A history of Pohnpei, but from the inside. Uses legends and archeology to delineate the high points in Pohnpei's past, ending where history usually begins – with the arrival of the Europeans.
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Voices of Pohnpei (Part I)
A history of Pohnpei, but from the inside. Uses legends and archeology to delineate the high points in Pohnpei's past, ending where history usually begins – with the arrival of the Europeans.
Women’s Changing Role in micronesia
A look at how the traditional roles of women, once very important, have changed. Special emphasis on Chuuk and Yap outer islands, but with application across Micronesia.
When Spirits Roamed
Spirits came in many different types in the old island religions. Besides the remote sky gods, there were nature spirits associated with select spots, deities who were patrons of certain clans, and the spirits of the dead. The spirits of dead ancestors were called upon to possess one of their descendants to aid their family. …
For the Love of Chuuk: Working Towards the Common Good
Chuuk, with half of the FSM population, a thriving business sector, and a strong church community, has much to celebrate. On the other hand, the state has also faced two financial crises in the past ten years. Electricity is off-and-on and government services such as health and education are mediocre at best. Chuuk, an island …
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Suicide in Micronesia: Finding a Better Way Out
Suicide in Micronesia today has become a deadly epidemic, with one death leading to another. These days, nearly every Micronesian family has been touched by this problem. Just 40 years ago, however, this was not the case. The Micronesian suicide rate is now one of the highest in the world. Why are so many young …
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It’s My Own Land, Isn’t It?
In the minds of most Micronesians, land is a family possession. The government may make its laws, regulate traffic, impose taxes, but it has no right to dictate how individuals or families should use their land. At least that's the feeling among most Micronesians today. This video holds this belief up to the light. In the first of …
Mind Your Own Business
When a man comes home and tells his wife that he has been fired, they decide to start a private business with a bank loan. The husband, a bumbling individual, obtains his loan but encounters a series of misfortunes as he tries to set up his business. This drama presents, in vivid dramatic form, the value …
Take Me to Your Island
An hour-long look at the foreigners who have come to Pohnpei, with their quirks and high hopes.
Reflections on Anger
A look at how Micronesians handle anger and how it sometimes controls them. Reflection on how negative emotions could be dealt with more productively.
Island Government: Making it Work
What does good government mean for island nations in the Pacific? This video is an extended conversation on that very question punctuated by mini-dramas that underline some of the tensions between government and culture. The march to self-government was a long and arduous process lasting for a decade and a half and resulting in the …
A Woman’s Work Never Ends
In Micronesia, a woman's day-to-day life has always been busy. With social responsibilities and a family to take care of, how could it not be? But until recent times, a woman has always had plenty of others around to help share the load. Men did much of the food-collection and heavy labor while sisters, cousins …