Port Vila,02-03-2026: Vanuatu will mark National Chiefs Day this year under the powerful theme “Decolonizing Mindsets” — a call for the nation to reflect deeply on its identity, values and future direction. While the country achieved political independence in 1980, the Chairman of the Malvatumauri National Council of Chiefs says true independence goes beyond self-governance; it requires freeing our thinking, systems and daily practices from lingering colonial influence and reaffirming the strength of kastom as the foundation of nationhood.

The Council emphasises that decolonizing mindsets means restoring confidence in traditional knowledge, leadership and community structures rooted in the nakamal. Chiefs remain the custodians of culture, land, sea and unity, and this year’s theme challenges every citizen to reconnect with their customary identity, respect indigenous ways of decision-making, and ensure that development in Vanuatu is guided first and foremost by its own values and traditions.

National Chiefs Day was first declared a public holiday in 1978 when the colonial government formally acknowledged the role of chiefs in Vanuatu through a Joint Regulation Order.

This year, the Malvatumauri National Council of Chiefs has planned to commemorate the event in Lakatoro, Malekula, in Malampa Province.

The Executive Officer of Malvatumauri, Mr. Jean Pierre Tom, said this will be the first time the Council has moved the national celebration from Port Vila to a provincial headquarters, following a request from the Malmetenvanu Island Council of Chiefs on Malekula.

During the celebrations, the President of the Malvatumauri, Chief Paul Robert Ravun Merhimba Dangdang, will officially open the new nakamal of the Malmetenvanu Island Council of Chiefs in Lakatoro.

Mr. Tom further explained that this year’s celebration follows the theme “Decolonizing Mindsets.” While Vanuatu gained political independence 45 years ago, he noted that many aspects of daily life and systems still reflect adopted foreign cultures, suggesting that the country is not yet fully free from external influences.

Last year, the Government held its Council of Ministers meeting in Tafea Province, where important national decisions were made for the benefit of the country. This move was welcomed by communities, who have expressed a desire to see more government services and national events decentralised to rural areas in line with the national decentralisation policy.

In the same spirit, Malvatumauri aims to take National Chiefs Day celebrations to different nakamals across the islands and provinces so that communities can feel a sense of participation and ownership.

CEO Jean Pierre Tom emphasised lastly that if a child of a nakamal does not adopt and practise their customary values and traditions, it signals a serious concern that must be addressed promptly. He reiterated that strengthening kastom and cultural identity remains central to building a truly independent and united Vanuatu.