The countries
and the cultures
In this third
part of our 24 part series we continue looking at the individual
countries that are part of our Feast of Pacific Cultures.
Guam (85 delegates, 15 VIPs)
 Chamorros,
the first Guamanians, are believed to have originated from Southeast
Asia as early as 2,000 B.C., with linguistic and cultural similarities
to Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Influenced by countless
European, American, Asian, Micronesian, and other people who
have occupied, visited and immigrated to Guam since the 16th
Century, it is thanks to their original matriarchal society that
much of the Chamorro culture, including the language, music,
dance, and traditions have survived to this day.
The core of the
culture centers upon respect, caring, accepting and helping one
another. Inafa'maolek, or interdependence, is a central value
in Chamorro culture which depends on a spirit of cooperation.
They were expert
seamen and skilled craftsmen who built unique houses and canoes
suited to their region of the world. The Latte Stones or the
stone pillars upholding ancient Chamorro houses remain today
as a symbol of the continuity of their culture.
Heavily influenced
by the Spanish occupation (1565-1898) and the Catholic Church,
Guam is an unincorporated, organized territory of the United
States. Guamanians were granted U.S. citizenship in 1950. Like
American Samoa, they are represented in Congress by a nonvoting
delegate, and like us, are unable to participate in presidential
elections.
Guam's strategic
proximity to Japan and other Asian countries was not only significant
to its colonization but is significant today in its selection
as the location for a U.S. military build up. Over the next 6
years thousands of troops, contract workers, and dependents plus
an estimated $13 billion will bring a booming economy to the
island.
Hawaii (116 delegates, 4 VIPs)
 We
find many similarities between the people of our "sister
state" Hawaii in both our origins and modern life styles
but the isolation of the Hawaiian Islands in the middle of the
Pacific Ocean, and its wide range of climates fostered a unique
culture in the land of Aloha.
Most archeologists
today believe the Lapita culture spread from its origins in Melanesia
some 3,700 miles to the East to Samoa and Tonga. After the Polynesian
culture developed in this area, it spread outward with archeological
evidence indicating that Polynesians reached Hawaii by 700 A.D.
and their own distinct culture was well established by 1400 A.D.
The first recorded
European contact was in 1778 by British explorer James Cook.
Earlier Spanish, and possibly Irish, visits to Hawaii are recorded.
The Kingdom of
Hawaii existed from 1810 until 1893 when the monarchy was overthrown.
It was an independent republic under American rule from 1894
until 1898 and was annexed by the United States in 1898, became
a territory in 1900, and has been a state since 1959.
Following the
overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, a formal policy banned the
Hawaiian language from use in all governmental activities, including
public education. However, there were a number of contexts in
which the language continued to be used including churches.
In 1986, the
formal restrictions on the Hawaiian language were lifted by a
state constitutional convention, that established Hawaiian and
English as the two official languages of the State.
Along with the
language, the hula was denounced by American Protestant missionaries,
who arrived in 1820. The newly Christianized Hawaiian leaders
were urged to ban the dance and did. During King David Kalakaua's
reign (18741891), the traditional arts were encouraged and
all things Hawaiian began their resurgence.
And while Hawaii
today is truly a Feast of Cultures with Japanese, Chinese, Polynesian,
Filipino, German, Irish, English, Portuguese, and Korean all
contributing, there is a strong movement for an independant nation
within Hawaii for the Hawaiian people.
Kiribati (23 delegates, 2 VIPs)
 Formerly
know as the Gilbert Islands, Kiribati consists of three widely
separated main island groups in the southwest Pacific - the Gilberts
on the equator, the Phoenix Islands to the east, and the Line
Islands farther east. Most of the islands are low-lying coral
atolls encircled by reefs.
Kiribati is a
Republic that is a British protectorate.
First settled
by early Austronesian-speaking peoples (believed to have originated
on the island of Taiwan) long before the 1st century A.D, Fijians
and Tongans arrived about the 14th century and merged with the
older groups to form the traditional I-Kiribati Micronesian society
and culture.
The islands were
first sighted by ships in the late 18th and early 19th centuries,
and the first British settlers arrived in 1837.
Kiribati culture
is centered around the family, the church and the sea. It is
known for its traditional martial arts which were kept within
the secrets of several families for generations. The music is
generally based around chanting accompanied by body percussion,
while the uniqueness of Kiribati dance is its emphasis on the
outstretched arms of the dancer and the sudden birdlike movement
of the head. The Frigate bird on the Kiribati flag refers to
this bird-like style of Kiribati dancing.
With a total
land area of 313 square miles scattered over 1800 miles of water,
Kiribati has become a global conservation leader, establishing
the world's largest marine protected area. "The Phoenix
Islands Protected Area" conserves one of the earth's last
intact oceanic coral archipelago ecosystems.
"The Republic
of Kiribati has now set a standard for other countries in the
Pacific and elsewhere in the world," Conservation International
president Russell A. Mittermeier said last week, as the island
nation enlarged boundaries of the protected area.
Click
to read part 1 of series
Click to read part
2 of series
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