{"id":58980,"date":"2011-10-12T16:44:27","date_gmt":"2011-10-12T14:44:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sorosoro.org\/?p=58980"},"modified":"2025-10-21T22:19:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T20:19:23","slug":"videos-in-xaracuu-new-caledonia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sorosoro.org\/en\/2011\/10\/videos-in-xaracuu-new-caledonia\/","title":{"rendered":"Videos in X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9 – NEW CALEDONIA"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"xaracuu\"<\/p>\n

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A word on the X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9 language\u2026<\/span><\/h5>\n

X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9<\/a><\/strong> is one of the 28 Kanak languages<\/strong><\/a>, spoken in New Caledonia<\/strong>. The Austronesian language family to which this group belongs is among the largest language families in the world, with its 1,000 to 1,200 languages shared over a vast area including a large part of Oceania, the Pacific, and South-East Asia.<\/p>\n

X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9 is one of the languages spoken in the X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9 area, alongside X\u00e2r\u00e2gur\u00e8<\/a>, Ham\u00e9a, and T\u00eer\u00ee. It is the most widely spoken of these four languages, with 5,729 speakers over 14 years old accounted for in the 2009 census. One third of them live essentially around Noum\u00e9a, while the other two thirds have remained in their traditional area, on the eastern coast of Grande Terre, and mainly in the Canala and Thio municipalities.<\/p>\n

X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9 is also the fourth most widely spoken Kanak language in New Caledonia, following Drehu, Nengone, and Paic\u00ee \u2013 it is also one of the best maintained: spoken in every municipality of the X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9 language area, it reaches over 90% of the population in Canala.<\/p>\n

Like every other Kanak languages, X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9 is part of France\u2019s 75 languages, and recognized in New Caledonia as a language of education and culture since the 1998 Noum\u00e9a Accord. It is part of the programs at the Canala and Thio junior high schools, although the language still hasn\u2019t been approved as a relevant option for Baccalaur\u00e9at, the French secondary school certificate.<\/p>\n

In October\/November 2010, a Sorosoro team led by linguist Claire Moyse and chief operator Jos\u00e9 Reynes took off to New Caledonia to film three Kanak languages\/cultures, X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9, X\u00e2r\u00e2gur\u00e8, and Ham\u00e9a.<\/p>\n

Read our description sheet on Kanak languages<\/a><\/p>\n

Read our desciption sheet on X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9<\/a><\/p>\n

Visit the Acad\u00e9mie des Langues Kanak website<\/a> (in French).<\/p>\n

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The videos in X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9<\/span><\/h5>\n
Decline and future of the language<\/h5>\n

Identity issues: interview with <\/strong>Marie-Ad\u00e8le Jor\u00e9di\u00e9<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a first interview with teacher and activist Marie-Ad\u00e8le Jor\u00e9di\u00e9<\/strong>, known as the creator of the Bb-lecture program aiming to familiarize Kanak little children to the concept of books. She tells us about her relation towards her own language, what it represents for the Kanak, the necessity to have it handed down, especially using means imported by “the White”, namely the school system and books.<\/p>\n

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Marie-Ad\u00e8le Jor\u00e9di\u00e9 and the Bb Lecture program in X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the mid 80s, Marie-Ad\u00e8le took part in the creation of the language immersion Kanak Popular Schools<\/strong> (EPK). Then in 1999 she put together the Bb Lecture program<\/strong>, an introduction to books geared towards young children before they start attending the White\u2019s school. At the same time, she still teaches X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9 in junior high school in Canala…<\/p>\n

Quite a background, which she tells us all about here inside her own classroom, a classroom with stories of elephants and song-based alphabet exercises…<\/p>\n

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Linguist<\/span>: Claire Moyse-Faurie (LACITO\/CNRS)
\nImage & sound<\/span>: Jos\u00e9 Reynes, assisted by Karl Jor\u00e9di\u00e9
\nTranslation<\/span>: Annick Kasovimoin (Acad\u00e9mie des Langues Kanak – ALK)
\nEditing<\/span>: Caroline Laurent<\/p>\n

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Society issues<\/h5>\n

Surviving in the mountain, with Marcel At\u00e9<\/strong><\/p>\n

Marcel At\u00e9<\/strong> recounts life as it used to be, a life of hard work based on the harvest of coffee, citrus fruit, and taro, products that needed to be carried across the mountains on foot. Then came the pesticides, and what\u2019s more, the fire ant, a strongly urticating kind of ant that made harvest by hand impossible. Consequence of such curses, livelihood grew scarce…<\/p>\n

<\/embed><\/object>
\nLinguist<\/span>: Claire Moyse-Faurie (LACITO\/CNRS)
\nImage & sound<\/span>: Jos\u00e9 Reynes, assisted by Karl Jor\u00e9di\u00e9
\nTranslation<\/span>: Annick Kasovimoin (Acad\u00e9mie des Langues Kanak – ALK)
\nEditing<\/span>: Caroline Laurent<\/p>\n

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Daily Life<\/h5>\n

Building huts on X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9 territory <\/strong><\/p>\n

The following video is not about the language\u2019s status, transmission, and teaching … but rather about building a hut!<\/p>\n

Step by step, Adam Jor\u00e9di\u00e9<\/strong> and “Tonton Blanc<\/strong>” tell a group of youngsters how to build one of those beautiful traditional huts<\/strong> meant as homes to all the important discussion ruling life in the communities: looking for wood (not just any wood), putting up the posts, covering the roof and sides with niaouli bark and straw, adding a spire and its conch shells, and of course the carved door jambs marking off the entry…<\/p>\n

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Linguist<\/strong><\/span>: Claire Moyse-Faurie (LACITO\/CNRS)
\nImage & sound<\/span>: Jos\u00e9 Reynes, assisted by Karl Jor\u00e9di\u00e9
\nTranslation<\/span>: Annick Kasovimoin (Acad\u00e9mie des Langues Kanak – ALK)
\nEditing<\/span>: Caroline Laurent<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Little words for everyday use<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Body parts<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/embed><\/object>
\nLinguist<\/span>: Claire Moyse-Faurie (LACITO\/CNRS)
\nImage & sound<\/span>: Jos\u00e9 Reynes, assisted by Karl Jor\u00e9di\u00e9
\nTranslation<\/span>: Annick Kasovimoin (Acad\u00e9mie des Langues Kanak – ALK)
\nEditing<\/span>: Caroline Laurent<\/strong>