Spanish, German and Japanese Colonial iinfluence in Chuuk

Colonial Sites

A majority of the studies of Chuuk and the FSM have focused on the anthropology, ethnography, and archeology of the Indigenous Carolinians. Although several studies address the history of the foreign powers associated with Chuuk, little work has been devoted to the Spanish, German, and American material culture. Most work on “foreign” material culture has been carried out on the Japanese-period sites.

While the Spanish ship, San Lucas under the command of Alonso de Arellano was the first foreign ship to enter Chuuk Lagoon, on the 17th January 1565, it wasn't until 300 years later that Spain formally took control of the region, under competition from Germany. It was prior to and during the Spanish period (1886-1898) that foreign traders and missionaries entered Chuuk and they had a big impact on the Chuukese traditional life-style. Foreign diseases also killed many indigenous people throughout Micronesia, in the 1840s, British trader Andrew Cheyne estimated 15,000-20,000 people lived in Chuuk, in 1920, the population was about 10,000.

The French in the two vessels Astrolabe and Zelee spent four days in 1838 surveying the islands and trading with the Chuukese in the lagoon. Dumont d'Urville, who was in command of these voyages of discovery, published extensive and valuable information on the material culture of the Chuukese. However after being attacked by a group of Chuukese in canoes, they departed the lagoon and Dumont d'Urville wrote in his book: 'The reputation of the Carolines has been tarnished, for we have found here treacherous and wicked people, however engaging their appearance.' Foreign traders such as the British trader Andrew Cheyne not only attempted to exploit the Chuukese (in 1844) for the marine resources (beeche de mer) contained in their lagoon, he implemented 'gun-boat diplomacy' by wiping out a village and then wrote about their hostility in books and journals for all other traders to be influenced by. There are many stories about foreign contact with the Chuukese, some where the foreigners and Chuukese got on well and traded, others where they fought. The Chuukese were wary of foreigners and Chuukese women kept out of site when they arrived. In 1872, a labor vessel 'black-birding' named Carl from Melbourne, Australia put in at the Mortlock Islands, 300km south east of Chuuk Lagoon and 'carried off 47 natives by smashing the canoes when they came alongside the ship.'

Spain did not establish any permanent bases in Chuuk as it did in some other Micronesian islands, such as in Pohnpei, and apart from bestowing names on some of the islands (for instance Dublon, a Spanish ship's captain who visited the lagoon in 1814 was the name for Tonoas), it seems to have had little impact on the Chuukese. A unique feature of Chuukese life at that time was that some of its people wore a poncho similar to that worn in Mexico and it is something that could have been introduced by the Spanish (see photograph below, courtesy Micronesian Seminar).

Chuukese in ponchos - click for larger picture
Chuuk internal wars over land and control of natural resources soon began to use guns that were being traded by foreigners including Japanese traders. In quelling the gun violence against foreigners and their use in Chuukese internal wars in 1901, the Germans used guns from naval cruiser Kormoran to destroy a small island off Weno as a show of their strength and authority. They also introduced a system of paramount chiefs for six areas of Chuuk during its rule over Micronesia (1898-1914). Germany was keen to extend its commercial success in the Marshall Islands with copra, to Chuuk and other parts of Micronesia. This was a significant time in changing Chuukese society to suit the German commercial and colonial interests.

Japanese traders were in Chuuk in the 1890s, keen to help their country expand into the South Seas (Nan'yo). One of the first was Mori Koben and his c.50 years in Chuuk, where he married a Chuukese chief's daughter and they had twelve children, caused him to become known as King of the South Seas. He became a very successful planter and trader and he amassed a small fortune that he used to improve the education, transportation and commercial facilities in Chuuk. Later in the 1890s, the Germans expelled many of the 15 Japanese traders in Chuuk at that time because of their involvement in selling guns to the Chuukese, although they allowed Mori Koben to stay. Japan, in a secret and controversial arrangement with Great Britain in 1914 (beginning of World War I) ousted Germany from Micronesia and under a League of Nations mandate, took control of Micronesia although it saw the region as its colonial possession. Japan introduced into Chuuk many facilities and systems in its colonial endeavors; some of the material remains can still be seen in Chuuk today, such as the Chuuk Hospital and an Elementary School on Tonoas, which can be seen in the photographs below.

Dobon Hospital - Japanese

Japanese School

German Missionaries