Publications
Introduction to ICH and Relevant Institutions of the Federated States of Micronesia
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Manage No DI00001264 Country Republic of Korea Author Mr. Francis L Re (Head of Yap State Historic Preservation Office, Federated States of Micronesia) Published Year 2017 Language English Copyright 
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| Description | The concept and practice of intangible cultural heritage development, collection, teaching, preservation and protection, and passing on the knowledge and skills from the older generations to the younger ones is not new to the Federated States of Micronesia and its peoples, commonly referred to as the FSM. The FSM being comprised of many small islands, some are volcanic while others are atolls or low-laying islands, has a total resident population of around 100,000 per the last population census survey conducted in 2010. Although the population number seems rather small compared to other moderate-sized places or countries such as South Korea and other Asian neighbors including other island states located in the Pacific Ocean, the diversity of its peoples extending from the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean to the west; between the Republic of Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, based on their past historical migration and cultural formation or evolution have often times posed cultural and social cohesion challenges among these islands from the past to the modern days. Such cultural and, to certain extent, ethnical differences sometimes affect modern day socio-political administration of the islands in the FSM as its people, although have adopted and embraced the concept of nationalism, still view themselves as culturally different from each other. Each State in the FSM considers itself as unique and therefore slightly different from the other States in terms of its cultural heritage, history, practices and methods of passing on the traditional knowledge from the older generations to the younger ones. Because traditional methods of transferring such knowledge and skills differ from islands (State) to islands, there are still certain common elements or means used with such practices. All of which are to ensure proper transference of the resources to the proper and entitled individuals within the extended family systems or clans, and to ensure proper attention and care are afforded to the older generations (elders in the family or clan systems) by the younger ones. Knowledge and skills are considered in these islands as learned resources, meaning that such knowledge and skills can be utilized as means to ensure individual, family and clanship well-beings, survivability, and maintenance of social status or up-ward social mobility. In some instances and for good purposes, the assurance is tied with the maintenance of the traditional roles, responsibilities and authority of the families and the clans in their achieved or ascribed ranking or status of the cultural system and practices of the islands. | ||
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