Connecting with Lapita in Vanuatu: Festivals, sporting events and contemporary themes

Abstract

Lapita research in Vanuatu has played a significant role in the greater understanding of the deep history of the wider Pacific. A number of recorded sites from the archipelago are known by a global academic audience, particularly the Teouma site located on the central island of Efate. The Vanuatu Cultural Centre has played a key role in the research aspect, but it also has a specific responsibility in disseminating information and connecting local communities to the investigations. This has been undertaken often through standard media channels, but there have also been some unexpected directions that have been generated. Here we outline the development of an annual Lapita Festival held since 2015 and its extension to a major sporting event that took place in Vanuatu in 2017.