NMI Memories Updates

This project was made possible by support from the Northern Marianas Humanities Council, a non-profit, private corporation funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project (Sharing KPV Collection with Northern Mariana Islands) do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Update #1
Aug 23, 2019

Northern Mariana Islands (NMI) Peace Corps (PC):
​Ten Years, Fifty Years Ago

  • Contents
  1. NMHC Grant Award
  2. Updated Website
  3. You Can Help
  4. Providing information on pictures
  5. MicrOlympics Story Posted​
  6. New Pictures Coming Soon
  7. New Book by Dr. Ralph B. Chumbley (RPCV)​
 
 
 
1. NORTHERN MARIANAS HUMANITIES COUNCIL (NMHC) GRANT AWARD
 
​The NMHC has awarded a grant to the project entitled Sharing KPV Collection with the Northern Marianas.   The project invites people interested in the NMI in sharing pictures, stories, memories & content from the 1960 and 70s, especially as related to Peace Corps’ (PC) activities in the islands.   Kit Porter Van Meter (Micro V PCV, 1967-69, Rota) is the Project Director. The grant is for $12,288 matched by contributed time from former PC Volunteers and staff. Click HERE to view the grant summary.
 
Kit started this website in late 2016 for the purpose of sharing photographs on an easily accessible site with people from Rota. After a reunion of NMI RPCVs (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) in San Fe, New Mexico, October 2017, Fay Nelson Giordano (Micro VII), MZ “Mimi” Morgan (Micro VII) and George Will (Micro VII) added their photographs and digitized slides from their time in the Peace Corps.
 
With this grant, the website is being redesigned to accommodate pictures and content from NMI/Micronesia RPCVs and staff and asking NMI people to assist with related stories and content.  Other means of sharing are also being explored.
 
The grant partially funds on a part time basis a Project Manager, Michael Sousa, who designs and manages the website, works with contributors and explores digital alternatives.  A Technical Assistant, Chrissy Washburn, inventories and digitizes content once organized. The funds are matched by the time of the Project Director, other NMI RPCVs, and the Financial Manager. The grant ends in December, but we plan to continue after that date. Meet us below!

More important than the financial assistance is the support of the NMHC.  Knowing that the members of the Humanities Council and others in the NMI care about Peace Corps’ role in the 1960s & 70s as well as the sharing of their pictures and stories, provides the emotional fuel to keep working on this project. 

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​2. UPDATED WEBSITE
 
The website [KPVCollection.com] is divided into two sections: 1) KPV Collection and 2) NMI Peace Corps Memories.  NMI Peace Corps Memories section has been redesigned to accomodate and feature additional content and information from and about NMI Peace Corps. More content will be added in the coming weeks. We are also exploring using additional social media systems.



3. YOU CAN HELP
 
We are actively trying to contact Return Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs), PC staff and others who may have content and memories. Here is some of what we're looking/hoping for:

  • Share addresses of RPCVs, NMI families and others who might be interested.
  • Send us your pictures to share.  We will work with you on the best way to do this.  We hope to have 1960s-70s pictures and stories for every village in the NMI.
  • Write or record a story about an experience in the NMI or Micronesia during the 1960s and 70s especially as related to Peace Corps.
  • Work with others to do a collection of memories.  Tom Zink did this with MicrOlympics (see below). There is a story to tell about the roll of PCVs and staff during/ following Typhoon Jean, for example. Could you host this or tell you own story?
  • Identify topics for stories.
  • Add and/or correct captions for pictures that have been posted (names, places, activities). We have had some trial and error establishing a system for doing this. Rosemary Casey, Doll Boddy Castro and George Will helped us test a systems.  We are ready now with new systems (explained in the next section).
  • Let us know if you are willing in the future to be part of group discussions around topics.

You can use our Contact Us page to send of this to us, or send us an email at [email protected]



4. PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT PICTURES
 
We are always seeking more information about what we have in the KPV Collection, and what has been submitted to us. Many pictures have no identifying information and those with captions may have errors. Currently we are requesting information for digitized photographs that have been posted.   If you think you can help, head to our Caption Submission page and following the instructions.  Or use the following instructions:

To identify the individual, location, event, date or memories about a photograph from the 1960-70,  please do the following:

1. Go to <kpvcollection.com>
2. Click nmi pc memories
3. Click submitted content & media
4. Click pcm content inventory  OR
5. skip steps 1-4 and click here to get to "Image Inventory" 
5. Look at the index to see the Peace Corps person who shared photographs
6. Scroll across to select their album and look at the photographs
7. We have to enter the content, so send it to us using the caption submission form link above

OR
8. Make a list in a Word doc or email or the like and send it to <[email protected]>  listing each caption number with your added content
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5. MICROLYMPICS STORY POSTED
From a vast territory of more than 2,000 tiny islands spread over more than three million square miles of the Pacific Ocean, divided into six administrative districts with eight major languages and numerous dialects, 450 athletes, hundreds of volunteers, and thousands of spectators all came together in the territorial capitol of Saipan, Mariana Islands, in the first two weeks of July in 1969 for an historic event in Micronesia. The first Micronesian Olympic Games (“MicrOlympics”) began on July 4th, US Independence Day, and concluded on July 12th, Micronesia Day, so named in observance of the founding of the Congress of Micronesia.
This is the opening introduction to a story about Peace Corps role in this event prepared for this website and written by Tom Zink with contributions from Kurt Barnes, Tom Fisher, Andy Pavley, Ted Goble, Fay Giordano, MZ Morgan, Dave Crutcher, Kathy Bradbury, Ralph Chumbley, Bill Sakovich, Ward Miles, and Jean Olopai.
 
To read the whole story, click the blue button above, but here is a sample from the first page: ​
​Challenges
           ​But many challenges confronted this planning group. Some existing sports facilities on Saipan had been damaged or destroyed by the recent Typhoon Jean in April 1968. A basketball court at Mt. Carmel School had lost its roof in the typhoon. A concrete tennis court, left over from World War II, near the District Legislature building in Susupe, was neglected and so overgrown with a small, fast-growing tree that spread like weeds, called tangan-tangan, you could barely see it from Beach Road. Saipan lacked a swimming pool, a 400-meter track, volleyball courts, and regulation-sized table tennis tables. Not to mention the overriding question: Where would the money come from to transport athletes from the other districts, to build the required facilities, to purchase uniforms and equipment, to feed and house the athletes? And other more cultural questions, like, would the Yapese men compete in their thus (loincloths), or would fears of “island magic” become an issue?

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6. NEW PICTURES COMING SOON
 
This past week, Robert J. Bartolotta, Micro IX,  (Math and Social Studies Teacher and Teacher Trainer on Rota 1970-72) contacted us that his digitized pictures are on the way.  We plan to have them posted this month. He is going to try and remember information to add about the pictures and share stories.

---Update to #6 --- These photos/slides have been posted! Go here to view them: Robert Bartolotta's Content
 

7. NEW BOOK BY DR. RALPH B. CHUMBLEY (RPCV)
 
Dr. Ralph B. Chumbley, Micro VII, Saipan sent a copy of his 2019 book, UNDER THE NORTHERN CROSS, A STORY IN THE MICRONESIAN ORAL TRADITION.  I enjoyed getting caught in the excitement of the story in places I had been.  As a woman, it was interesting to learn more about customs and traditions that are mainly experienced by men and boys.
Continue to Update #2 >>