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Certain aspects of Micronesian culture have been greatly affected by popular culture. However, Micronesian people still preserve their traditional culture today. Explain the following:
A. The aspects of Micronesian culture being most affected by popular culture.
B. Specific examples of how globalization and technology have affected the traditional culture.
C. How Micronesian people have preserved their traditional culture in spite of these changes from popular culture.

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How Micronesian People Work to Preserve their Culture

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How Micronesian People Work to Preserve their Culture

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Although popular culture has greatly influenced modern Micronesian culture, Micronesian people will gather annually to preserve the traditional Micronesian culture so that it will not be lost.

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The crowd erupted in whoops and children stuffed dollar bills into dancers' waistbands as the Palauan troupe Mem Doloik shook their gold and teal skirts to Donna Summer's disco hit "Hot Stuff" in front of the Art School on March 28. Hundreds of people attended Celebrate Micronesia, a one-day festival held on the last day of the exhibition Carrying Culture: Navigating Anew. In spite of a drizzling sky, hundreds of people showed up for performances, art-making demonstrations, and craft displays and sales.

While the day was dedicated to showcasing Micronesian traditions, it also demonstrated that those deep-rooted traditions aren't statically fixed to the past. A testament to the times: everyone pulled out their smartphones when another Palauan group, Ngelekel Belau Student Organization from the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, the dancers' skin glowing with a coconut oil and turmeric, took the stage.

"The UH Hilo Palauan women's traditional attire and chanting performance stood out," said director of the Art School Vince Hazen. "I was thrilled with the large number of guests and participants. I loved the cooperation between different cultural groups, coming together as a united community, to produce the event."

Visitors navigated through the sea of spectators and brightly clad child dancers to explore the Carrying Culture exhibition in the Art School's main gallery, as well as on the second-floor mezzanine, which included handcrafted woven pieces on the walls, enormous shark-fishing hooks dangling from the ceiling, and a video screen in the corner playing Marshallese poet Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner's activist spoken-word poetry.

At the back end of the main gallery, films such as The Land of Eb were screened throughout the day. That film, about a Marshallese family that has migrated to Hawai'i Island, speaks to the connection fostered by this event between the city of Honolulu and diasporic communities from the islands of Micronesia. In Hazen's view, "This community of recent immigrants...is a community that has been successfully navigating a new life in Hawai'i."

The event, organized by Art School staff and a committee of 20 Micronesians from cultural groups and organizations, fits into the museum's mission to provide access to everyone. "The Honolulu Museum of Art works to be a welcoming institution and we are interested in engaging all communities who make O'ahu their home," says museum director Stephan Jost. "The Celebrate Micronesia event grew a lot each year. Clearly our community is interesting in learning about and celebrating the many peoples and cultures that have roots in these Pacific Islands. We are proud to do our small part in hosting the event," Jost said.

Celebrate Micronesia is an extension of other projects led by the Art School, including outreach programs that serve Micronesia students and train Hawai'i's teachers about Micronesian culture and immigration. Celebrate Micronesia was followed on March 29 by the Navigating Success Summit, which brings together Micronesian students in higher education in Hawai'i.

Hazen has decided to make Celebrate Micronesia an annual event, and this summer the Art School will host a Jaki-ed master weaving class for local Marshallese weavers.

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Art School's second celebration of Micronesian culture a hit

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The crowd erupted in whoops and children stuffed dollar bills into dancers' waistbands as the Palauan troupe Mem Doloik shook their gold and teal skirts to Donna Summer's disco hit "Hot Stuff" in front of the Art School on March 28.

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To preserve their culture, Micronesian people gather in a festival to celebrate traditional Micronesian customs and clothing.

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University of Hawaii at Hilo & Hawaii Community College

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Celebrate Micronesia 2015: Micronesian Cultural Festival - Highlights

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Pacific Students Media presents... On March 28, 2015, the Honolulu Museum of Art School hosted a day-long gathering of the Micronesian community to celebrate the exhibition called "Carrying Culture: Navigating Anew", the museum's way to honor and celebrate the Micronesian diaspora and their art and culture.

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Micronesia, a small group of islands east of the Philippines, has a very distinct culture. This includes very unique clothing, currency, and music that is very different than the rest of the world.

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Micronesia Culture (Photo: )

The Federated States of Micronesia is a sovereign nation of 607 islands in the North Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Indonesia. The four states that make up Micronesia are Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. Divided by large expanses of water, the island groups each have a distinctive traditional culture and language. There are, however, many similarities between the cultures, and modern nationhood has homogenized the political and economic realms of daily life.

People

The Federated States of Micronesia has a total population of around 100,000. Micronesians represent two major ethnic groups and multiple minority groups. Almost 50 percent of the population is Chuukese, and almost one quarter is Pohnpeian. Significant minority ethnic groups include Kosraean, Yapese, Yap outer islands people, Asian and Polynesian. The minority Polynesian population is mostly restricted to two atolls in Pohnpei State. According to World Factbook, the population of Micronesia is 22 percent urban.

Languages

The official language of Micronesia is English, but there are eight major indigenous languages spoken: Yapese, Ulithian, Woleaian, Chuukese, Pohnpeian, Kosraean, Nukuoro and Kapingamarangi. Pohnpeian has two principal dialects; Kosraen is unlike any other modern language, including those of neighboring islands.

Traditions

Although each island and ethnic group has its own distinctive culture, some common features can be identified. These include close, usually matrilineal family structures; distinctions between "nobles" and "commoners"; and important clan and caste systems. In some island groups including Kosrae, the importance of lineages and clans has largely diminished in modern times. Pohnpeian society traditionally operated as system of chiefdoms and it retains matrilineal clans and patrilineal inheritance. The Chuukese emphasize clan structure, while caste is more important to the Yapese. The people of Yap still wear traditional clothing--grass skirts for women and a type of loincloth for men. They are famous for their stone money.

Contemporary Life

The Micronesian economy depends heavily on subsistence farming and fishing, but two-thirds of the labor force are government employees. Twenty-two percent of the population is unemployed. In terms of GDP per capita, Micronesia is among the 45 poorest nations in the world, and more than 26 percent of its population lives below the poverty line. The subsistence economy revolves around tree crops like breadfruit, coconut and citrus, and root crops like taro and yam, along with fishing. Agricultural practices remain small scale and traditional fishing methods prevail. The importance of sharing, communal labor and giving gifts to tribal leaders remains.

Music and Arts

Traditional music is still passed down through generations in Micronesia, but a domestic pop music genre has developed with influences from diverse international musical styles. Wood carvers in the state of Chuuk are known for their masks and busts carved from beautiful tropical woods. The Yapese are known for their dances, which tell legends and history as well as entertain. The Pohnpeians are also known for their energetic and vibrant dancing. On the 42-square-mile island state of Kosrae, people practice traditional singing and chanting. They also build canoes, carve wood, weave and build houses using traditional techniques.

Religion

According to World Factbook, 50 percent of the Micronesian population is Roman Catholic and 47 percent is Protestants. In Kosrae, the congregational church is the center of public life, and no village is without a church. Before the arrival of Christian missionaries, the religion of Pohnpeians involved a complex order of deities and lesser spirits, with priests serving as conduits between men and the gods. Christianization expelled some aspects of traditional society, including polygamy.

About the Author

A writer of diverse interests, Joanne Thomas has penned pieces about road trips for Hyundai, children's craft projects for Disney and wine cocktails for Robert Mondavi. She has lived on three continents and currently resides in Los Angeles, where she is co-owner and editor of a weekly newspaper. Thomas holds a BSc in politics from the University of Bristol, England.

Photo Credits

Images related to Federated States of Micronesia

Slider Credits

Attribution: U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald; License: public domain

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The Federated States of Micronesia is a sovereign nation of 607 islands in the North Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Indonesia. The four states that make up Micronesia are Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. Divided by large expanses of water, the island groups each have a distinctive traditional culture and language.

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In particular, popular culture has changed the clothing and music of Micronesian people due to our era of globalization.