2019 Chapters (Layout Features)

The Indigenous Youths in Micronesia, Pacific: The Movers and Shakers

Elias, Sylvia

The Island Nations scattered throughout the northern Pacific that make up the region of Micronesia were discovered by various foreign navigators, and yet the lives of Indigenous Peoples from these islands have remained largely unknown to the outside world. Our tiny island nations and territories are comprised of the Kiribati Islands, Nauru, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia (Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap), Palau, the Northern Marianas Islands, and Guam. Micronesian Indigenous youth from across the region share common values, beliefs, and practices in terms of gender roles, economic disparity, social pressures, resiliency to trauma, access and appreciation of nature, and profound belief in the spiritual. First, we will begin with the geographical, physical, and historical makeup of Micronesia. Then, we will discuss each of these themes.