the establishment with Honesty is done in a durable way (these islands remaining one of the bastions of Protestantism still today in New Caledonia), the two other installations with the island of the Pines and Touaourou are driven out as of 1842. In 1864 a military forwarding with the islands Loyauté is organized to put an end to the Protestant English influence. Catholic side, Marist brothers, carried out by Monseigneur Douarre who is named apostolic vicar of New Caledonia, first of all settle with Balade in 1843, but there still the missionaries are driven out in 1847 before being able to return, and in a durable way, starting from 1851. The Marist brothers also settle, successfully but not without clashes, with the island of the Pines. The missionaries bring with them new diseases, causing epidemics which strongly affect the indigenous population. In the first times, the autochtones are reticent because they allot the possible food shortages, epidemics or wars clannish which start with the missionaries.

The two organizations missionaries, to ensure their base on the archipelago, call some then with the two European powers likely to help them: Protestants with the the United Kingdom and the Marists with the France of Napoleon III. However, the call of the missions with colonization is not the only factor which can explain the taking possession. For a few years, France and the United Kingdom have already devoted to a race with colonization, known as “war of the flags”. Moreover, the France seeks a place with the climate more lenient than the Guyana to install a penal settlement, the New Caledonia seeming all then to indicate. On another side, the British colonists of Australia pushed their metropolis of supervision to ensure an entirely anglophone control of the Pacifique islander. The two countries thus await only the element release which will be able to justify a taking possession, and it is the France which obtains the first occasion: in 1850, the massacre with Yenghebane in the north of the Large Ground several officers and men of crew of the French corvette Alcmène , sent in reconnaissance mission to study the possibility of the installation of a bagne, provides a pretext to Napoleon III. This one then gives instruction to several warships French to take possession of the New Caledonia (provided that the the United Kingdom did not already do it). The New Caledonia is proclaimed French colony with Balade the September 24th 1853 by the rear-admiral Febvrier Despointes, attached to the French Establishments of the Pacific which include/understand already Tahiti. September 29th it negotiates the annexation of the island of the Pines with the big boss Vandegou.

The June 25th 1854, the French soldiers found in the south-west of the Grande Ground Port-of-France to be used as chief town with the colony, simple garrison which will quickly become a small town and will take the name of Noumea the June 2nd 1866.

From 1853 with 1877, there is a movement of colonization pionnière towards New Caledonia. It is under the influence of the fathers Marists that France decided to colonize this remote ground of the Pacific. The first French soldiers accost in New Caledonia, invading thousands of hectares of ground, and driving out the first inhabitants, Kanaks, of the most fertile grounds. The local population is victim many massacres.

In 1860, the New Caledonia becomes a colony with whole share (separated from Tahiti) and its first governor, the rear-admiral Guillain, is charged to organize the installation of the bagne and thus to find grounds (not only to keep the convicts purging their sorrow, but also for the grounds entrusted to released which have the obligation however to double their sorrow in the colony while being “free”, the final goal being to push them to settle definitively). It will do it by creating a statute of the indigénat, creating concerning Mélanésiens whose grounds are organized in “tribes” or “chefferies” already existing and by creating “great chefferies” or “districts”. The first penitentiary convoy arrives in 1864 (transported or delinquent and criminals of common, and relegated right or authors of offenses or small crimes recidivists).

“Transported” arrive between 1864 and 1897. After the Common of Paris, New Caledonia, is used as place of deportation for very many former communards condemned by the councils of war set up by the Gouvernement Thiers. These condemned political is called the “deportees” or the “communards”. Among them: Henri Rochefort which will succeed in escaping and Louise Michel. To that are added Kabyles having to also take part in the revolt of the sheik El Mokranien in Algérie in 1871. The prison authorities, or “Tentiaire”, quickly become rather rich and rather powerful, in particular having most of land (in addition to the pénitentiers island Nou and Ducos with Noumea, of Prony in the south or the island of the Pines, this administration has also whole villages allocated with the former convicts doubling their sorrow: Dumbéa, Foa, Bourail, Pouembout, primarily). But in parallel also a free colonization initially completely disorganized develops, these “pioneers” come from France (and in particular from Alsace or Lorraine) with what add disappointed “gold rush” Australian and some other families pushed starting from their hearths to flee the absence of ground, misery or the social conditions, economic or policies to try their chance in the colonies. Those are especially stockbreeders in great properties on the west coast of the Grande Ground in the direct surroundings of Noumea or with Païta, Boulouparis, Moindou and Koné, inter alia. The discovery of the garnierite, ore of Nickel, by Jules Garnier in 1866 and the beginning of the exploitation of this material also attracts tradesmen and causes a certain financial fever during a few years (enough quickly slowed down by several bankruptcies, whose most resounding of the Marchand bank in 1878 is that). The first truly structured colonization is that of Réunionais that the colonial administration makes come in New Caledonia to develop the exploitation of the cane to with it with sugar (without real success).

In 1874, following the escape from six off-set communards whose Henri Rochefort, the Gautier governor of Richerie is replaced by Léopold de Pritzbuër. In the decree of December 12th, 1874 signed by Mac Mahon the capacities of the governor are wide just as those of the director of the administration pénitencière .

July 22nd, 1884 the directing Butcher of the Interior in New Caledonia is named governor. He is the first civil Governor.

From 1884 to 1894 10 governors follow one another:

the Butcher from July 22nd, 1884 to May 13rd, 1886
Lt-Collar Orius in May - June 1886
Louis Nouet from June 5th, 1886 to July 30th, 1888
Morrachini, then Colonel Pons in 1888,
Christmas Forgiveness from January 12th, 1889 to April 14th, 1891
Laffon from April 14th, 1891 to December 16th, 1892
Picquie from December 16th, 1892 to February 21st, 1894
Ghouarhou in 1894.

In 1895, the new governor, Paul Feillet, puts an end to penal colonization and, by important campaigns in metropolis, it makes come the first free wave of colonization organized from importance: the “Feillet colonists” come with the hope to cultivate the coffee. There still it is a semi-failure, the difficult living conditions (families, once made, being generally completely delivered to themselves) and the distance of any civilization (provisioning being done occasionally by a boat, the “turn of coast”, skirting the littoral calédonien). The European colonists receive grounds to produce coffee while Asian immigration is encouraged for the mining which begins in 1910. A last wave of colonization will take place in the years 1920, those of the colonists known as “northerner” because coming from the North of France, this time on the basis of culture of cotton. It is a total failure.

Notable fact: the New Caledonia is, with the Algérie, the only French colony of settlement. The Subways came there many at the point to equalize the number of the autochtones (one calls “Caldoches” the subways born on the territory, whereas the immigrants are called “Zoreille S”). Progressively of the waves of Colonization, Kanaks were subjected to the code of the Indigénat (which is abolished only in 1946), they were never put in reserves. Struck by the diseases, alcoholism, and the Malnutrition, the indigenous population, estimated at 100 000 people in 1853, counts nothing any more but 20.000 in 1920.< of them! - is this on, the population would have triplet in 60 years? >

Tormented history

Vis-a-vis the organization of this colony of settlement often violently, the Kanak S react: if risings specific, very weak and are easily repressed between 1853 and 1878, the great insurrection of 1878 of the large-chief Ataï causes the death of many colonists with Païta, Foa and Boulouparis and the colonial administration succeeds in putting at it a term only thanks to the assistance of rival tribes kanaks of that of Ataï which thus is captured and decapitated by other Mélanésiens (and whose head is preserved at Paris in a bottle). Other revolts of importance took place in 1913 but especially in 1917 in north under the direction of the chief No5el Doui, also decapitated to him by Kanak S.

Other revolts took place, in 1913 in north, and important in 1917, directed by the chief No5el Doui, also decapitated to him by of Kanaks.

In 1931, a group of Kanaks is exposed in a cage, at the time of the colonial exposure of Paris.

Second world war

During the Second world war, New Caledonia adopts the Free France in 1940 and becomes a base for the Americans engaged in the countryside of the Pacific. The March 12th 1942, several tens of thousands of men arrive to New Caledonia: it is an upheaval for a so small territory. Aerodromes are arranged (Tontouta, plain of Gaïacs, etc), of the hospitals are installed with the Handle-Vata, the Design, Dumbéa, the north of Bourail, on the east coast and in extreme north. This presence brings in New Caledonia certain symbols of the lifestyle to American: the dance hall, the Coca-Cola, the chewing-gum, “snack bars”, etc

Certain districts of Noumea still bear the names of the American military zones: Motor Pool , Receiving , etc

Maintenance in the bosom of the Republic

After the Second world war, Kanaks hoped to benefit from the movement of Décolonisation to release itself too. But if, in 1946, the code of the Indigénat is removed and if Kanaks obtain the French citizenship, they obtain the complete right to vote only in 1957

The New Caledonia is then a territory overseas that the laws frameworks known as Defferre of 1957 bring towards more autonomy. But whereas a movement of Décolonisation starts in the other French colonies at the beginning of the Années 1960, the process knows for New Caledonia and the other French territories of the Pacific a brutal crushing argument reconsidering the main part of the laws frameworks: in 1963 the Government council is placed under the authority of the Gouverneur and in 1968, the Loi Billote withdraws with the territorial Assemblée of New Caledonia essence its capacities, inter alia on the Nickel.

In the years 1960, the population Kanak becomes majority, which worries the colonists, the more so as claims start to be expressed. So that the metropolitan authorities decide to encourage the emigration towards the island. This immigration is facilitated by the boom of the Nickel which offers to the immigrants a smiling economic outlook. Between 1969 and 1976, the population of the island increases of more than 20 % with nearly 20.000 new immigrants. If the Kanak S are increasingly more numerous than Europeans (approximately 55.000 compared with 50.000 in 1976), they are not however majority, because of the presence of other alien communities (26 000): Asian, Polynesian S and Wallisian S.

Independence movement

Following events and with phenomena ideological and social related to May 1968, with “centralization gaulliste” which puts an end to the majority principles of autonomy conceded by the outline law of 1956 (the most disputed reforms being those of the Billote laws of 1969 which places the management of the economic development and in particular of the exploitation of nickel under the supervision of the State and either of the Territory) or to the succession of independences in the area Pacifique (Samoa Western in 1962, Nauru in 1968, Fiji and Tonga in 1970, New Guinea-News-Guinea in 1975, the the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu in 1978, Kiribati in 1979, Vanuatu in 1980), several groupings radical of Kanak S start to assert the independence, in particular the Red Foulards and the Groupe 1878 , which are structured politically by melting first of all a Coordination committee for independence rejoined soon by the multiracial Union of New Caledonia, movement formed by dissidents kanaks of the Union calédonienne and rejoined with the idea of independence. The two groups, Red Scarves and Group 1878 , are linked with the congress of Temala in December 1975 within the Party of release kanak Palika. Under the action of more moderate freedom fighters, of which Jean-Marie Tjibaou which calls especially with a cultural reconquest of the identity kanak by organizing in 1975 the festival of arts mélanésiens Mélanésia 2000. Under the impulse of this last, the Union calédonienne chooses officially independence in its turn with the congress of Bourail in 1977 and forms with the Palika and other movements souverainists the independence Front in 1979. On another side, the opponents with independence federate within the Rassemblement for Calédonie in Republic (RPCR) founded by Jacques Lafleur in 1977 (under the initial name of Gathering for Calédonie, the name of RPCR being taken only in 1978 that at the time of its rallying to the RPR of Jacques Chirac).

In 1977, the Union calédonienne also rocks it in the independence camp. With the election of François Mitterrand in 1981 independence waitings are done pressing.

In 1984, the tensions between the two camps reach their paroxysm when the new whole socialist Front of release national kanak (FLNKS), which replaces the independence Front, decides boyckotter the territorial elections and draws up stoppings on the roads. The death of the general secretary of the Union calédonienne, and chief of the radical wing of this party, Eloi Machoro, the January 12th 1985, envenime the situation, confrontations between opponents and in favor of independence degenerating soon into civil war and ethnic conflicts lasting the period known as of the “Events” (1984 - 1988). Radicals of the two camps then form militia which clash violently, and the successive governments fail to restore the calm one, of the families of “broussards” are attacked and of violent riots burst with Noumea against the possessions of certain independence leaders like the former deputy Maurice Lenormand. Violence culminates in 1988 with the Prise of hostage of Ouvéa: radical freedom fighters take as an hostage gendarmes on the island of Ouvéa. The May 5th 1988, at a few hours of the second turn of the presidential election between François Mitterrand and its Prime Minister, Jacques Chirac, the attack by GIGN, EPIGN, the 11 {{E}} Shock and the Commando Hubert of the cave of Gossanah where the gendarmes were retained as an hostage, baptized “Victor operation”, balances by the death of 19 freedom fighters and two soldiers.