Book and Media Reviews

191 book and media reviews 195 not the least of which is the appear- such as the late Senator Tony Palomo ance of books such as Kawelu’s. Vast pushed for a permanent museum challenges remain, though, as the space, it was not until Guam was author acknowledges: “Partnership is chosen to host the 2016 Festival of our best chance to challenge the forces the Pacific Arts (FestPac) that funding that keep Hawai‘i on the path to was allocated to begin building the perpetual growth and development” museum. Groundbreaking took place (118). in 2013 for the budgeted $27 million jan becket complex. Honolulu, Hawai‘i The Guam Museum was intended to be ready by the start of the festival; *** however, issues with construction and severe weather resulted in the post- Guam Museum/Guam and Cha ponement of its grand opening till morro Education Facility, Hagåtña, November 2016. Despite its incom- Guåhan (Guam). Temporarily opened plete state, the Guam Museum acted 26 May–2 June 2016. as a functional, multidimensional site for FestPac. On 26 May 2016, the Guam and Located in the heart of Hagåtña, Chamorro Education Facility, bet- in Skinner Plaza, the Guam Museum ter known as the Guam Museum, commands attention with its eye- temporarily opened its doors to the catching archway, evoking an åcho’ public. This preview was the result atupat, or sling stone, as well as the of over eighty years of work to bring Great Seal of Guam. The sling stone a permanent museum space to life. is a signature weapon of ancient Since the 1930s, the United States Chamorros and is now a cultural sym- has collected Chamorro cultural and bol of Chamorro identity and pride. historical objects, which the US Navy This structural element is set between largely maintained, and the American grand walls in the shape of book pages Legion Mid-Pacific Post 1 founded that are imprinted with a powerful the original Guam Museum in 1933. speech by Chief Hurao, a celebrated Three years later, an executive order Chamorro figure of resistance. by the governor of Guam established During the 2016 FestPac, the first the Guam Museum as a government floor of the museum was used for institution, and it was given a small the Visual Arts Exhibit. These gallery building. The violence and destruction spaces were filled with works by local of World War II greatly damaged the and visiting Pacific delegates from collection, so postwar years were used the twenty-nine different Oceanic to help regrow the collection while countries in attendance. The artwork emphasizing the protection of historic distracted attention from the unfin- structures throughout the island and ished floors, paintwork, and other overseeing research on Guam’s history. incomplete cosmetic details in the Although temporary exhibitions have 6,500-square-foot galleries. While been showcased throughout the island the first floor of the museum was in community spaces, and advocates open throughout the festival, the 196 the contemporary pacific • 29:1 (2017) second and third floors were under on multiple media platforms. These construction and remained closed. gestures helped foster a first impres- Even though much of the interior of sion of the Guam Museum as both the museum was inaccessible to the welcoming and accessible to locals and public, its indoor and outdoor theaters visitors alike. were functioning sites for film screen- The Guam Museum’s soft opening ings, performances, and workshops. was largely shaped by the Festival of The temporary opening of the the Pacific Arts, which poses chal- Guam Museum, prompted by the lenges in envisioning how this space 2016 FestPac, offered hopeful glimpses will represent Chamorros and its of what the museum can offer Guam. island home once it officially reopens From the opening ceremony to the in November. The governor of Guam, last day of the festival, the Guam Edward Calvo, envisions the museum Museum was a vibrant and dynamic as part of a larger revitalization of space. Hundreds of people gathered at Hagåtña and as key in helping to rein- the museum’s entrance to witness the vigorate the city as the vibrant politi- cultural exchange between Chamorro cal, economic, and cultural center of chanters and Fijian dancers before the island. Calvo has justified the high being welcomed into the museum construction costs for the museum for the first time. In the absence of and building in the historical area narratives to guide visitors through by focusing on its potential to con- the exhibits, artists were available tribute to the economic expansion of to discuss their work. Musicians, Guam. As Calvo generates hope and dancers, and chanters from around enthusiasm for economic reward from Oceania filled the exhibit spaces with investing in a large-scale museum, it is their voices and performances dur- possible that the museum developers ing scheduled time slots throughout will lose sight of what an institution the festival’s two weeks, and visitors like this can mean for Guam. packed the museum’s first floor to Because financial gain is an impor- watch the many events taking place tant focus of the Guam Museum, hourly. The indoor theater was used there is a chance that it will miss the throughout FestPac to showcase new mark of providing a self-conscious documentary and feature films from and much-needed dialogic space across Oceania. The outdoor theater for the island. Currently, museums was also an important feature of the elsewhere, like the Bernice Pauahi festival; families brought chairs and Bishop Museum and the Museum of mats to sit and watch the performing New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, are arts delegates engage in traditional moving toward collaborative rela- song, dance, and chant during the day. tionships with Native peoples. As the In the evening, films were projected on Guam Museum works to create its the outside museum walls. During the permanent exhibits, how will it engage Festival of the Pacific Arts, museum with Chamorro worldviews and the admission was free, and program- complex histories of the Mariana ming for the two weeks was available Islands? The museum’s mission—as book and media reviews 197 stated on its Facebook page—is to Ever the Land: A People, A Place, engage with “Guam’s geology, biota, Their Building. Documentary, pre-history, history and contemporary 93 minutes, dcp or Blu-ray, color, culture using as an interpretive narra- 2015. Written and directed by Sarah tive ‘I Hinanao-ta’ (the journey of the Grohnert; produced by Alexander Chamorro people). . . . It shall also Behse. Distributed by Monsoon provide a venue for the appreciation Pictures International and the New of Guam’s unique relationship with its Zealand Film Commission. See sister islands in Micronesia through http://evertheland.com/ for prices the understanding of regional cultures, and availability. traditions, practices and lore.” It is important that the Guam Museum Ever the Land: A People, A Place, represent Chamorro experiences and Their Building celebrates the Tuhoe island-wide stories in meaningful and tribe, the Maori people who live in a accessible ways for visitors and local heavily forested corner of the North audiences. The museum’s interpreta- Island of Aotearoa/New Zealand. The tive work on Guam must come across Tuhoe filed compensation claims with as dynamic, adaptable, and constantly the Waitangi Commission in 2007 evolving rather than as promoting and subsequently decided to allocate a fixed, stagnant history. This will nz$15 million for the construction enable the institution to be better of a large tribal center at the valley positioned to uphold its mission to entrance of their contested, tragic include Chamorro voices and diverse land. Designed by Ivan Mercep, the perspectives. center was meant to adhere with the Much of this review of the museum Living Building Challenge, whose is based on its temporary opening for stringent standards of sustainability the Festival of the Pacific Arts; time require careful attention to material will tell whether future visitors will sourcing and a great deal of compli- find the Guam Museum reflective of ance documentation. Called Te Uru what they might hope it will represent Tamatua, it was to be the first such for Guam. building in Aotearoa. In a visually jesi lujan bennett compelling way, Ever the Land tracks University of Hawai‘i–Mānoa the building process by embedding it in the context of the dialogue sur- *** rounding it. That dialogue, on which the filmmaker unobtrusively dotes, tells a thought-provoking story. Through voices and actions, we learn of the contested relationship between Tuhoe green ideology and tribal solidarity. This view is asserted in lovely scenes in which children are put to bed by mothers with stories about ancestor-spirits who hate trash,