Location: The island of Pentecost is in the Pacific. Pentecost is one of the thirty islands in Vanuatu.
History: In 1606, the Vanuatu Islands were discovered by Pedro Fernandez de Queiros of Portugal. The islands got their name from a navigator named James Cook. The constant British and French competition for control of the island led to the formation of a joint British and French rule. The early Pentecost economy was based on the importation of Vietnamese labor. Their plantation based economy called for a large labor force. Pentecost Island became much diversified in agriculture and trade. This economy was initially prosperous but the crash of the stock market decreased their profits. Disaster struck again with the spread of disease throughout the islands. These diseases were spread from sandalwood traders and missionaries. The population dropped from one million to 40,000 by 1933. This caused the natives of the Pentecost Island to depend more on fishing and hunting then on agricultural means.
Daily Life: Today the Island of Pentecost consists of villages and small communities. Many of these villages are labeled as “Custom Villages.” Custom villages consist of natives that live a traditional lifestyle. They rarely wear clothes and if they do, they would wear nambas; a namba is a grass skirt or a large banana leaf. Also, most villages don’t have school or religious institutions. All religious practices and schooling are done within the family.
The Pentecost Island has many different languages. This is due to little contact between neighboring villages. Most villages are remote and have little outside influence. The Northern part of the island has three common languages the Sa, Sake, and the Sowa. In southern Pentecost, the Raga and the Ampa are the most common languages spoken.
Agriculture still plays a large role in the Pentecost economy, but not as large as tourism. The Islands of Vanuatu are heavily populated with tourists from all across the world. The natives make money from selling goods and guiding tours all over the island.
Best Known Features: Two of the most common features of the Pentecost Island are the Rom Dances and Bungee jumping. The Rom Dance is an initiation dance where natives are dressed up in nambas and large painted masks. This dance is performed by a group of individuals who are trying to move up in the ranks of their society.
About 1,000 years ago, modern day bungee jumping was invented in the Bunlap Village of Pentecost. The natives construct 100 feet tall bamboo towers every year in the month of April. Each individual must make their own vines that are used as bungee cords. This construction must be precise in order to have a safe and successful jump. Both rom dancing and bungee jumping are what brings millions of tourists to the Island of Pentecost.
REFERENCES:
“The Terms of Relationship of Pentecost Island” Jstor (Oct.-Dec., 1916) http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=00027294%28191610%2F12%292%3A18%3A4%3C455%3ATTOROP%3E2.0CO%3B2-8
“Vanuatu” http://www.goals.com/kyrnos/vanuatu.htm
Written by Troy Willemssen, 2003