Research Guides: LIS 631 2023 Research Guide Glickstein: Federated States of Micronesia

Federated States of Micronesia

Keywords & Subject Headings

Keywords:
Federated States of Micronesia

Chuuk

Kosrae

Pohnpei

Yap

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Micronesia (Federated States)

Chuukese (Micronesian people)

Kosraean Language

Pohnpei Island (Micronesia)

Yapese (Micronesian people)

Created by

This page was created by Kerri Glickstein for LIS 631 Summer 2023

Introduction

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is an island nation located in Oceania that consists of 607 islands separated into four main states. The states are based around volcanic islands and atolls, and are (from west to east) are Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae. The FSM are located just above the equator, occupy over 1.2 million square miles, but have a land mass of approximately 271 square miles. The capital city is Palikir, located on Pohnpei Island. The FSM achieved independence in 1986, but are under a Compact of Free Association with the United States. The flag of the FSM is shown to the left: the blue represents the Pacific Ocean, and the four stars represent the states within the FSM.

When researching the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), it might be helpful to use the names of the states in your search: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae. It is also good to note that "Micronesia" refers to a region in Oceania that includes the FSM, but also includes the Republic of Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. While these are in the realm of Micronesia, only the four states are part of the FSM.

Bibliography

Federated States of Micronesia by Mary Warren
Publication Date: 2011
Online article published in the New International magazine. This article provides a brief at-a-glance overview of the Federated States of Micronesia that includes a map of where the island nation is on the globe. This article also shares the relationship between FSM and the US. New Internationalist magazine is based in the United Kingdom, and is co-owned by their staff team and reader base.
Pohnpei: Preserving Our National Heritage by Micronesian Seminar Productions
Publication Date: 2004
This is a video in a series about the Federated States of Micronesia, created by Micronesian Seminar Productions. This particular video is about Pohnpei, the busiest and most Westernized island in the Federated States of Micronesia. This video shows the three main ecosystems of Pohnpei and what changes are happening to each them. The relationship between nature and Western development is also looked at.
The Federated States of Micronesia's Engagement with the Outside World : Control, Self-Preservation and Continuity by Gonzaga Puas
Publication Date: 2021
This book looks at the colonial history of the Federated States of MIcronesia (FSM) from the perspective of the indigenous culture. It argues that Micronesians have been successful in their interactions with colonizing countries, and uses oral histories, secondary sources, interviews, field research and the personal experience of a person raised in the Mortlock Islands of Chuuk State.

Author Gonzaga Puas was born and raised in Chuck States in the FSM. He has a PhD in Micronesian History.
Back To The Future: Using Traditional Knowledge to Strengthen Biodiversity Conservation in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia by Billy Rayner, Mark Kostka
Publication Date: 2003
This article looks at how conservation ethics has declined in Pohnpei due to years of foreign rule and influence, population growth, excessive US aid, shift to a cash economy and other factors. The Nature Conservancy, the local government, and other partners sought to involve the island's traditional leaders and other cultural experts to use traditional culture and knowledge to build back the natural beauty and states of Pohnpei.

This article was written by Billy Rayner and Mark Kostka, both from The Nature Conservancy in Pohnpei.

FSM Government Home Page
- This link opens in a new window
This is the government homepage to the Federated States of Micronesia. While the Homepage is primarily dedicated to Covid-19 updates, the top drop-down menus will provide useful information for citizens, visitors, and individuals looking for government information. There are also links to various news mediums in the FSM.

Islands of Excellence by Patrick Blank, Anelisa Garfunkel, Francis X. Henzel, Arlene Takesy, Micronesian Seminar.
Publication Date: 2001
This is a 49-minute video that highlights some of the successes of the public schools in the FSM. There are approximately 50,000 students in school in Micronesia, and only 25% of students will complete high school. This is education-heavy, shows how the schools work in FSM connect with their community, and the struggles of schools to grow their educators.
Originally released as a videocassette in 2001
The Home of the Sleeping Lady by Kosrae (Micronesia). Division of History and Culture.
Publication Date: 2011
This is an 18-minute video about the island of Kosrae, the easternmost island of the FSM. It was published in 1988 and produced by the Division of History and Culture, Dept of Conservation and Development, FSM. This is a very generalized overview of food and culture, and caters to a prospective visitor.

Digital Atlas of Micronesia
This digital atlas was created by the government of the Federated States of Micronesia. Use the drop-down menu to access the interactive maps and gallery. Because this is primarily an atlas, information about each island state is given through the vehicle of a map. This is a great resource for someone studying the geography and social studies of the FSM.

There is also a data repository for each island that is accessible from the drop-down menu at the top of the site.

Our world. Federated States of Micronesia by Amy Witherbee
Publication Date: 2011
This report is situated like a Wikipedia article, and provides the reader with general information on the Federated States of Micronesia. The article is broken down into topics: General Information, People and Culture, Environment and Geography, Economy, Government, and Interesting Facts.
This was written by Amy Witherbee and published by Great Neck Publishing. It is difficult to find Witherbeeʻs connection to the FSM, and it appears this author has created several reports on other countries around the world.
The Archaeology of Micronesia by Paul Rainbird
Publication Date: 2004
This book covers the archaeology of Micronesia, which includes the FSM, Marianas, Carolines, Marshalls and Kiribati. He discusses how societies have been interpreted in Micronesia since colonization, and how colonization and society impacts the environment and culture. Rainbird is an English archaeologist who has done fieldwork in Australia, France, Scotland and England, and is currently a professor at the University of Wales.
History of Micronesia. Part 5, March toward self-government by Micronesian Seminar Productions
Publication Date: 2007
This video is the last part of a 5 part series as Micronesia (FSM, Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands) are heading towards independence from the United States. There are first hand interviews from locals about moving from a Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands to a sovereign nation under the Compact of Free Association. Micronesian Seminar Productions was originally founded by the Catholic Church in 1972, but is now a non-profit organization in the Federated States of Micronesia.
The "Sea of Little Islands": Examining Micronesia's Place in "Our Sea of Islands" by David Hanlon
Publication Date: 2009
This is an article from "The Contemporary Pacific: An Interdisciplinary Journal" by the University of Hawaiʻi Press. This article talks about the misnaming of "Micronesia." This reading criticizes the definition of "Micro-nesia" and itʻs geographic boundaries with Melanesia and Polynesia. David Hanlon was a professor with the UHM History and Pacific Island Studies department. He lived, worked, and studied in Pohnpei, FSM between 1970-1980.

Research Process

For this LibGuide, I wanted to find as much research that came from the people of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). I used the University of Hawaii Library website, and used the OneSearch bar for "Federated States of Micronesia," and narrowed it down to online resources. From here I adjusted the advanced search settings to find material with Micronesi* as the author. This lead to finding the videos by the Micronesian Seminar. Those video resources are my favorite, since they were created by the people of the FSM and interview locals also from the FSM. The FSM Government homepage, book by Gonzaga Puas, and the publication by Rayner and Kostka also had direct connections to being written in the FSM by people of the islands.

When I removed the Micronesi* in the author search, I found resources that may be easier for an ENG 100 student doing research on the Federated States of Micronesia to get an overview of the country. The article by Mary Warren in the <I>New Instrumentalist</I> magazine and publication by Amy Witherbee fit these categories, as they give brief overviews for someone not familiar with the FSM. There are also a few resources in this LIbGuide that cater to various fields of study: education, environmental science, geography, sociology, and history. A student majoring in one of these disciplines while researching the FSM will appreciate learning about the FSM through these fields.