Sorry we ate your ancestor

An unusual ceremony has taken place on Vanuatu, a Pacific island 1,090 miles east of northern Australia, when descendants of the Rev. John Williams travelled from the UK, Canada and Botswana to attend a special reconcilliation with the descendants of island natives who killed and ate the missionary on November 20, 1839.

Radio Australia reports:

Vanuatu villagers whose ancestors killed and ate a Scottish missionary in the 19th century have apologised to the man’s descendants at a ceremony on the anniversary of his death. 170 years after people on Erromango killed Presbyterian missionary the Reverend John Williams and his companion, James Harris, some of Mr Williams descendants travelled to the island to take part in a reconciliation ceremony last month.

Some local people felt Erromango had been cursed because of the killings.

Vanuatu anthropologist and the local member of parliament, Ralph Regenvanu, says Reverend Williams has an important place in history as being the first missionary to arrive in what was then called the New Hebrides.

Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speaker: Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu anthropologist and member of parliament

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