One Archipelago, Many Stories:

Healing the Wounds of History

Throughout Marianas history, whether in times of war or peace, good health or famine and disease, the peoples and islands of the archipelago have navigated forward. But the echoes of the past, the wounds that became scars, the moments that became stories told from one generation to the next, are important to reflect on.
Like åmot that needs healthy plants, special care, and knowledge of the past to be effective, an understanding of history that is carefully formed and respectfully gathered helps to heal the wounds that remain open and clear the path for new possibilities.

Aiming to further contribute to and engage in a constructive process of understanding and healing, the 6^th Marianas History Conference will center presentations and discussion around the theme of Healing the Wounds of History. Historic research, analysis, and interpretations will be presented in an all-inclusive conference and serve as a collective effort toward the integration of shared histories and memories across the archipelago. While all historical topics related to the Marianas are welcome, attention will be paid to Marianas’ healing practices; health care issues; the prevalence of diseases that have plagued our islands; sources of environmental contamination; and all sources of historical division in need of remedy, including the separation of Guåhan from the rest of the Marianas.

About the Marianas History Conference

In 2011 a group of like-minded people from the Mariana Islands decided it was high time to have a Marianas History Conference, one that focused specifically on the history and experiences of the people of all the Mariana Islands. The initial group of organizers, led by Scott Russell of the Northern Marianas and Rosanna Barcinas of Guam, came up with the theme, “One Archipelago, Many Stories,” which highlighted the deep and rich history of the Mariana Islands as well as bridged the political division of the archipelago -- a division that exists today.

Since 1899, Guam has been an unincorporated territory of the United States; the Northern Marianas are former possessions of Germany and Japan. More than 100 years and two world wars later the islands are all part of the United States now but still two separate political entities.