April 29

Prof. Joseph D. Foukona: “Grounding Pacific History: Land Laws in Oceania”

“Grounding Pacific History: Land Laws in Oceania”
Prof. Joseph D. Foukona, University of the South Pacific, Port Vila, Vanuatu
10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Monday, April 29, 2019
Sakamaki Hall A201

Land is the single most important issue confronting Pacific islanders in the past, now and in the future due to issues such as land alienation, climate induced displacements and demographic changes. An adequate understanding of land and law in references to these issues require a high degree of accuracy and clarity in definition and analysis. This is where the blend between land, law and history matters in order to understand the historical trajectory of how customary places in the Pacific changed to alienated places for purposes of capitalist development as well as settlement establishments during the colonial and post-colonial era.

Joseph D. Foukona is a Solomon Islander with a strong research focus on land, law and history. He is a senior lecturer at the University of the South Pacific, Port Vila, Vanuatu.