Slippery paths : connections and divergences between historic preservation and tourism in Micronesia

Graduation date: 1992Micronesians are in the process of becoming independent nation-states after nearly a\ud century of colonial rule, including four decades of U.S. administration as the Trust\ud Territory of the Pacific Islands. Pressures to attain self-sufficiency have led many of these\ud island nations to embrace tourism as an economic development strategy. Meanwhile,\ud historic preservation proliferates as a mechanism to protect cultural resources threatened\ud by rapid modernization. This thesis builds on two separate field experiences in opposite\ud regions of Micronesia-the Marshall Islands and Palau-to examine the consequences of\ud an increasingly close relationship between historic preservation and tourism. Cultural\ud tourism in particular builds on ethnicity as a way to attract tourists with the goal of\ud revitalizing the host society's heritage and self-concept. The outcome is potentially ironic:\ud A tourist industry, which generally serves as an agent of change and encourages\ud development, may in fact heighten the risk to cultural and historic resources.\ud A theoretical and historical framework is provided through literature that draws upon\ud periods of early exploration, colonialism, trust territory administration and nation-statehood.\ud This broad context allows for an understanding of tourism as a development\ud strategy, especially as it relates to cultural heritage and identity. Theoretical matters\ud apropos political economy, expressive arts, societal change, and power are investigated.\ud Practical solutions are presented in the form of a social-network-based model for cultural\ud tourism.\ud Tourism can help to revive heritage but can lead to new meanings, functions, altered\ud social status, and potential alienation for the host population depending on the degree of\ud change that results from commoditization of cultural resources