Video Listings
Micronesian Counselors
Health in Micronesia Over the Years
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
A historical survey of the change in types of illness during the 19th and 20th centuries
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
A brief history of the integration of Christian churches into island cultures, highlighting the changes on both in the course of this process.
Books
Francis X. Hezel, SJ
German colonial rule in the region was short—30 years in the Marshalls and only 15 years everywhere else—but it made a significant impact on most island groups. This short work reviews the major accomplishments of the Germans in each island group. It also offers photographs of the period, many previously unpublished, from the German Capuchin Archives.
Pohnpei: FSM Historic Preservation Office. 96 pp.March 22, 2023 HISTORY
When Cultures Clash: Revisiting the ‘Spanish-Chamorro Wars’
Francis X. Hezel, SJ
The arrival of Spanish missionaries to the Marianas in 1668 was a first in Pacific Island history; it signaled the beginning of intense Western presence in the islands. The troubled years that followed, marked by intermittent outbreaks of violence, came to be known as the “Spanish-Chamorro Wars.” According to the standard textbooks, this thirty-year period was one of utter devastation–forced conversion, rapid cultural change, precipitous population decline, and loss of Chamorro identity. Or was it? This book seeks to offer a better grounded and more nuanced understanding of this critical period of initial Western contact in the Pacific.
Saipan: Northern Marianas Humanities Council. 99pp.March 22, 2023 HISTORY RELIGION
The Caroline Islands: History of the Diocese
Francis X. Hezel, SJ
The history of the diocese is a journey from the first Catholic evangelization of the Carolines in the late nineteenth century up to the present day. It is a celebration of the growth of a church that has by now developed island cultural roots even as it has been brought under the leadership of Micronesians. The text is supplemented by many historical photos and a section on each of the parishes in the diocese.
The First Taint of Civilization
By Francis X. Hezel, SJ
A spirited tale of early exchanges between Micronesians and the West–from early Spanish explorers through 19th century whalers, traders, missionaries and beachcombers to the warship captains that planted the first foreign flags on the islands.
March 22, 1983 GOVERNMENT HISTORY
By Francis X. Hezel, S.J., and Clark Graham
The sunken Japanese fleet in Chuuk has become a world famous diving attraction for scuba enthusiasts. The sunken ships, bombed during the US counteroffensive against Japan in 1944, constitute a museum and a valuable asset for the Federated States of Micronesia. This book is an introduction to this museum, as well as to the events that produced the museum and the efforts that have made to preserve it from the depredations of humans and nature.
By Francis X. Hezel, SJ
The fifty year period between 1690 and 1740 is extremely significant in the history of the Mariana Islands, although it has heretofore received little scholarly attention. Utilizing contemporary letters and reports penned by Jesuit missionaries who served in the islands, this book examines the major events of this period and their effects on traditional Chamorro society.
March 22, 1989 GOVERNMENT HISTORY
The Catholic Church in Micronesia
By Francis X. Hezel, SJ
A simply told story of the founding and growth of the Catholic Church in each island group, with lists of missionary personnel, local clergy, and parish churches appended. This book was prepared for the centennial of the church in each island group.
By Francis X. Hezel, SJ
A list of all recorded ship visits to the islands prior to early foreign rule, with information on the ship, its master and mission, and what of note happened during the visit. The book has an extensive bibliography and index.
March 22, 1979 HISTORY
Edited by Francis X. Hezel, S.J. and Mark Berg
This coffee-table book is well illustrated with photos and drawings depicting the islands’ journey to modern times. Introductory essays link first-hand accounts by foreigners describing what they saw or did in the islands. The book embraces 400 years of history, from Magellan to US naval administration in early 1950s.
March 22, 1980 FAMILY CHANGE GOVERNMENT HISTORY
By Francis X. Hezel, SJ
The volume, covering the period from 1886 to 1986, presents the drama of social change in Micronesia under four flags: Spanish, German, Japanese and American. The book chronicles the attempt of each administration to bring the “blessings of civilization” and the varied responses of island people.
March 22, 1995 HISTORY
The New Shape of Old Island Cultures
by Francis X. Hezel, SJ
How have Micronesian cultures changed since World War II? This book presents a pointed synthesis of important changes from the Marshall Islands to Palau, ranging from family structure, land and gender roles to the cultural treatment of life events (birth, marriage, death). This book draws on the author's own real-life experiences and anthropological literature.
March 22, 2023 FAMILY CHANGE HISTORY
Written by Tim Smit. Edited by Francis X. Hezel, SJ
This textbook on the history of the Federated States of Micronesia describes the origins of the islands and their people. It also shows how people from several different island groups have been altered by outside forces over the years and how, in the end, they have become a single nation today.
Micronesian Government: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Written by Josh Levy. Edited by Francis X. Hezel, SJ
This textbook focuses less on how the modern democratic government operates today than on how it evolved over time. It begins with the traditional authority systems in different island groups and then tracks the changes that impacted up to the present.
March 22, 2023 GOVERNMENT HISTORY
articles
Mission in the Marianas, In I Estoria-ta: Guam, the Marianas and Chamorro Culture
Tom Frink
Brief review of the first missionaries in the Marianas and their impact on society.
Museo Nacional de Antroplogia, Madrid (2021), 65-74.March 22, 2023 CULTURAL HISTORY
The Chamorro Village After Resettlement: The New and the Old
Tom Frink
Spanish resettlement of the Marianas population into villages.
With David Atienza, in Espana y las Islas Marianas (2022), 85-113.March 22, 2023 CULTURAL HISTORY
Deep in the Bloodstream: Historical Ties of the Marianas with the Philippines
Tom Frink
Review of the links between the Philippines and the Marianas through history.
Revista Filipina, Vol 8, No 1 (2021), 41-51.March 22, 2023 HISTORY
Twenty-Five Years of Fostering Student Success
Tom Frink
History of the College of Micronesia, FSM, during its first 25 years.
In College of Micronesia-FSM: 25th Anniversary. Pohnpei, April 2018: 12-20.March 22, 2023 EDUCATION HISTORY
The Early Spanish Period in the Marianas, 1668-1698: Eight Theses
Tom Frink
Addresses commonly held myths about the early Spanish period.
San Vitores Theological Review. Vol 1, No 1 (Dec 2014): 1-16.March 22, 2023 HISTORY
Christianity and Violence in the Pacific
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
Weighs whether Christianity in the Pacific has contributed to or diminished violence in the islands.
Christianity and Violence in the Pacific. (In Desiderio Parrilla, La Violencia del Amor. Madrid: Lectio, 2012) Weighs whether Christianity in the Pacific has contributed to or diminished violence in the islands.
The First European Visit to Truk
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
Translation from Spanish of the report of the visit of San Lucas in 1564.
Guam Recorder, Vol. 3, No. 3, 1973: 38-40 March 22, 1973 HISTORY
Early European Contact with the Western Carolines: 1525-1750
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
Account of Arellano’s stopover in Chuuk in 1565.
Journal of Pacific History, No. 7, 1972: 26-44. March 22, 1972 HISTORY
Westernization of Truk: A Backward Glance
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
History of Western impact on Chuuk through the 19th century.
Micronesian Reporter Vol. 20, No. 4 (1972): 24-31. March 22, 1972 HISTORY
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
Account of hostilities in 1565 between Spanish on the San Lucas and Chuukese people.
Guam Recorder Vol. 9, No. 2 (1979): 16-21. March 22, 1979 HISTORY
The Role of the Beachcombers in the Caroline Islands
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
Beachcombers served different functions, depending on the island on which they resided.
The Changing Pacific, Edited by Neil Gunson, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1978: 261-272. March 22, 1978 HISTORY
A Yankee Trader in Yap: Crayton Philo Holcomb
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
History of the life and work of Holcomb on Yap.
Journal of Pacific History, Vol. 10, No. 1, 1975: 3-19. Also published in: More Pacific Island Portraits, Edited by Deryck Scarr, Canberra: ANU Press, 1979: 59-74. March 22, 1975 HISTORY
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
Account of the visit of a French naval expedition to Chuuk in early 19th century.
Guam Recorder, Vol. 4, No. 3, 1974: 42-50 March 22, 1974 HISTORY
The Beginnings of Foreign Contact in Truk
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
History of Western impact on Chuuk through the 19th century.
Journal of Pacific History, No. 8, 1973: 51-73. March 22, 1973 HISTORY
Recolonizing Islands and Decolonizing History
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
Reflections on the historiography of the Pacific.
Journal of the Pacific Society, Vol. 13, No. 4, January 1991: 1-6. Also published in: Pacific History: Papers from the 8th Pacific History Association Conference, Edited by Donald Rubinstein, Guam: University of Guam Press, 1992: 63-67. March 22, 1991 HISTORY
New Directions in Pacific History: A Practitioner's Critical View
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
Reactions to the new canons governing Pacific history.
Pacific Studies, Vol. 11, No. 3, July 1988: 101-110. March 22, 1988 HISTORY
From Conquest to Colonization: Spain in the Marianas 1690-1740
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
History of the later period of Spanish rule in the Marianas.
Journal of Pacific History, Vol. 23, 1988: 137-155. Also published as a monograph in the series Micronesian Archaeological Survey Report, n.d. March 22, 1988 HISTORY
Journey of Faith: Blessed Diego of the Marianas
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
Short biography of Diego Luis de San Vitores.
Guam: Atlas Publication, 1985. Also published as: "Diego Louis de San Vitores." The Pacific Voice, 6 October 1985: 4-6. March 22, 1985 HISTORY
From Conversion to Conquest: The Early Spanish Mission in the Marianas
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
History of the Marianas from the arrival of missionaries to the end of the fighting between Spanish and Chamorros.
Journal of Pacific History, No. 17, 1982: 115-137. March 22, 1982 HISTORY
The Man Who was Reputed to be King: David Dean O'Keefe
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
Life of the best known trader in the Western Carolines in the 19th century.
Journal of Pacific History, Vol. 43, No. 2: 239-252. March 22, 2023 HISTORY
Chuuk: Caricature of an Island
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
Memorial of a Jesuit to his 25 years on Chuuk.
Pacific Places, Pacific Histories, Edited by Brij V. Lal, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2004: 102-119. March 22, 2023 HISTORY
Introduction to Francisco Garcia's Life of Diego Luis de San Vitores
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
Offers a brief glimpse of the historical context of San Vitores’ work on Guam.
In Life and Martyrdom of the Venerable Father Diego Luis de San Vitores, ed by James McDonagh (Guam: University of Guam, 2004), 1-5. March 22, 1996 HISTORY
The Expensive Taste for Modernity: Caroline and Marshall Islands
Francis X. Hezel S.J.
Review of the major economic changes in the islands throughout their history, highlighting some of the social and political consequences.
Social Change in the Pacific Islands, Edited by Albert Robillard, New York: Kegan Paul International, 1992: 203-19. March 22, 1992 HISTORY