Calendar Plants in Southern Vanuatu

Abstract

One noteworthy example of these is the use of “ecological calendars,” in which natural cycles are observed as guides in time-reckoning. In southern Vanuatu, what we here call “calendar plants” represent the majority of signals used in these systems. We recorded 111 distinct scientific species of calendar plants, which correspond to 159 folk species drawn from eight linguistically and culturally distinct communities in the area (on Aneityum, Futuna, and Tanna, the three southernmost islands of Tafea, the southernmost province of Vanuatu). These plants are indicators for various temporal events, including when to harvest certain sea creatures, the best time to plant various crops, and when to conduct garden rituals. By describing, comparing, and contrasting calendar plants among these different cultures, we suggest that these systems are fine-tuned to particular ecological, cultural, and personal contexts. Rather than being rigid, formalized calendars, ecological calendars are flexible frameworks for a particular kind of time-reckoning. This quality allows them to be adaptable to changes to the local climate or biota. There is evidence that knowledge of traditional calendars is eroding. Because of their role in supporting resilience among diverse populations (e.g., in maintaining productive gardens and anticipating cyclones), it is critical that they are recorded and revitalized before Indigenous knowledge systems are lost across the world.