Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu have been undergoing tremendous cultural and social change as they are swept by the currents of modernization. In both countries the cultural heritage has not been appropriately safeguarded and is endangered. Moreover, because research on these countries' cultural heritage has been carried out by Western scholars and experts, there are few local human resources. History education having lagged since independence, there is a need to both retrieve history and inform educators of it.
This year field studies were conducted on the islands of New Ireland, off the east coast of Papua New Guinea, and Malakula in Vanuatu, with the permission of both the central government and the local community. Almost 50 local people involved with cultural heritage took part on each island. The field studies were publicized through special radio programs and newspaper features, and lecture meetings were held in local schools and communities. In Vanuatu, cartoon booklets on the cultural heritage are being produced in three languages (English, French, and the pidgin known as Bislama). The website at the Australian National University, the grant recipient, was also enhanced.