IN THE SANTO/MALO ISLAND COURT
OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU

LAND JUDG. 3/93

LAND CASE – "MARUA"

BETWEEN

MALIU POROU
(Plaintiff)

AND

LEVU VIRISI
(Claimant 2)

KELE SIMEON
(Climant 3)

IANAVARI MELE
(Claimant 4)

JUDGMENT

Graon we fo (4) pati i rao from kastom nem blong em "MARUA" we i situate bitwin tu bikfala River Wailapa mo Manihao, mo inland i finis long ol hill, emia long Saot Santo.

Plentif Maliu Janutu emi klem Marua folem raet we i kam aot long Marmartavui. Marmartavui hem ikat tu pikinini, Aruvino mo Arumasana, tugeta boy. Aruvino, pikinini blong em Tavuiporou, we em, pikinini gel blong em, Vetui, mama blong plentif. Arumasana we em wetem papa mo brata blong em oli blong kastom graon, "PALOI", emi maret long tu woman, Vetiro mo Vamalo. Fes taem emi tekem Vetiro we papa blong em Marmartavui i pem long 5 pig be woman, man nem blong em Tavonpalopulu i tekem aot mo i kam waef blong em. After Marmartavui i pem nambatu woman Vemalo igo long Arumasana, long 5 pig. Be Vemalo tu, Tavonpalopulu i tekem aot bakeken. Tavon emi blong Marua we i graon ol pati istap rao from.

Ten pig we i bride price blong tu woman ia Tavon ino pem bak igo long Arumasana blong Paloi, nating we emi bin kasem toktok blong jensem ol pig ia. Vetiro emi no karem wan pikinini wetem Tavon taem emi tet, be Vemalo i bonem Vetivu we i mama blong klemen 1, Levu Virisi, after Veuhi, wan gel bakeken mo wan boy, Tilea. Tilea ino kat pikinini.

Plentif Maliu i klem raet ia nao blong Tilea from se Tilea i cousin brata blong em Tavuiporou. Em wetem ol witness blong em oli talem se Maliu bae i karem raet long Marua from Tilea i cousin blong Tavuiporo, mo tu from ol 10 pig ia Tavon ino jensem olgeta iet. Be long lukluk blong kot tufala ino cousins folem blad, emia wan witness blong Maliu, Les i talem tu se pig nomo i mekem tufala i cousins.

Main witness blong Maliu, Chief Molitacitamata, i talem se folem kastom blong Santo, nephew blong Tilea, Levu Virisi, long priority of rights, raet blong em i kam sekon long raet blong Maliu from Maliu istap klemen raet blong bubu blong em, Tavuiporou we i cousin blong Tilea mo i laef iet. Emi talem se long kastom spos wan man we i ona blong graon i tet be cousin blong em i laef em nao bae i karem raet long graon. Long kes ia Maliu bae i karem raet from bubu blong em Tavuiporou we i cousin blong Tilea i laef iet, we i min se Levu Virisi we i stret nephew blong Tilea ino save kat raet, or i kat raet be raet blong em i kam second long raet blong Maliu. Mo tu Levu Virisi ino save kat raet from oli pem aot mama blong em finis igo long Pei. Kot ino akseptem toktok ia blong Maliu, Jif Molitacitamata wetem ol nara witness from i klia long Kot se Tavuiporou wetem Tilea tufala ino cousins folem blad. Emi klia long Kot se pati ia ikam antap wetem proposition blong cousins, emia nomo blong klemem graon.

Namba tu basis blong klem blong Maliu emi 10 pig we oli bride price blong Vetiro wetem Vemalo, we Tavon blong Marua ino jensem bak iet igo long Arumasana blong Paloi. Kwesten nao whether emia i oraet long kastom blong Santo? Kot i bin putum kwesten long Maliu se emi klem folem pig or kaon blong pig or rope blong pig? Emi ansa se emi klem folem rope blong pig. Nao long kastom blong Santo spos woman igo wetem wan man blong wan graon mo karem pikinini, pikinini blong em i save go bak long graon blong mama blong em. Kastom ia i laef i stap mo Jif Molitacitamata i talem aot stret long Kot. Example blong em Jif Molitacitamata i talem aot long kot, we emi talem se Maliu, papa blong em ino pem aot mama blong em taem i tet, we i makem se Maliu i kam bak long graon blong Paloi we i graon blong papa blong mama blong em. Emi stanap long Paloi nao em klemem raet blong Tavuiporou from se Tavuiporou i cousin blong Tilea. Long lukluk blong kot spos ino gat kastom ia bae Maliu ino save klem.

Nao, aplaem kastom ia long kes blong Maliu, pig blong Paloi ino fasem em igo long graon blong Marua. Be ol pig blong Paloi nao i fasem ol pikinini blong tu woman ia, we wan nomo i kat pikinini, igo long graon blong Paloi from oli no pem tufala. Emia i livim tingting i klia long kot se Maliu i sud klem long basis se ikat kaon blong pig istap mo raet ia i depend long stret ona blong graon. I kat tu difren raets folem kastom blong Santo long saed long pig, fes wan pikinini blong woman i save go bak long graon blong pupu blong em spos oli no pem em, emia taem ino gat stret blad blong graon folem male laen i laef istap, mo secondly raet i save kam antap taem kaon blong pig i laef istap.

Long kes blong Maliu kot i rejectem klem blong em we i bes long cousins, mo ol pig long way we emi putum long kot, be kot i akseptem se ikat kaon blong ol 10 pig i laef istap, be ino min se long priority of rights, blong em i fes wan, mo ino min se emi kat raet blong karem aot evri graon blong debtor.

Fes klemen emi Levu Virisi. Famle we emi kam aot long em storian blong em ikam aot finis antap. Levu Virisi emi stret nephew blong Tilea blong graon ia Marua. Evri pati ino disputim se emi no nephew blong Tilea, mo emi klem Marua from ino kat man folem laen blong man i laef we i blong Marua. Folem kastom blong Santo spos situation olsem i kam antap nephew i save go bak long graon blong uncle. Kwesten ikam aot long kot se olsem wanem or nephew bae i mekem wanem folem kastom blong Santo blong ko holem graon blong uncle? Hae jif Molitacitamata i ansa se nephew bae i kivim wan pig or kilim wan pig igo long uncle blong formalisem raet blong em long graon. Kastom ia Levu Virisi i bin mekem, emi bin kivim wan pig long Tilea taem emi laef iet mo fact ia ol tri nara pati oli no disputim. Nao kot i recognaesem raet blong Levu Virisi ova long graon blong Marua, from emi stret blad blong graon ia i laef istap, Maliu hemi blong difren graon mo blad, mo i klia long kot se klem blong em i stanap nomo long kaon blong pig.

Klemen 2 emi Gele Simeon, mo emi stap klem wan graon insaed long bikfala bandri blong Marua. Klemen ia i talem se long save mo bilif blong em bikfala graon we plaintiff mo klemen istap klemem emi no Marua, be stret graon we i Marua, emia nao emi stap klemem. Gele Simeon i talem se stret bandri blong Marua we emi klemem emi stat long Ranailoa Riva igo long Walapa Riva mo Walapa River i ron igo kasem solwora. Mo long narasaed Vurapeka i ron igo long Manihao riva mo Manihao Riva i ron igo kasem Solwora. Graon ia emi stap within tu bigfala riva long Wailapa mo Manihao. Be kot ino akseptem toktok blong em se bikfala part blong graon we plentif mo klemen 1 tufala i klemen ino Marua, from spos emi no Marua bae emi wanem graon, Gele ino kivim nem blong graon ia. Kot i save se long Santo pipol oli stap usum riva blong markem graon blong olgeta mo kot i bilif se evri graon ia we istap insaed bitwin Wailapa Riva mo Manihao Riva mo i finis taon long solwora mo antap long hill emi Marua. Be kot i akseptem se Gele Simeon i klemem part blong Marua we long save blong em, em nao i Marua we description blong em istap antap.

Gele Simeon i klemem part blong graon ia Marua folem famle we emi descend long em. Emi talem se Marua or part blong Marua ia i blong Javarai Gele. Gele pikinini blong em Bulukarai. Bulukarai, pikinini blong em Simeon we i papa blong Gele Simeon we i klemen.

Gele ino stanap long wan kastom blong klem part blong Marua, be emi klemen nomo from se emi graon blong ol bubu blong em bifo ikam. Emi talem se plante ol olfala, samfala i laef iet be samfala i tet finis, oli bin talem se graon ia i blong em. Be ol nara pati oli talem se Gele Simeon ino kat eni raet long graon ia Marua from, Simeon ino pikinini blong Bulukarai from Bulukarai ikat sick wetem sex organs blong hem mekem se bae emi no save kat eni pikinini wetem wan woman, be emi pikinini blong wan man, Roikele. Be ol nara tri pati ia wetem ol witness blong ol oli no save se Roikele i blong where ples, sam oli talem se emi blong Solomon Islands, sam oli talem se emi blong Erromango mo sam bakeken oli talem se emi blong West Coast long Santo. Be Gele Simeon i talem se ikat tu Gele, wan emi Roikele oli stap tokabaot mo nara wan emi Javiraikele we i great-grand bubu blong em mo emi blong Marua. Emi talem se Javiraikele, Rev. Dr. Joseph Annand i baptaisem em samtaem long 1889 long Walapa mo ikam olsem wan long ol fes tija blong Presbyterian Church. Emi talem se histri ia oli rekodem long wan buk blong Presbyterian Church. Toktok ia ol nara pati oli no disputim. Kot i akseptem se ikat tu Gele, wan i great-grand bubu blong Gele Simeon we emi Javiraikele mo emi blong Marua, mo kot ino akseptem se Simeon, papa blong Gele Simeon i pikinini blong road. Emia i folem se kot i recognaesem raet blong Gele Simeon long part blong Marua we emi stap klemem. Be from graon ia emi Marua iet, bae emi karem raet long graon igo finis nomo long Sulepatvejul long Marua Hill. From spos emi karem everi graon we emi klem bae Levu Virisi i lusum sam bury graon mo nasara blong ol bubu blong em.

Las wan emi klem blong Ianavari Mele. Klemen ia i talem se emi no intres long graon blong Marua we em wetem ol witness blong em oli save se emi blong Tilea. Klem blong Mele emi from overlap long bandri blong Marua igo insaed long graon blong olgeta. Pati ia i klem se bandri blong Marua we tri nara pati i mekem igo ova i kavarem sam graon blong em we emi Naone. Mele i talem se graon blong Naone istap narasaed Manihao River mo i crosem river ia ikam narasaed smol.

Nao long lukluk blong kot spos igat wan graon nem blong em Naone, graon ia istap narasaed long Manihao riva. Emia from long Santo igat plante riva, mo pipol oli usum olsem mark blong graon blong ol, long kes ia bandri blong Naone ino save krosem bigfala riva blong Manihao. Mo i klia long kot folem toktok blong evri 4 pati, Ianavari, Mele istap klem wan Native Reserve we tufala kapman i demarcatem bifo finis, be emia ino wan kastom mark. Tu Ianavari Mele, wetem ol witnes blong em oli no save ol kastom mark blong graon we i ova long Manihao riva we oli talem se emi part blong Naone.

Oli talem stret long Kot se oli no save ol mark ia. Bakeken, spos igat graon Naone, bandri blong em i finis long Manihao. Bandri klem blong Ianavari Mele, Kot i dismisim.

Folem ol toktok ia Kot i faenem se evri graon we istap insaed long klem blong Maliu Janutu emi Marua. Gele Simeon bae emi karem part we emi klemem, be graon we bae emi karem i finis nomo long Marua Hill, emia long Sulepatvejul. Levu Virisi bae i karem evri nara part. Long saed blong Maliu, from Kot i akseptem se ikat kaon blong 10 pig istap, bae Levu Virisi bae i givim wan pis graon long em blong kavarem kaon ia.

Dated at Luganville, this 18th Day of October 1993.

PRESIDENT JIMMY GARAE
Justices CHIEF PEDRO RITE
Justices CHIEF WARA WARA
Justices CHIEF JAMES GISA