The event, titled “Voyaging for Peace: Ta’hita Marianas,” was a traditional canoe voyage meant to celebrate shared cultural heritage of the region and enhance communal ties between sister islands. Navigators left April 22, 2025, and returned April 30, 2025. The crew sailed to Saipan as part of the 44th Annual Flame Tree Arts Festival.
 
“Voyaging for Peace: Ta’hita Marianas places value on strengthening regional ties,” said Pairourou Melissa Taitano, Ph.D., a UOG professor and the first CHamoru woman ordained through the initiation ceremony for navigators, called pwo. Pairourou is a title of a navigator who has gone through the pwo ceremony.
 
The long-voyaging canoe, called the Ininan Ilawol, was led by Taitano. Pairourou H. Larry Raigetal and Pairourou Baskas Mark supported the voyage. It was crewed by Pam Kerr, Annie Fay Camacho, and Weriyeng School of Navigation navigators from the community organization Waa’gey and the islands of Polowat, Lamotrek, and Hawaii. 
 
“I was moved by the reception we received and the hospitality accorded to us by the people and the government of the CNMI, especially Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, the Saipan canoe house Guma’ Higai led by Juan ‘Mames’ Castro, 500 Sails, and the CNMI Indigenous Affairs Office and the CNMI Women’s Affairs Office, respectively,” Taitano added.
 
“This was a great accomplishment for all of us,” said Mario “Sakman” Borja, master canoe builder in the Northern Mariana Islands.
 
Micronesian seafaring embodies a vital cultural legacy shared among all Micronesian island peoples. This enduring practice has historically facilitated the settlement of the Marianas and extends throughout the region. As both a method and a repository of knowledge, seafaring is inherently linked to our regional cultural identities. The voyage from Guam to Saipan and back aims to reaffirm our historical connections and underscore the ongoing significance of our interdependence and sustainable cultural practices, including the principles of treating others with dignity and respect—fa’taotao and tirow—and the value of community—inadahi.
 
The voyage is a collaborative effort of the University of Guam, UOG’s Island Wisdom Council and the Micronesian Area Research Center in partnership with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Guam and the Hon. Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio; the Office of the Mayor of Piti and the Hon. Piti Mayor Jesse L.G. Alig; 500 Sails Inc.; and the Chamorro-Carolinian canoe house from Saipan. The voyage was financially supported by Pam Omidyar.
 
For more information, contact Monique Storie, Ph.D., Dean of University Libraries, at (671) 735-2160 or mstorie@triton.uog.edu.

About the UOG Island Wisdom Council

The Island Wisdom Council at the University of Guam is comprised of faculty, staff, and administrators who advocate for the respectful and meaningful inclusion of traditional knowledge, skills, and cultural practices from across Micronesia in the University’s learning environment. The Council aims to help students graduate with the ability to draw on both island wisdom and Western approaches. This foundation prepares them to thoughtfully address problems and contribute innovative ideas for the betterment of society.