Ancient sovereignty: Dr. Allan Marat traces Bougainville's deep historical roots in Parliament

Dr. Allan Marat presented a compelling historical narrative to Parliament, tracing Bougainville's origins back to pre-ice age times to underscore the island's deep-seated and ancient sovereignty. Drawing on thousands of years of human history and archaeological evidence, Dr. Marat argued that these historical facts form the basis of Bougainvilleans' enduring sense of distinctness and discontent with external control.

He detailed how the first humans arrived on Bougainville around 30,000 years ago, navigating approximately 60 kilometers of open ocean. This isolation, Dr. Marat explained, was crucial in forging a unique culture with over 20 different languages, despite the island's small size. He emphasized that from the outset, Bougainvilleans viewed their home as naturally separate from the rest of the world.

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God placed a blessed group of human beings with sovereignty on an uninhabited Bougainville Island that He had already created and blessed.

During the Stone Age, early inhabitants were hunter-gatherers who crafted tools from volcanic stones and made clothing from animal skins. The subsequent Neolithic period, marked by rising sea levels around 11,700 years ago, saw the beginnings of early farming. The arrival of the Lapita people approximately 3,300 years ago introduced pottery and new crops, further strengthening the island's distinct cultural foundation.

Dr. Marat posited that this ancient seafaring journey and the subsequent development of unique cultures are fundamental to understanding the modern mindset of the Bougainvillean people. He stressed that Bougainville's sovereignty was not merely a political construct but a divinely ordained characteristic, established by God for a specific group of people on an uninhabited island he had created and blessed.

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Those first Bougainville people were expert sailors. Bougainville was isolated naturally cut off by the ocean. This led to the development of very distinct cultures with more than 20 different languages, despite it being a small island.