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An Ethnographic Case-Study of Tobi Island in the Republic of Palau

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An Ethnographic Case-Study of Tobi Island in the Republic of Palau ResearchOnline@JCU This file is part of the following work: Tibbetts, David (2019) “Tobi (or Not) Tobi” Climate change, cultural heritage and community agency: an ethnographic case-study of Tobi Island in the Republic of Palau. PhD Thesis, James Cook University. Access to this file is available from: https://doi.org/10.25903/6dm8%2Dq968 © 2019 David Tibbetts. The author has certified to JCU that they have made a reasonable effort to gain permission and acknowledge the owners of any third party copyright material included in this document. If you believe that this is not the case, please email [email protected] “Tobi (or Not) Tobi” Climate change, cultural heritage and community agency: an ethnographic case-study of Tobi Island in the Republic of Palau by David Tibbetts, M.A. University of Guam 2002 Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the discipline of Social and Cultural Anthropology November, 2019 College of Arts, Society and Education and The Cairns Institute at James Cook University David Tibbetts For Tohbwich and his epistemological gyroscope, And the Ocean within us all… ii David Tibbetts Acknowledgments This PhD thesis was constructed as a gracious acknowledgement to the people of Hatohobei. I cannot thank the community enough for supporting my research efforts in collaboration toward the same concerns around climate change impacts and cultural heritage. The community has embraced my personal and academic journey since my youngest days and I continue to learn and grow with you all. The Hatohobei elders, in particular, have supported and guided me all along the way and I can only hope that this research effort contributes to your care and vision for future generations. Thank you for taking me in and nurturing me with local foodstuffs, plenty of storytelling, and genuine Love and Care. Hapar mahatawai sewa. I am forever grateful to my promised-brother Nixon Andrew and his wife (my promised-sister) Grace Patris and family; Wayne and Belly Andrew and family; Mama Sisma and Mama Regina; Papa Isauro and Mama Rosa and family; Huana Nestor and family; Sheila Pedro and family; Thomas Patris and family; Justin Andrew and family; Elsie Nestor and family; and (the late) Papa Nemecio, Papa Lorenso, and Papa Domiciano. The love, kindness and respects you have all shown me continues to nurture my life path and I pray that I may share that same love and respects with others as often as possible. Thank you deeply for sharing your knowledge and wisdom over so many years together. My primary source of Hatohobei language support is Papa Isauro Andrew, an exceptional Hatohobei historian and language teacher. His son Justin Andrew has also provided me with language support and research guidance over the years. Wayne Andrew and Thomas Patris provided me with access to public meetings, state-level archives, visiting researchers and technical experts, and linkages to Palau national level iii David Tibbetts meetings and networks. Their support has been invaluable. Thank you to the Helen Reef Marine Resource Management Project (HRMRMP) team and the Hatohobei Operations for the People and Environment (HOPE) team for all of your generous support with my many research needs (on the ground and by distance). You have all trusted in me and always been there when I needed your assistance. Many thanks as well to my dear friend and Doctor of Happiness, Kirino Mario, for providing the illustrations that helped inform this written thesis. Thank you to Tracey Marcello and Ana Belen Almada for your gracious support in transcribing hours of digital audio recordings. This tedious task requires a true professional and you two have provided me with extensive and thorough transcriptions that contribute to this particular research and also the broader Hatohobei archival record. My formatting skills are severely limited and I am so grateful to have gained the the professional editorial support of Katharine Fowler, who has worked so patiently and efficiently with my many demands on the final thesis structure. Dr. Peter Black has inspired me with his scholarly works, his intellect, kindness and generosity since my earliest days learning about Hatohobei culture, history and politics. I am unable to properly thank Peter and his wife Bobby for all of their support to me over the years and as Hatohobei (wasera like myself) community members, I hope your support toward me comes through in this research endeavour. Thank you again Peter for sharing thoughts, insights and wisdom with me. None of this research could happen without the intellectual support of my primary supervisor, Dr. Ton Otto. Ton has enriched my understanding of anthropology iv David Tibbetts and embraced my efforts to engage this research through a rather unconventional experimental ethnography. Thank you Ton, for the balance you have provided me with your passion, genuine kindness and sharp intellectual capacity and curiosity for the human condition. Your support has been endless, from dialoguing ideas, to written feedback, candid conversations, Skype calls, administrative tasks, and even finding income for me when I had none. As well, thank you Dr. Mike Wood for your kind and patient support as my secondary supervisor. You have always been available to me through the challenges of a PhD student journey and I have grown my anthropological journey well from your written feedback, as well as informal conversations. Thank you both for your patience, humour, and overall guidance and support with my unconventional approach to this research project. I extend deep gratitude to Dr. Hilary Whitehouse for her belief in my passion and the research process (and outcomes). Your support throughout this PhD journey is immeasurable and I am grateful. This research would not have been possible without the financial support of James Cook University (JCU) and The Cairns Institute Research in Tropical Societies (TCI). I was awarded an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship and a Research Fieldwork Scholarship. This research would also not have been possible without the support of the JCU Graduate Research School leadership and administrative staff. You have always provided me with caring support and understanding with administrative matters. Thank you for providing that administrative backbone that allowed me to complete this project. I send deep gratitude to the many friends and mentors (including all those listed above) that have supported me and guided me throughout the PhD journey. You are too many to list here but to name a few; Kimberlee Cook, Amber Cook, Dr. Vince Diaz, Dr. Okusitino Mahina, Dr. Tupeni Baba, Dr. Kimberlee Kihleng, Dr. Anne v David Tibbetts Hattori, Desmond Abrahams, and Amy Beavan. Kind thanks as well to my fellow PhD colleagues at JCU-Cairns and all of the administrative staff at The Cairns Institute. You all know how much you have supported this effort and what this means to all of us and you all trusted and believed in the journey with me. Thank you. I could not have engaged this research project without your generous and kind support. Hapar mahatawai sewa (Thank you at the highest level.). vi David Tibbetts Statement of the Contribution of Others Nature of Assistance Contribution Names, Affiliations of Co-Contributors Intellectual Support PhD Supervision Dr. Ton Otto; Dr. Michael Wood Transcriptions Ana Belen Almada Tracey Marcello Illustrations Kirino Mario Editorial Assistance Katharine Fowler Financial Support International Postgraduate Australia Federal Research Scholarship Government PhD Fieldwork Scholarship The Cairns Institute: Research in Tropical Societies vii David Tibbetts Abstract This thesis is based on a long-term relationship with the Hatohobei community in the Republic of Palau and involved 12-months of ethnographic fieldwork in 2012 and 2013. The ethnographic data collection included participant-observation, audio and video recorded semi-formal interviews, attendance of public meetings, participation in state and national level climate change adaptation workshops, email and skype correspondence, and general storytelling with community members. In the text I include storytelling and autoethnography as provocative writing methods that help to evoke Hatohobei epistemology and ontology and frame a critical analysis that explores cultural heritage politics, resource management and identity through several developments and events in this relocated and diasporic minority community. The thesis privileges indigenous Pacific values, principles and approaches while highlighting historical and contemporary interpretive frameworks that inform a deeper understanding of how this relocated community continues to nurture and maintain an empowering connection to the remote island of Hatohobei through its natural resource management and a collective imaginary. The ongoing successes of the community have involved multiple colonial administrations, nation-state developments, contemporary relationships with local, regional and international NGO’s, and more recently, efforts to adapt to increasing climate event impacts on the home island. How this minority community actively empowers itself through its interface with contemporary neoliberal policies, models and agendas is a testament to Hatohobei resiliency and agency. The story of this empowerment may be useful for many other small island communities facing similar challenges. viii David Tibbetts Table of Contents Acknowledgments ....................................................................................
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