Kanaks

Kanak is the name used to indicate the populations indigenous S of New Caledonia in the Pacifique South.

Etymology

The term would come at the origin from the word hawaiien “kanaka” meaning “man”. It spread thereafter, on the initiative of the European commercial navigators and, under the “canaque” C-W communication with the whole of the Pacific, more particularly to designate the populations autochtones of what is called traditionally the Mélanésie, although certain accounts of the XIXe century also use it in connection with Marquisiens or of Pascuans. Always it is that the term took little by little a more or less pejorative direction to indicate only the populations autochtones New Caledonia. Starting from the Years 1960, the autochtones réapproprièrent it in “Re-océanisant” under the C-W communication “kanak”. The term is today impresses of a strong identity load and became one of the symbols of the cultural claims and policies of the New Caledonians autochtones.

The adjective kanak is invariable with female as in the plural, only the name Kanak agrees in the plural. One will thus write “Kanaks speak 28 more Langues kanak”.

Culture kanak

“To make the habit”

The habit in the broad sense is the whole of the not written rules which govern the life of the tribes. There exist many habits corresponding to each corporate measure and without which that Ci cannot be carried out.

To make the habit represents the usual gift which is a way of showing its respect with the other. Traditionally one does not use the coffees, sugars or other products of European origin but well the “canaques currencies” carried out starting from natural materials (shells, hairs of dogfish, bones various etc). The present are deposited in a woven natural fiber coin or a paréo, the " manu" (manou).

The yam in the company kanak

August 1st The Igname is one of the elements of the usual exchanges.

  • To cultivate the yam (balks and tumuli)

  • symbolic systems of the yam

The languages kanak

See also: Languages kanak

Literature kanak of yesterday and today

Oral literature

August 1st

Contemporary literature

August 1st

Visual and musical arts

Architecture

  • boxes of the Large Earth
  • the boxes loyaltiennes

Sculpture and painting

August 1st

Traditional dances and songs

  • the cotton flannel
  • the bua
…

Modern music: Kaneka and others

Djiido radio program entitled History of the modern music kanak since 1960 (November 2005)

Cook kanak

  • the bougna
  • worms of bancoule

Social organization and demography

Kanaks represent, into 1998,44% of the New Caledonian population.

Demographic data and space distribution, usual surfaces, organization of the chefferies.

Kanaks famous

Historical characters

Sportsmen

Random links:World days of youth 2005 | Gary Edwards (hockey) | Níkos Kavvadías | Gerard Provost | Potaro-Siparuni