Guam National Heritage Feasibility Study

How important is heritage to you? Heritage refers to the unique historic and cultural qualities and social legacies that identify a people and a place. It includes the things that can be seen, like buildings, art and clothing, and other things that are intangible, like values, traditions and knowledge, all of which are passed down from one generation to the next. 

Heritage sites are places that reflect the history and living traditions of people. They could be part of the natural environment or built spaces that commemorate important historical events, like Fort Soledad in Humåtak, where Spanish colonizers guarded the island during the Spanish era, or Ga’an Point, where the Japanese set up anti-aircraft defense guns to fight the Americans during World War II. They could be places like Atantano in Piti, with its shrine that commemorates the building of roads during the Spanish and American eras—it is also a place where residents gather to pray and celebrate the feast of Santa Cruz. A heritage site also could be like Litekyan (Ritidian) in northern Guam, with its limestone forests, latte sites and natural caves that were utilized by CHamorus/Chamorros many years ago and that serves today as a wildlife refuge, recreational beach area and a place to harvest medicinal plants. From Yigo to Malesso’ and everywhere in between, Guam’s landscape is filled with natural beauty, a rich history, a diverse, thriving community, and an indigenous people with strong cultural and historical connections to the land, sea and sky. And in all these places there are stories that have meaning and attest to the living history of the community who care for them. 

This year, Guam has an opportunity to bring national attention to our various heritage sites throughout the island with the designation as a National Heritage Area. The National Heritage Area (NHA) designation recognizes places and landmarks that have national cultural and historical significance based on evaluation by the US Congress through the National Heritage Areas Act (P.L. 117-339). This law established the National Heritage Area system, which is administered by the National Park Service (NPS). 

Each National Heritage Area tells an important story of history and heritage of a particular place and adds to the diverse story of the larger nation as a whole. An NHA is established by law and assigned for administration to the Secretary of the Interior via the National Park Service. Since 1984, 62 NHAs have been designated by Congress in 32 states and territories, including the St. Croix NHA in the US Virgin Islands, the Crossroads of the American Revolution NHA in New Jersey and the Niagara Falls NHA in New York.

According to NPS, National Heritage Areas are “places where historic, cultural and natural resources combine to form cohesive, national important landscapes. Unlike national parks, NHAs are lived in communities and not federally owned.” They may contain parks or other federally owned properties. However, an NHA is more a public-private partnership—the National Park Service provides technical assistance and funding, if available, to support NHA efforts, based on a community’s needs and local interests. These efforts include historic preservation, conservation, recreation, heritage tourism, education and promoting local pride and stewardship.

NPS is currently coordinating a feasibility study to designate Guam’s sites as a possible NHA and is collecting information through public opinion and testimonies or stories. This study is being conducted by local supporters with NPS serving an advisory role. Everyone throughout our island community is encouraged to participate, ask questions, and share their stories.