Ni-Vanuatu

Ni-Vanuatu (informally abbreviated Ni-Van) is a large group of closely related Melanesian ethnic groups native to the island country of Vanuatu. As such, "Ni-Vanuatu" are a mixed ethnolinguistic group with a shared ethnogenesis that speak a multitude of languages. 
"Ni-Vanuatu" or "Ni-Van" is usually restricted to the indigenous population of Vanuatu. It contrasts with the demonym "Vanuatuan", which in principle refers to any citizen of Vanuatu, regardless of their origin or ethnicity. (The form "Vanuatuan" is in fact rarely used in English, and is regarded as incorrect by some authors and style guides.)
About the word "ni-Vanuatu".
This recent coinage builds on the particle "ni", which in some indigenous languages encodes the genitive, similar to the English 'of'. Thus "Ni-Vanuatu" literally means 'of Vanuatu'.
The term is mostly used in English and French, and is hardly used in Bislama, the country’s lingua franca, let alone in the indigenous languages of the archipelago.
"Ni-Van" is sometimes used as an abbreviation of "Ni-Vanuatu". This form was pejorative in its original usage in the 1980s by Anglophone European expatriates, similar to its French equivalent , but according to New Zealand linguist Terry Crowley by the 2000s the term "Ni-Van" saw increasing usage among Ni-Vanuatu.
History of the people.
The indigenous population of Vanuatu.
The first inhabitants of Vanuatu were Austronesian people, carriers of the Lapita culture, who settled the archipelago about 1200-1300BC. They were later followed by Melanesians around 500BC.
European settlement.
European explorers discovered Vanuatu in 1606 by Captain Pedro Gernandez De Quiros, however settlement did not happen until Captain James Cook charted the islands and deemed it The New Hebrides. At the end of the 19th century, ni-Vanuatu were regularly kidnapped and forced to work in plantations in Fiji and Australia, a practice now known as “blackbirding”.
In 1906, France and England established the Condominium of the New Hebrides. During the joint rulership from the two countries, the ni-Vanuatu lived under French and British authorities. On 30 July 1980, the New Hebrides gained independence under the new name of Vanuatu.
Land and nationalism.
During the Condominium period, European regulations sometimes resulted in land disputes, particularly around plantations. 
Upon independence, the new constitution determined that land ownership would belong to native ni-Vanuatus: the land rights were given to the traditional owners and community to make decisions.
Traditional society.
Languages.
Vanuatu is the country with the world's highest language density "per capita", with 138 languages for a population of 0.3 million. These 138 indigenous languages are still used today by two thirds of the country's population, mainly in rural areas. These are Oceanic languages, descended historically from the country's first Austronesian settlers.
Upon independence in 1980, three languages have become official in Vanuatu: English, French and Bislama. French and English are used mainly for written communication whereas Bislama is widely used for verbal communication .
Bislama serves as the country's lingua franca: it serves as a bridge between citizens educated in French vs. English; and it also allows speakers of different indigenous languages to communicate among themselves. 
Official welcoming speeches, opening of parliament and most official events utilise Bislama. Ni-Vanuatu of different ethnic backgrounds, such as Chinese and Vietnamese often use Bislama as greetings and opening introductions as a form of communication.
Culture.
Indigenous ni-Vanuatu communities describe their traditional values and beliefs using the modern (Bislama) term "kastom". 
"Kastom" was expressed through religion, clothing, native arts, indigenous culture and languages. Women particularly had a unique perspective of differentiating traditional customs to colonial ideas. Island dresses represented a national connection to Vanuatu; however many ni-Vanuatu women consciously choose modern clothing, due to new attitudes towards convenience, aesthetics and gender equality. Although modern clothing is preferred on most occasions, the respect for "kastom" in island dresses is shown during special events such as festivals, ceremonies and church gatherings.
In 1979, a year before independence, the Parliament vowed to promote the “preservation and promotion of New Hebrides culture and languages”. 
Parliament faced ongoing pressure to preserve the traditions of ni-Vanuatu, particularly in the post-colonial era leading to attempts of teaching indigenous culture being implemented in schools and development of art centres. Despite these promises, traditional knowledge and languages are still heavily absent from the school curriculum.