Virtual Museum of COLONIALISM

In the collective memory of the people of New Caledonia, the 1878 uprising and its leader Ataï, together with the spiritual figure known as the “Dao,” have played a significant role in shaping contemporary social and cultural identities.

Note: The Dao is a spiritual or shamanic figure in Kanak culture, particularly in New Caledonia. Dao figures do not serve only religious functions; they also act as moral and symbolic leaders of the clan, embodying spiritual authority and cultural continuity.

In 1878, Ataï formed alliances with various Kanak chiefs and launched an armed uprising against French colonial rule. In an effort to create divisions within Kanak society, the colonial authorities succeeded in winning over the chief of the Kanala tribe. As a result, Ataï was killed by hostile Kanak forces, and his body—together with that of his Dao—was buried in enemy territory. This event is regarded in Kanak history not only as a moment of anti-colonial resistance, but also as a manifestation of internal political fragmentation.

The conflict also generated deep internal divisions among Kanak chiefdoms, preventing reconciliation for a long period. The hostility between the two tribes came to an end only 143 years later. On 3 September 2021, the remains of the uprising’s leader Ataï and his Dao were returned to their ancestral lands and reburied.

This event also represented an opportunity to reopen the process of reconciliation and healing in the context of longstanding internal political divisions.