The Whispered Memories of Belau's Bais (original) (raw)
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Whispered memories of Belau's bais : a cherechar a lokelii
2014
I want to take this opportunity to give thanks to all the people who help me throughout this phase of my educational journey. Without your words of wisdom and guidance, none of this would be a reality. To my family: you are the reason I have been able to take this journey. Your push and love has continuously motivated to reach for the stars. Grandma Julie and Pappy Reg: thank you for your love, buying my books, filling my icebox and tet every time you visit, and not questioning why I chose to get a Master's in Pacific Islands Studies. Your belief that I will make the best decisions push me to work harder and be a better person. To my uncle Johnson Iechad: thank you for funding my research and being my biggest advocate. Without our endless talks about ideas for this thesis and words of encouragement I wouldn't of come this far. Mommy: ke meral mesaul ra ikel rokui el cheldechedui ra blai ma beluu el om milngedek le mera ngak. Kau a chelsakl el melisiich er a ngak. Diak a telkael ra beltik er reng ra ngak el eko ra kau. Illabsis Santos Ngirasechedui ma Rengarairrai: thank you for all your wisdom and support in helping achieve my goals. Your knowledge and determination to guide our community, preservation of our land and culture, and emphasis in holding on to our identity pushes us, the children of Irrai, to contribute in this mission. Mora rechad ra Belias: With out you there would be no reason for this thesis. May this work motivate us to come closer as a community, to uphold our guiding v principles, conserve our land, culture, and natural resources, and motivate us to make use of the strategies our ancestors have left carved in our bai. To my cheʻlu, Lia Barcinas, thank you for your continuous support. You motivate me everyday to continue my pursute to find ways to conserve our land, culture, and cooconut trees. The relationship we have built over the past two years is one i will always cherish, such as the farms we will cultivate in the future. To my husband, Jacob Remoket: thank you for your continuous support, not just in the pursuing of my dreams, but in everything from getting my coffee, cooking, or whatever I needed to get through the long days. To Marciana Telmetang and Belau National Museum staff-Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to use your book BAI and all the resources you provided me with. Your contribution to this work is great and for that I am truly greatly. May this work continue to enhance the conservations you works have already started.
2011
In Climate Change and Global Health, authors Hanna and Mclver describe Pacific Island nations as the “canaries in the coal mine of climate change and health.” Mounting threats to food and water security, infrastructure, and public health and safety due to decreasing levels of freshwater supply, increased coastal flooding and erosion, ocean acidification and coral bleaching, indicate multiple concerns for human and environmental communities in the Pacific Islands region. In Belau, an island chain in the Southwestern region of Oceania, research studies have primarily focused on how climate change effects the ocean and fisheries, a male-gendered sphere in Belauan culture. While this research is critical for understanding the broader environmental impacts of climate change very little research has been done to understand the effects of climate change on the land and land-based food sources—which is considered women’s sphere of responsibility and influence. Additionally, the focus on the environment and science fails to account for the impact of rising sea levels on the territorial sovereignty of Island nation-states. My research asks, what are the gendered dimensions of climate change and how do women contribute to mitigation, food security, and sovereignty in the face of environmental change? This dissertation is a qualitative study of how women’s organizations, such as Mechesiil Belau, are working to address the impacts of the climate crisis within the community and on a national level. This research extends the existing discussion of the climate crisis to address both the impacts these changes are having on women’s daily lives and their families as well as the strategies these women are using to address their needs. While this research focuses on how women are responding to changes in their island environment, climate change is also forcing many people to abandon their island homes often taking up residence as refugees or immigrants in other island countries. This study recognizes that migration is as much a survival strategy as is growing food and yet migration raises unique questions related to Indigenous identity in diasporic contexts. Through interviews with women who have experienced environmentally motivated migrations, this project seeks to understand the myriad ways women are working to support their families while also striving to maintain their Indigenous identities. My research approach creates a space for women to discuss issues of climate change and how they are responding to it. By placing Belauan women’s stories and experiences at the center of this project, this research will also deepen our understanding of the gendered impacts climate change has on migration, food security, and sovereignty.
The Djugun Peoples Sustaining Ideals of Land Culture and Identity
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Posthumanism and Higher Education: Reimagining Pedagogy, Practice and Research, 2019
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