Kanak people
The earliest history of Europeans arriving on these islands is when Captain Cook of the United Kingdom landed in these islands in 1775 at a time when there were reportedly 70,000 Kanaks living in the archipelago. Cook gave the name "New Caledonia" to these islands, after Caledonia, his Scottish highlands.
Paul Néaoutyine
Paul Néaoutyine (born October 12, 1951 in Poindimié) is a New Caledonian politician. A Kanak of the Saint-Michel tribe, he has been president of the North Province of New Caledonia since 1999. He is a supporter of New Caledonian independence.