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“A canoe paddled by many hands reaches the reef before the storm.”

Cooperative effort accomplishes what individual effort alone cannot, especially in the face of danger.

— Traditional Vanuatu Wisdom, Vanuatu

Source: Traditional ni-Vanuatu proverb, Melanesian kastom oral tradition, public-domain

More Proverbs from Vanuatu

“The wantok who eats alone today will hunger alone tomorrow.”

Those who refuse to share within their community lose that community's support when they themselves are in need.

Source: Traditional ni-Vanuatu proverb, Melanesian kastom oral tradition, public-domain

“Land does not belong to one man; it belongs to the grandchildren not yet born.”

Customary land is held in trust for future generations, not owned outright by any single living person.

Source: Traditional ni-Vanuatu proverb, Melanesian kastom oral tradition, public-domain

“Kastom is the root; the leaf that forgets the root will wither.”

A person who abandons traditional custom loses the source of their strength and identity.

Source: Traditional ni-Vanuatu proverb, Melanesian kastom oral tradition, public-domain

“The chief who forgets his people will one day find no one behind him.”

Leadership in kastom society depends on the ongoing consent and support of the community, not on title alone.

Source: Traditional ni-Vanuatu proverb, Melanesian kastom oral tradition, public-domain

“The sea gives to those who respect it, and takes from those who do not.”

Careless disregard for nature and its taboos brings misfortune, while respect for it brings sustenance.

Source: Traditional ni-Vanuatu proverb, Melanesian kastom oral tradition, public-domain

“The storm passes, but the reef remembers.”

Hardship leaves a lasting mark on a community, shaping how it prepares for the future even after the danger has gone.

Source: Traditional ni-Vanuatu proverb, Melanesian kastom oral tradition, public-domain