Description: This study examines the rise in New Caledonia of rival identity formations that became increasingly polarized in the 1970s and examines in particular the emergence of activist discourses in favor of Kanak cultural nationalism and land reform, multiracial progressive sovereignty, or a combination of both aspirations. Most studies of modern New Caledonia focus on the violent 1980s uprising, which left deep scars on local memories and identities.
Review Quotes: David Chappell has written the first important English language book on New Caledonia for almost two decades. It shows how French colonisation helped unify the Kanaks' indigenous self-identity. The book uses new documentary and oral research to analysise the interweaving of politics and culture in the rise of Kanak nationalism.-- "Australian Journal of Politics and History"