‘Modernization, foreign influence threats to preservation’

Modernization and foreign influence seem to be the major challenges in the preservation of history, arts and culture, not only in Palau but also in other regions that are members of the Micronesian Endowment for Historic Preservation.

This was stressed by MEHP president and Republic of Palau’s director for arts and culture Vicky N. Kanai during the 25th annual MEHP Preservation Night held Tuesday night at the Pacific Islands Club.

“We’re experiencing a lot of modern and outside influences,” said Kanai. “Foreign influences are impacting the culture but we have to understand that we really cannot stop people from coming in and influencing our places.”

She said it has been a challenge to all HPOs in the Pacific and Micronesian region in countering foreign influences that are interfering with the islands’ culture and development and damaging historic sites.

“That’s why we work so hard to monitor and make sure nothing happens to historic sites and nothing happens to our culture,” she said.

When problems that interfere with historic preservation arise, MEHP members relay such dilemmas to one another. “When we experience those kinds of problems we communicate with each other, like with the CNMI,” she said, “Because we are members of one organization, we want to make sure that violators don’t do that to all the island members of the organization.”

Kanai said that the summit helps the member islands discuss their preservation status in each area, so that they will know how to plan and move into the future.

“We really cannot protect and preserve everything, but at least we can preserve what we can preserve for the present and the future generation,” she said.

Through the efforts of all the preservation offices in the Pacific and Micronesia, she said people would know who they really are and where they came from, “At least they would know because it’s been written down,” she added.

The Preservation Night was attended by MEHP members who also presented the status of their offices. MEHP members are from the Republic of Palau, Yap, Kosrae, Republic of Marshall Islands, FSM National, Guam, Chuuk, Pohnpei and the CNMI. This year’s summit was hosted by the Division of Historic Preservation under the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs. The cultural night was hosted by DCCA public information officer Catherine P. Anderson.

Gov. Juan N. Babauta and DCCA Secretary Juan L. Babauta welcomed the delegates.

The event also paved way for the official document presentation of the memorabilia of the Nanyo Kasei Girls High School and the Nanyoji Temple to HPO. Takahisa Aoyagi, a Japanese who is related to the founder of the school and temple, led the turnover of the materials.

Cultural dance performances from the Talabwog Women Stick Dancers and ISA Dancers entertained guests and visitors during the night. (Marconi Calindas)