Tanned

Geography

In Bichlamar one calls the inhabitants “man blong Tanna”, in French one generally employs it shortened in “man Tanna” which is sometimes translated by “Tanned”.
The island is 40 km long by 19 km broad, that is to say an total surface area of approximately 550 km ².
Its population is approximately 25.000 inhabitants, in very strong Mélanésiens.
proportion Its culminating point is to 1.084 m, top of the Mont Tukosmera and the second top is Melen with 1.047 m.
The volcanic activity started a few 3 million years ago by forming Green Hill.
Yasur (altitude 365 m), located on the littoral at south-east, is famous the Volcan most accessible on the Earth but its activity goes from 0 to 4 on the scale of alarm. It is supervised by a station located at 2 km. The crater measures 700 m out of 400 Mr.

Economy

The agricultural production is not very commercial, a little copra, onion, yam, fruits… but it is mainly the coffee which is exported of Tanned. The ground is fertile but a great part of cultures is with the use of the clan in the usual gardens (yams, banana, kava, and secondarily taro, corn, manioc, canes with sugar…)
Tourism develops on Tanna with some possibilities of lodging and the excursions organized since Port Villa. The major attractions are the Yasur volcano, the wild horses of White Grass, and the hot cascades of Port Resolution.

History

August 1774: James Cook is first the European to unload on island in bay that it named Resolution as its ship
In 1860 Henry Ross Levin installs as recruiter (what one called Blackbirder), supported by the chiefs of Lenakel, other white unite with him and cultivate cotton, one calls it the “white King” but after its assassination in 1868 all left little by little the island.
first missionaries: the reverend Campell in 1871 remained a few months then, the reverend William Watt in 1881 made some baptisms.
Tanned It Law (1905-1925)

In 1896, the missionary presbytérien Frank Paton converts the area of Lenakel and part of White Sand, it named a chief for each one of his areas in 1905, but the chiefs created their police force and their court to enact their own law prohibiting all that concerned the habit, and inflicting heavy sorrows in spite of the disapproval of police chief-resident French. Moreover, they distributed the grounds what left inextricable problems in the land system complex of Tanned.
Center bush discovering man-Tanned that the law did not come that of these two chiefs organized resistance. To avoid that the whole coast does not fall to the hands from the mission presbytérienne the inhabitants made come a mission catholique.
Willy Pea then the administrative delegates of the condominium brought back one to provide more respectful with the habit.

the condominium free - British (1906)

At the end of a protocol ratified in 1923, each country had authority on its nationals, and expressly jointly, on the indigenous population. The administrative delegates named assessors. The “moderate” parties addressing rather to the French whereas the VAP had the favors of the British, the actions of the two police forces were often null.

Tanna was the basin of the movement John Frum founded on the Culte of the cargo liner which was born during the Second world war: members of this worship follow voice of soldier amémricain which would have met a chief and recommends to return to the strict tradition and to drive out Europeans, following what they could expect without any effort, with the abundance of food and goods, which they believed to recognize in the unloading of American troops. Thus, their emblem became the Red Cross, then for the John Frum usual a black cross. They feared Vanuuaku Pati (VAP) which they compared to Tanna Law. February 15th, 1978, for the first time the John Frum will hold their annual ceremony in the presence of theresident one of France, the television and of many notable, but this day it is the American flag which they hoist!
In 1976 creation of the National council of the chiefs which has an advisory role near the Parliament as regards habit.
Antoine Fornelli

Bastian of origin, party of Lyon, in 1969, to come to exploit a cocoteraie on the island of Efate, Antoine Fornelli, war veteran of Indo-China, married the cause of people of Tanned, whose chiefs frequently requested it like council or referee. In 1973 it created the Union of the workers autochtones, accepted 1.300 adhesions as of the first meeting, it establishes the “Forcana” (“furnace corner” = 4 corners + the center) of the island to which it gave a flag that it hoisted on March 24th, 1974, proclaiming the independence of Tanned. He did not hear évincer then the Franco-British forces on which he counted like allied. He was to be established on June 22nd with Imafin, but when, under the pressure of the Christian groups, British Delegate D. Browning confiscated this flag and a rifle which he had symbolically given to a chief, he posed an ultimatum, in agreement with the usual chiefs, with the Queen of the United Kingdom and the President of the French Republic.
June 8th, the French forces occupy the island, on June 29th the authorities of the condominium reflect fine with the kingdom by stopping Antoine Fornelli for his Coup d'etat. It was released by the French but condemned in second authority to one year of prison by the British and prohibited stay for five years in Tanna. It returned all the same in the island in 1977,1979, and 1980, then after the expiry of prohibition. Antoine Fornelli is deceased in New Caledonia at the 80 years age, on October 13rd, 1999.

provisional government (GPP)

November 27th, 1977, the VAP proclaimed a provisional government and decided to hoist in its turn a flag it to what the movements John Frum and Forcana were opposed since their flag had been confiscated. Tanna they gave up it following the negotiations, whereas elsewhere in the archipelago it floated at the price of riots. But then the GPP passed to the hands of police chiefs who declared Lénakel, White Sand and Waïsisi independent territory. February 12th, 1978, Alexis Yolou took the head of usual to besiege the VAP and to confiscate the flag.

After the victory with the elections of Suffered Vanuaaku, Pasteur Walter Lini became Prime Minister (November 1979).
nation TAFEA:

January 1st, 1980: independence of the TAFEA, name formed of initial of the islands of Tanned, Anatom, Futuna, Erromango and Aniwa which it gathers, is proclaimed in Tanna on the initiative of alliance Kapiel, a second movement secessionist hoisted his flag representing a yellow star with five branches on green bottom with three yellow bars on the left side. It is a question of gathering the five islands of the habit which do not recognize any more the government of the New Hebrides nor the condominium, however they plan to ask their assistance France, Noumea, Paris, Corsica and America. It wish that the French delegate remains in Isangel and thus to prevent the installation of deputy provisional government. In spite of the departure of the French delegate they tried to prevent by the force the installation of delegated provisional government but the movement was overcome by the British on May 26th, 1980. On the other hand TAFEA always exists as a province of the Vanuatu, its capital remained Isangel.

the State de Vemerama: Jimmy (Tubou Patuntun) Stevens of the movement Nagriamel

June 1st, 1980, the islands Espíritu Santo and Tanna still tried to make secession under the control of Jimmy Stevens, supported by the Phoenix foundation, which forms a government with Santo of which he proclaims Prime Minister on June 5th and hoists a flag with green star on blue bottom. But, the GPP calls upon a quota of New Guinea-News-Guinea to restore the order in the island of Santo. Veremana is abolished on August 21st, 1980, and Stevens condemned to fourteen years of prison. Jimmy Stevens is deceased on February 28th, 1994.

on June 11th, 1980 Kapiel go in Isangel under the control of the deputy Alex Yolou but the militiamans of the government made fire at the time when they were going to be withdrawn and wounded Yolou mortally.
July 30th, 1980: independence of the Vanuatu
In July 1981, the police force reduces the American and French flags from Ipeukel and orders that the every day the flag of the Vanuatu is hoisted.

Culture

The cultural characteristics of the island are the consequence of its history. The ancestral habits are the model dominating. Ceremonies with dances, songs and offerings between clans take place throughout the year.

Land and buildings

The land right belongs to the first men and the inherited rights are limited of number and each usual title represents a fraction of the family inheritance. Exchanges are possible between clans by the marriage or the adoption. Excluded from the habit for lack of the name usual ones turn to the emigration or the economic lifestyle (taxi, commercial culture, tourism, studies school…) A law of the Vanuatu of 1983 allows the hiring of a ground use of dwelling for maximum a 75 years, the durations of hiring with commercial aims including agriculture are shorter, in order to avoid a final alienation of the grounds, but the chiefs of Tanned adherent step with the individualistic logic of the recording of the territories and the resolution of the conflicts by the court because the usual property is family and nonindividual and they fear that is on the contrary a breach for a new colonization.

On the littoral the old grounds of the missionaries are inhabited by the Christians, mainly of Vanuaaku Pati.
the President of the Council of the chiefs of Tanned, Tom Numake Tuan had moved away from its territory, but after independence it regained White Grass to exploit tourist bungalows and to raise cattle in freedom.

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