The CHamoru People of Guam: Their overlooked World War II Experiences and Impacts Caused by the American Invasion

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "From Whalers to World War II: Guam Underwater Archaeology", at the 2024 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The CHamoru people of Guam have a long maritime tradition of utilizing the ocean and in particular the local reef systems to support their spiritual and physical health. During World War II, Guam was a strategic location for both sides of the war. When the Japanese seized the island in December 1941, they fortified the island with obstacles in the barrier reefs to reduce the risk of an amphibious invasion. To create navigable channels through these obstacles and the reefs, American forces strategically demolished sections of the reefs. With the use of oral history, this paper examines how the CHamoru people experienced these changes and their perception of the archaeological sites that were created due to the American invasion on July 21, 1944. The oral histories will be combined with the site surveys conducted during the 2023 field season to create a comprehensive maritime landscape of this submerged battlefield.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2024   •
• From Whalers to World War II: Guam Underwater Archaeology

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow