A tusk, a film

Tropicalities

A tusk, a film wow Vanuatuans

Among the many indepen dence gifts received by the new Republic of Vanuatulwere two that are particularly treasured

by the local people.

One is a gigantic pig’s tusk and the other is a mere 15 min utes of old. flickering black and-white film.

The tusk, completely circular and measuring 19 centimetres in diameter, is as thick as three fingers at its fattest part. It was presented to Father Walter Lini, now prime minister of Vanuatu, on the day before his

country’s independence.

The tusk is ‘on extended loan’ to Vanuatu and was

handed over by Marjorie

Rogers, of the Museum of Cul tural History of the University of California at Los Angeles.

The museum had received the tusk among 125 000 pieces bequeathed to it ‘in perpetuity’ from the Sir Henry Wellcome collection. It is the first time the museum has ever sent anything back to a country of origin for

long-term display.

‘By the time I had handed the tusk over to the chief minis ter. I felt I was carrying the Hope Diamond,’ Ms Rogers said.* ‘A picture of the tusk had

appeared locally, and people

kept greeting me as “lady

bilong im tusk’’.’

The tusk is believed to date back to the early part of this century but nobody is sure from which Vanuatu island it came. ‘All we know,’ Ms Rogers said, ‘is that in the old days there were Melanesians who knew what diet to feed pigs so that while the animals grew to normal size their tusks

became gigantic.’

The 15 minutes of film were shot in 1917 and 1919 in the islands of what was then the New Hebrides by American

photographer/traveller Martin

Johnson and his wife, Osa.

Few people knew what had

become of the films, which were on a highly inflammable cellulose-nitrate base. Some

had disappeared completely.

Others, including hundreds Johnson had shot in Africa, were stored in 700 film cans in the US Library of Congress’ film repository at Wright Pat terson Air Base at Dayton, Ohio.

About seven years ago, Kirk Huffman, an American-born

anthropologist, began working

at the Port-Vila Museum and Cultural Centre. He began searching for the film he knew existed. ‘About eighteen months ago, I discovered where the films were - right there in Dayton, Ohio, where I was born,’ he says.

Working on a grant from the Asia Foundation. Huffman visited the film repository and went through the films to identify those from the New Hebrides. ‘Johnson had said he’d shot about 10 000 ft of film. I found about 1200 ft.

Father (Walter) Lini told me he’d like to have the film for independence.’ Huffman says.

Huffman adds that one of his greatest pleasures will be to take the film and a projector to the outer Vanuatuan islands to show it to the grandchildren of

those who appeared in it more than 60 years ago.

The United States’ official gift to Vanuatu was a copy of the American Declaration of Independence inscribed on sil ver. Author James Michener ‘ Tales of the South Pacific’ and the musical play ‘ South Pa cific’, who headed the three man US delegation to Vanuatu’s independence cel ebrations, presented the gift, along with a letter from Presi dent Carter to Vanuatu Presi dent George Sokomanu, at a breakfast hosted in Port-Vila by the new republic’s head of state. US International Com munication Agency.

*The Hope Diamond is one of the world's most famous , blue in colour. PIM.