Re-centering Women in Marshall Islands Histories and Pacific Historiography

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Jined ilo Kōbo [Our Mothers Forever]: Re-centering Women in Marshall Islands Histories and Pacific Historiography Abstract: Published nearly three decades ago, Teresia Teaiwa’s “Microwomen: US Colonialism and Micronesian Women Activists” brought recognition to the relative absence of women in academic histories of the region called Micronesia. The paper was the product of a Pacific History Association (PHA) Biennial Conference panel aimed at amplifying the voices of women in histories of the region, which, Teaiwa argued, remained “deafeningly silent on women” despite women’s prominence in many Micronesian cultures. While progress has been made in the thirty years since, Micronesian women remain acutely underrepresented in contemporary academic histories. Using Marshallese oral traditions as a guide, this paper argues that re-centering women in histories of Micronesia remains an essential project in the decolonization of Pacific Islands history and historiography, not only for the sake of Micronesian women’s representation, but also as a necessary step in ongoing development of historical methods that are more reflective of Indigenous histories and historicities.

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International Cultural Studies Certificate Program, Mānoa Campus

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Marina George, 8088596232, culture@hawaii.edu

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