Japanese Period in Yap

A National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund grant program in which the Yap State (FSM Caroline Islands) Historic Preservation Office (HPO) combined Japanese Era (1914-1945) oral history gathering with HPO staff training is nearing completion. Photos, movies (Japanese Navy films) and other documentation of the Japanese Era were collected and organized and are being utilized in support of video taped Yapese informant interviewing activity. The completed informant Yapese language interviews are being edited (with historical photo inclusion) into vernacular language with English sub-titled DVDs. This Yap State HPO oral history training activity has been inclusively involved with other NPS sponsored Yap HPO summer activities: Assessment activity which relates to World War II Japanese aircraft and a workshop on Visual anthropology. "The Japanese Era oral history work in conjunction with the other two NPS sponsored activities all contribute to important capacity building training and as well go far in assisting the people o Yap in obtaining increased locally derived knowledge of an important period of their recent past. " says Yap State HPO Director James Lukan.

Dr. Michael Caldwell serves in Professional Service Capacity as the activities Principle Investigator with the ongoing direct involvement of John Tun (the Assistant HPO officer) and facilitative-training involvement of Peter Terweipiy (HPO Historian), and Francis Reg (Yap state Registry coordinator). Dennis Poblete of the Academy for Culture and Education of Yap is providing technical support. Materials resulting from this project will be entered into the Yap-FSM Data base and will, as well, be available for use from the YAP State HPO. The project is due to be completed by September 30, 2006.