Safeguarding Indigenous Architecture in Vanuatu documents the condition, cultural significance and post‑cyclone recovery needs of seven traditional nakamals (traditional meeting houses) across the country. Undertaken by Wendy Christie in collaboration with the Vanuatu Cultural Centre and funded by the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund, the project responds to the urgent risks facing nakamals after Tropical Cyclone Pam, which damaged or destroyed up to 80–90% of structures nationwide. As the report notes, “Without the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the nakamal, there is no tangible building” — highlighting the deep connection between kastom knowledge and the survival of these structures.

Through fieldwork, interviews with chiefs and elders, and detailed inventories of both tangible and intangible heritage, the project reveals how nakamals function as centres of kastom governance, social cohesion and Disaster Risk Reduction. It also identifies the pressures affecting traditional building knowledge, including material shortages, loss of plantations, imported construction methods and reduced transmission of skills to younger generations.

The project establishes a safeguarding framework focused on revitalising traditional building skills, strengthening natural resource management and recognising nakamals as essential cultural infrastructure. This work now forms a core capability of Sonder Communities, supporting organisations to understand place‑based cultural heritage, develop community‑aligned safeguarding strategies and reinforce resilient, culturally-grounded futures across Vanuatu and the broader Pacific region.

Safeguarding Indigenous Architecture in Vanuatu (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage)