The rules of life of the Kanak tribes - like here the Mu tribe of Lifou - are gathered under the generic term of 'custom' designating a 'customary law' reserved for the Kanak and cohabiting with the French law. In a culture where the concept of the individual does not exist, the 'custom' defines the duties and obligations of each member towards the community but also its link to the land and the sacred. It also dictates the respect for the elders and establishes a hierarchy between men and women who are still often relegated to a secondary role.