HAGATNA (ABC) — Crucial information about the lives and culture of Guam’s Indigenous people is at risk of being destroyed forever, community leaders say.
More ancestral remains have been discovered at an American military site on the island.
Now, descendants of indigenous people buried in the area are seeking access to the area, with the hope of preserving their family’s history.
For Vince Taitingfong, the ancient village of Magua and its surrounding area holds special significance.
“My particular interest is in regards to my grandfather, who was buried there, just right before the deliberation of Guam,” he said.
The site, on the pacific island of Guam, is owned by the American military and construction of a large marine corps base, known as Camp Blaz, is currently underway.
Once completed, it will house about 5000 military personnel.
Last month, skeletal remains were uncovered at the site, along with cultural artefacts that could date back to before Spanish colonisation.
The findings are significant for Taitingfong, whose family is listed on a 1940s census document of the area.
Now he wants access to the site, to try to retrieve his loved one’s remains and bury them respectfully.
“My main focus here is, you know, one particular person, and I’m going to make sure that’s my main goal in regards to my grandfather being buried there,” he said.
The ABC has tried to contact Guam’s State Preservation Office about the finding but did not receive a response…. PACNEWS