CULTURE
French is the official language,
and you'll need to speak some if you venture out of Noumea (where
at least some of those working in the tourist industry speak some
English). An estimated 27 Kanak languages coexist in New Caledonia,
but after being actively discouraged - or at least ignored - by
the French, there is no single unifying Kanak language. The clan,
not the individual, was the most important element of traditional
Kanak culture, and la coûtume, a code encompassing rites,
rituals and social interaction between the clans, is the essential
component of Kanak identity today. It also maintains a crucial
link with the individual's ancestors. Kanaks are Melanesians,
the black people of the Western Pacific with links to Papuans
and Australian Aborigines, and call themselves Ti-Va-Ouere, or
'Brothers of the Earth'.
New Caledonia's traditional staples are fish, coconut, banana,
taro, sweet potato and yam. Lobster, coconut crab, dugong and
turtle are also traditional food sources, as is roussette, the
local flying fox. Unfortunately, much traditional fare is being
superseded by canned and processed goods, although you will still
come across the bougna, a delicious combination of taro, yam,
sweet potato, banana, and pieces of chicken, crab or lobster wrapped
in banana leaves and cooked in a ground oven.
