Back to the roots

Tanna MP and Minister for Lands, Harry Iauko, was welcome back into his customary roots by his people- the members of the Middle Bush Community living at Teouma on Efate Thursday this week.

Over 300 men, women and children of Middle Bush Tanna who live at Teouma on Efate invited Lands Minister and his wife Mrs Iauko to visit them Thursday this week.

The Minister and Mrs Iauko and their delegation were welcomed at Chief Joe Niklam’s Nasara and Nakamal in a beautiful Tanna welcome ceremony and the accompaniment of traditional dance, and string band music.

This is the first time that the new Minister of Lands met his people who allowed him to enter politics that saw him through to Parliament and now a State minister.

For them, as indeed elsewhere in Vanuatu, this is a great honor for one of their own to become a State minister.

They honored their leader with dancing, singing and with speeches by their chiefs sealed their respect for him with kava and traditional baked food before returning to the Capital later on Thursday afternoon.