Chuuk Historic Preservation Program

Chuuk HPO implements an historic preservation program in association with the US National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.

The terrestrial and underwater surveys and projects are largely supervised by foreign specialists through the US Historic Preservation Fund for Professional Services and organised through the FSM National Historic Preservation Office in Pohnpei.

This includes terrestrial archaeological surveys, ethnographic surveys and maritime archaeology surveys. As an example, in 2001 the FSM National Historic Preservation Office contracted a maritime archaeologist to implement maritime archaeology activities in Chuuk to be followed by work in the other three states.

The types of maritime archaeology activities carried out in Chuuk during 2001/2 included:

Staff training in recording and monitoring the World War II underwater (and terrestrial) sites;

The development of guidelines for implementing further maritime archaeology work and documented in a report (Jeffery, 2004c);

The implementation of three projects;

site surveying--side scan sonar survey of shipwrecks (Jeffery 2004c);

site corrosion study of shipwrecks and aircraft (MacLeod, 2004);

community awareness--comprising a booklet and 6 signs (Jeffery 2003).

Ethnographic and terrestrial archaeological surveys have been implemented in the past and will be reported on here later.

Chuuk HPO staff also provide reports on damage from natural disasters to historic sites to FEMA.

Chuuk HPO has also a number of ongoing projects, including:

Traditional weaving interpretation;

Survey of wuuts and associated oral histories;

Chuuk HPO maritime archaeology training;

Interpretation of world war II sites on Etten;

Chuuk HPO promotion:

Traditional seafaring and indigenous sites located underwater;

Memorials to the Chuukese and other Pacific Islanders from World War II;

Earthwatch project.

There are a number of issues associated with working on these projects and for Chuuk HPO in general. For instance, some of the issues that are being continually dealt with in regard to the shipwrecks and submerged aircraft are:

Collaboration with other Chuuk government agencies and commercial interests on management

Moorings

Artefact souveniring

Dynamite fishing

Public education

Further research required

The very large number, very good state of integrity, and international awareness of the submerged military sites and the World War II sites located on the islands throughout Chuuk, place great pressure on Chuuk HPO to manage them. Chuuk HPO is very keen to document, protect and manage traditional sites and culture as well and to place World War II sites into context with the history and culture of Chuuk. With limited funds and resources this is a very large task.

From "Pirogues Oceaniennes" (Oceanian Canoes) by Jean Neyret.