For the first time, poetry, short stories, critical and creative essays,
chants, and excerpts of plays by Indigenous Micronesian authors have
been brought together to form a resounding--and distinctly
Micronesian--voice. With over two thousand islands spread across almost
three million square miles of the Pacific Ocean, Micronesia and its
peoples have too often been rendered invisible and insignificant both in
and out of academia. This long-awaited anthology of contemporary
indigenous literature will reshape Micronesia's historical and literary
landscape.
Presenting over seventy authors and one hundred pieces, Indigenous
Literatures from Micronesia features nine of the thirteen basic language
groups, including Palauan, Chamorro, Chuukese, I-Kiribati, Kosraean,
Marshallese, Nauruan, Pohnpeian, and Yapese. The volume editors, from
Micronesia themselves, have selected representative works from
throughout the region--from Palau in the west, to Kiribati in the east,
to the global diaspora. They have reached back for historically
groundbreaking work and scouted the present for some of the most cited
and provocative of published pieces and for the most promising new
authors.
Richly diverse, the stories of Micronesia's resilient peoples are as
vast as the sea and as deep as the Mariana Trench. Challenging
centuries-old reductive representations, writers passionately explore
seven complex themes: "Origins" explores creation, foundational, and
ancestral stories; "Resistance" responds to colonialism and militarism;
"Remembering" captures diverse memories and experiences; "Identities"
articulates the nuances of culture; "Voyages" maps migration and
diaspora; "Family" delves into interpersonal and community
relationships; and "New Micronesia" gathers experimental, liminal, and
cutting-edge voices.
This anthology reflects a worldview unique to the islands of Micronesia,
yet it also connects to broader issues facing Pacific Islanders and
indigenous peoples throughout the world. It is essential reading for
anyone interested in Pacific, indigenous, diasporic, postcolonial, and
environmental studies and literatures.
