Cargo Cult Culture

Packing to film on a small island in the Pacific is like packing to film on a small boat crossing the Pacific. If you didn't bring it with you, good luck finding it on Tanna.

At the base of the Yasur volcano lives one of the two John Frum villages on the island. The ground rumbles the voice of god from the active lava belches mere metres away. Sometimes it rumbles the tectonic plate disco. When I was there it also shook with the pounding of the passionate feet of the people who worship the teachings of John Frum.

While Jimmy was navigating the pothole stricken roller coaster ride that took us across the island just after sunrise, I noticed a book beside him. It was about the man who brought Christianity to Vanuatu. He was heralded as a saint. Likely he convinced them to stop eating each other which would have warranted some bold attention.

Jimmy is Bahá'í, which is just one of the dozens of religions on this small island. Describing Bahá'í, he used an interesting template.

" Jew's prophet is Moses. Their book is the Old Testament and they worship on Sunday. Christians prophet is Jesus. Their book is the Bible and they worship on Saturday or Sunday. Bahá'í have no prophet, no book, and we worship every day." I've since looked further into Bahá'í

I'm fascinated at the idea that they have all of these prophets recognized as part of an evolution of mankind.

For the John Frum followers their prophet is obvious. I never heard about any book that they may follow, but they worship every Friday by sharing songs that came to them over the past week. On this day though, it's not Friday, it's February 15th: the anniversary of his visit.

Photographers swarm in the faces of young men, proudly painted with the red letters "USA". The people taking the photos are from every country except the USA and they are treating their subjects like zoo animals. I watch them as they make no eye contact with their subjects, jump in front of them, pointing their cameras inches from their faces, and then walk away without a smile in their direction.

At first it seems bizarre that they are dancing in front of an American flag in front of a volcano. Gradually, with every dance, their attire gets closer and closer to what we might imagine people from this place may dance in.

(except for the Christmas tinsel)

Reviewing the interview from Chief Isaac, I can only understand 20% of the Bislama he is speaking, but I think I get what he is saying, and suddenly it all comes together.

John Frum told them not to abandon their traditional ways as the missionaries would have them do. They dance before us, decades later, in the ways of their fathers before them, with a pride and passion that makes the earth move.

The French seismologists told them that they had to evacuate the village 20 years ago because the volcano was going to erupt. They danced instead, and they are still here. The French are not.

And so the American Flag and military uniforms may seem out of place, but this prophet deserves his following for what he has brought to these people everlasting.

It also makes me curious: are we not due for a new prophet?