Politics, Cultural Continuity, and the Historic Preservation Program on Ponape
Denoncour, Mark (1981-05-29). Politics, Cultural Continuity, and the Historic Preservation Program on Ponape (Thesis). Honolulu, HI: Pacific Islands Studies Program.
- Has attachment: File:28KS8NBY.pdf
Abstract: This study examines Ponapean (Pohnpeian) responses to the introduction of the United States Historic Preservation Program within the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Drawing on ethnohistorical sources and contemporary field observation, the paper situates the program within the broader context of Ponapean political organization, emphasizing the enduring dynamics of prestige competition, title systems, and socio-political maneuvering. After outlining traditional political structures and tracing successive periods of foreign contact—Spanish, German, Japanese, and American—the study analyzes the formation and activities of the Ponape Historic Preservation Committee between 1977 and 1978. It argues that Ponapean acceptance or rejection of foreign institutions has historically depended upon their perceived utility within existing systems of status, authority, and competition. The Historic Preservation Program is interpreted not merely as an externally imposed administrative structure, but as a vehicle through which Ponapean leaders pursued contemporary political objectives, enhanced prestige, and reinforced elements of traditional authority. The paper concludes that the program’s implementation demonstrates the adaptive flexibility of Ponapean political culture and its capacity to incorporate foreign institutions into ongoing patterns of social continuity.
