Island Dress - Vanuatu

March 2005
The mother of all rows has broken out in Vanuatu over the clothes of the islands' woman. Chiefs and churchman are determined to stop them wearing shorts.

Ever since the missionaries arrived, the preferred costume for local woman has been brightly coloured floral dresses. But this traditional island dress is being challenged by western fashions like shorts. Pastors are worried that this will lead to lewd behaviour. Now chiefs have started punishing woman who wear shorts, insisting they must kill a pig as a fine.

Produced by ABC Australia
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Island
• Dress
• Vanuatu
• journeyman
• pictures
• western
• clothes
• fines
• punishment
• islam
• chritiantity
• missionaries
• chiefs
• church
• news
• documentary
• current affairs
• journeyman pictures

[vanua02]

This goes to the lady wearing long pants. man u kiaman gud se you no get use long island dress. LOL! Yu yu bon wea, long nara planet? Port Vila i smol tumas fulap man oli save gud yu. yu yu nao wan long ol geta we oli stap kilim laet long green laet. Traem werem island dress blong kaveremap bunbun body blong yu.

[jansen16907]

That preacher should wear the traditional penis top-up cover than a neck-tie if he so love the traditional dress. Who is he to tell women what they are to wear and using God's name in vain.

[Whatever3098]

There used to be an indigenous group that looked exactly like this in the United States, then Washington issued the 1800's decree of "What does an Indian look like". A representative from Washington would have the Native American groups line up and if one did not look like what Washington decreed an "Indian" should look like they were told they were not Indian and were not issued paperwork. If you go to Atlanta, or North/South Carolina you will see thousands of people that look like there video

[Whatever3098]

CONT.....It is the biggest identity theft ever committed.

[antzjosh]

The description of this video is sooooooooooooooooo freakin' clueless to the context of island dresses in Vanuatu!

[KavaTrader]

And why do some leaders have an issue with such things when there are real issues facing the country- education, hospital equipment etc. They are out of touch, out of line, out of fashion, and quickly running out of time. It is a non- issue, seriously, no one in Vanuatu takes it seriously except this few people and this TV crew..lol.

[KavaTrader]

The fact is the common man in Vanuatu has never stood up to the preachers and these so called chiefs. The issues keeps creeping into the public forum, some of the advocates are women representatives attending custom economy workshops etc. The fact is there is no evidence to support their claims that pants attract unwanted attention from men. I think if they did a survey they would be surprised to find that a lot ni-Vanuatu men find it unattractive. But that is beside the point.

[bruin03]

Question: if you are from Vanuatu in the US, what would be your ethnic classification? Pacific Islander?

[bruin03]

They have rhythm. Nice!

[youniquecreative]

We've been to Vanuatu 1 year ago and we are in love with the country and its people, perhaps the most hospitable and generous people in the world! We lived in a village throughout the holiday, initially out of thirst for adventure my wife was gifted 2 island dresses upon departure from the village. She still has them and she even wore them in New Zealand when the weather permited it. I see nothing wrong with these dresses, they are bright and beautiful like the land, yet simple.

[Ailanpatan]

@mattandpatti222 i cant speak for the whole of melanesia because our ancestors arrived at different times and from different routes. Some of them came through asia adding in the fairer genes to the mix. Even though I have never heard of Israel in our history, some melanesians could have come from there. Wherever our ancestors came from one thing for sure,we were never taken here to work as slaves for someone else.

[mattandpatti222]

@Ailanpatan They migrated here some thousands of years ago, from where Isreal? You know Alexander drove most of the brown-black people out of Isreal.