Glimpses Of Micronesia

Traditional Micronesian Societies explores the extraordinary successes of the ancient voyaging peoples who first settled the Central Pacific islands some two thousand years ago. They and their descendants devised social and cultural adaptations that have enabled them to survive—and thrive—under the most demanding environmental conditions. The dispersed matrilineal clans so typical of Micronesian societies ensure that every individual, every local family and lineage, and every community maintain close relations with the peoples of many other islands. When hurricanes and droughts or political struggles force a group to move, they are sure of being taken in by kin residing elsewhere. Out of this common theme, shared patterns of land tenure, political rule, philosophy, and even personal character have flowed. To describe and explain Micronesian societies, the author begins with an overview of the region, including a brief consideration of the scholarly debate about whether Micronesia actually exists as a genuine and meaningful region. This is followed by an account of how Micronesia was originally settled, how its peoples adapted to conditions there, and how several basic adaptations diffused throughout the islands. He then considers the fundamental matters of descent (ideas about how individuals and groups are bound together through ties of kinship) and descent groups and the closely interlinked subjects of households, families, land, and labor. Because women form the core of the clans, their roles are particularly respected and their contributions to social life honored. Socio-political life, art, religion, and values are discussed in detail. Finally, the author examines a number of exceptions to these common Micronesian patterns of social life. Traditional Micronesian Societies illustrates the idiosyncrasies of individual Micronesian communities and celebrates the Micronesians’ shared ability to adapt, survive, and thrive over millennia. At a time when global climate change has seized our imaginations, the Micronesians’ historical ability to cope with their watery environment is of the greatest relevance.

The most up-to-date compilation of bibliographical sources on anthropology and related cultural subjects in Micronesia, this work provides easy access to the sizeable body of literature written about the area in the twelve-year period covered. The compilers' liberal selection criteria make this social science resource especially thorough and valuable. Many of the more than 1800 cited documents are of cross-disciplinary interest and are accordingly indexed under two or more subject terms or geographical areas. Geographically, the area covered by this material includes the Marshall Islands, the Caroline Islands, the Mariana Islands, plus Nauru and Kiribati, two areas which are culturally a part of Micronesia. Specific island names are found in the geographical index which is preceded by a helpful list of island names used as well as their alternate names and variant spellings. Although scientific material unless it addresses cultural aspects has not been included, reports of the effects of radio active fallout in the Marshall Islands are cited due to the impact this issue has had and continues to have on residents and their way of life. In this volume's context, the term psychology encompasses not only psychological and psychiatric elements of Micronesian cultures, but is also assigned to works dealing with alcohol and drug abuse and the problem of suicide in Micronesia. Books, journal articles, dissertations, theses, government documents, conference papers, popular magazine articles, monographs, periodical articles and unpublished manuscripts are among the wealth of sources indexed. Reviews of works are included only when they contain substantial discussion of their subject matter and provide reactions to the theories posited by such work. The Micronesian Area Bibliographic Database at the Micronesia Area Research Center and a manual review of innumerable references constitute the sources for the citations in this thorough work which provides bibliographic control over this wealth of material. Students and scholars working on these related topics will find Micronesia, 1975-1987: A Social Science Bibliography an indispensible reference.

For the first time, poetry, short stories, critical and creative essays, chants, and excerpts of plays by Indigenous Micronesian authors have been brought together to form a resounding—and distinctly Micronesian—voice. With over two thousand islands spread across almost three million square miles of the Pacific Ocean, Micronesia and its peoples have too often been rendered invisible and insignificant both in and out of academia. This long-awaited anthology of contemporary indigenous literature will reshape Micronesia’s historical and literary landscape. Presenting over seventy authors and one hundred pieces, Indigenous Literatures from Micronesia features nine of the thirteen basic language groups, including Palauan, Chamorro, Chuukese, I-Kiribati, Kosraean, Marshallese, Nauruan, Pohnpeian, and Yapese. The volume editors, from Micronesia themselves, have selected representative works from throughout the region—from Palau in the west, to Kiribati in the east, to the global diaspora. They have reached back for historically groundbreaking work and scouted the present for some of the most cited and provocative of published pieces and for the most promising new authors. Richly diverse, the stories of Micronesia’s resilient peoples are as vast as the sea and as deep as the Mariana Trench. Challenging centuries-old reductive representations, writers passionately explore seven complex themes: “Origins” explores creation, foundational, and ancestral stories; “Resistance” responds to colonialism and militarism; “Remembering” captures diverse memories and experiences; “Identities” articulates the nuances of culture; “Voyages” maps migration and diaspora; “Family” delves into interpersonal and community relationships; and “New Micronesia” gathers experimental, liminal, and cutting-edge voices. This anthology reflects a worldview unique to the islands of Micronesia, yet it also connects to broader issues facing Pacific Islanders and indigenous peoples throughout the world. It is essential reading for anyone interested in Pacific, indigenous, diasporic, postcolonial, and environmental studies and literatures.