Thirty-seven years ago, the 1er December 1984, the Kanak flag was hoisted for the first time in New Caledonia during the first congress of the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), in the Conception district, in Mont-Dore. “Kanaky is being born”, declared Jean-Marie Tjibaou, the president of the FLNKS and of the “provisional government of Kanaky” instituted on this occasion, while raising the colors. In the context of the times, this ceremony was a real challenge to the“Colonial state”.
A few days earlier, on November 18, the FLNKS called for “Active boycott” territorial elections. In Canala, a small village on the east coast, Eloi Machoro, future “minister of security” in the provisional government, breaks an urn, symbol of French supervision, with an ax. In the days that followed, the separatists set up roadblocks over a large part of the territory, clashes multiplied with the Caldoches and the police. On November 30, 1984, in Ouégoa, in the north of Grande Terre, a European bushman and two Melanesians were killed in a shootout.
Decolonization process
This 1er December, Jean-Marie Tjibaou’s speech still resonates. “Today we rise to the challenge and raise this flag. Green, symbol of Kanaky, the green of Kanaky country. Red, symbol of the struggle of the Kanak people, symbol of our unity, unity of the FLNKS and project of unity with all those who will accept the Republic of Kanaky with its Constitution. The blue of sovereignty. The sun is today at the rendezvous of the history of the Kanak people. “
Daughter of Nicolas Pidjot, the nephew of Rock Pidjot, emblematic figure of the independence movement, Nadine Pidjot remembers. She was 15 at the time. “This flag is our power, our freedom, our minds. We represent ourselves by this flag, she assures with pride. The raising of the flag was to thumb our nose at France, it was to say we are home, we are standing. ”
Thirty-seven years later, this claim has not disappeared. The Matignon Accords in 1988, then Noumea in 1998, paved the way for an unprecedented but unfinished process of decolonization. Twice, on November 4, 2018 then on October 4, 2020, the Caledonian population was called upon to answer the question: “Do you want New Caledonia to gain full sovereignty and become independent?” Twice they said no, but with a tightening majority.
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