▁navig ators ▁who ▁named ▁it ▁for ▁their ▁home ▁island , ▁U ve a ▁Island . ▁Some ▁of ▁their ▁descend ants ▁still ▁speak ▁the ▁West ▁U ve an ▁language . ▁ ▁Kan ak ▁activ ism ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁a ▁host age ▁taking ▁took ▁place ▁on ▁O uv é a . ▁Four ▁g end arm es ▁were ▁killed ▁and ▁twenty - se ven ▁were ▁held ▁host age ▁in ▁a ▁cave ▁by ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁the ▁Kan ak ▁and ▁Social ist ▁National ▁Liber ation ▁Front . ▁Tw elve ▁of ▁the ▁captured ▁g end arm es ▁were ▁released ▁after ▁a ▁while , ▁but ▁six ▁members ▁of ▁a ▁French ▁anti - ter ror ist ▁squad ▁were ▁also ▁taken ▁host age . ▁When ▁negoti ations ▁to ▁release ▁the ▁host ages ▁did ▁not ▁succeed , ▁French ▁security ▁forces ▁bes ie ged ▁the ▁cave ▁and ▁fre ed ▁them . ▁E igh teen ▁Kan aks ▁and ▁two ▁g end arm es ▁were ▁left ▁dead . ▁In ▁the ▁after math ▁it ▁was ▁alleg ed ▁that ▁three ▁Kan aks ▁had ▁been ▁executed ▁or ▁left ▁to ▁die ▁after ▁being ▁arrested . ▁ ▁L anguages ▁The ▁native ▁languages ▁of ▁O uv é a ▁are ▁the ▁Mel anes ian ▁I a ai ▁and ▁the ▁Pol yn esian ▁F aga ▁U ve a , ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁Pol yn esian ▁language ▁that ▁has ▁taken ▁root ▁in ▁New ▁C aled onia . ▁Spe akers ▁of ▁F aga ▁U ve a ▁have ▁fully ▁integrated ▁into ▁the ▁Kan ak ▁society ▁and ▁consider ▁themselves