Gérer le passé pour façonner l’avenir à Wëté et Drueulu

This article proposes an interlacing of the ethnographic experiences of two researchers working in two different field sites, one in the north of the Grande Terre (Wëté), the other in Lifou (Drueulu), with the aim of better understanding how, in this pre-referendum historic moment, Kanak men and women refer to their own past and redefine it. Each author presents his/her respective analysis, which results from this dialogue. The text highlights an increased desire on the part of the Kanak people to be protagonists in redeploying and valorizing elements of their own societies in the face of the challenges of the future. The historic moment of the 2018 referendum is not only unfolding around political issues, it also entails a vision that makes the idea of a sustainable society rooted in Kanak cultural elements a central concern.