Sha Merirei

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Sha Merirei is the handle used by Palauan-American artist and activist Sha Merirei Ongelungel. [1] She was one of the earliest known Palauans to have an internet presence, promoting art, Palauan culture, and Palauan music in the late 1990s. [2] In December 2014, she launched the first Palauan online radio station called Native ExPat Radio. [3] That same month, she was named Miss LGBTQ by the Palau Humanities Project. [4] She is the daughter of Palauan artist, Hans Ongelungel. [5]

Contents

#BeingMicronesian

In September 2018, Sha Merirei started a Twitter thread using the hashtag "#BeingMicronesian." The thread featured screenshots of anti-Micronesian sentiment, mainly from residents of Hawai'i, and was covered by a local news outlet. [6] The news story captured some attention internationally, growing awareness of the Compacts of Free Association (COFA) and plight of Micronesians through outlets such as Radio New Zealand, [7] Al Jazeera, [8] The Guardian, [9] and Associated Press. [10] Around that same time, the Hawaii Advisory Committee to the U.S.Civil Rights Commission was conducting its second hearing on concerns associated with barriers to equal opportunities for Micronesians within the state. The hearings resulted in a report, [11] published in October 2019, noting that "[t]here is widespread negative public perception of COFA migrants in Hawaii... This group continues to be scapegoated as a drain on resources, particularly in healthcare. COFA migrants also face discrimination in access to housing and employment." [12] [13]

Other Activism

Sha Merirei's work covers a broad range of topics, which she connects to her primary themes of discussing Palau and Micronesia.

In November 2021, she participated in a panel discussion through the Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture and Design where she presented on the post-WWII political history of Micronesia. [14] In the discussion, titled "Imperialism and a Hierarchy of Violence," Sha Merirei explained gave background on the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the role the United States played in the difficulties present-day Micronesians are facing in Hawaii, and her frequent use of the term "compensatory domination." She proceeded to explain her work as such:

"The narrative has for all of us, the narrative has not been in our hands. They've told the stories about us and that's what gets into the mainstream, that's what gets in people's heads, and that's what people end up knowing about us. And it's horrible. But at the same time, we're the only people who can change that. And so the work that I'm doing with this group [Pasifika Uprising] is specifically about sharing those stories and making sure that not only people outside of our communities know, but that we understand our histories, because this is not stuff you learn in school. You're not going to learn Micronesian history and how, during the Kennedy administration, they issued a report to figure out a very specific way to get the Micronesian islands to kind of self-colonize. They had to look for a way to give them 'independence' without giving them full independence. And so through giving them money, created a dependence. And that's why we're in the situation we're in. And that was called the Solomon Report. And a lot of people don't know about that, just within the Micronesian community. I consider myself lucky to have been brought up by activists who are fighting U.S. imperialism when I was growing up, and, and because I had that background, and I know other people don't, the work that I've been doing with Pasifika Uprising is trying to make sure that we can get that information out to people. And I feel that's kind of how it needs to be, across the board, with not just the Micronesian groups, not just Pasifika, but all the different groups that are dealing with this all across the AAPI label and beyond. There's no reason why we can't take back that narrative." [14]

In November 2021, she was featured in them magazine's "9 Activists and Educators to Follow for a Revolutionary View of Climate Justice" which was part of a series that looked at "how queer and trans folks are working to protect our planet through organizing, creative expression, and insurgent pedagogy." [15] In the article, Sha Merirei explained her guiding principles behind her work: "My dad taught me that decolonization work that only focuses on your own community isn't true decolonization work and my aunt taught me that solidarity that's built on transactional relationships isn't true or lasting solidarity... When it comes to the climate crisis, which is deeply rooted in anti-Indigeneity, those are two of my major guiding principles.” [15]

She also attended the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) around that same time as part of the Feminist Peace Initiative town hall with MADRE and Global Justice Alliance. [16] Sha Merirei spoke about colonization, explaining that "The Compacts of Free Association are treaties the U.S. has with the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia & the Republic of the Marshall Islands - a not-so-subtle reminder that colonization isn't past tense, it's very real." [17] She also spoke out about the impacts of military pollution and stated that "the islands across the Pacific have been the site of U.S. military operations and weapons testing, destroying ecosystems and harming indigenous communities." [18] Sha Merirei further explained those impacts, saying "When the ocean is sick, the people are sick. When the planet is sick, the people are sick." [19]

Ongelungel has been critical of the leadership in the United States and throughout the Pacific when it comes to their stance on issues of climate justice:

Let's set aside all the niceties and speak plainly on this: Even people in positions of power and authority are fully aware that nothing goes unscathed in the aftermath of creating and maintaining fossil fuel infrastructures... So whether you're trying to reopen the Palau National Marine Sanctuary for commercial fishing and potential exploratory drilling or in the United States pushing to resume oil and gas leasing on public lands, the only safe inference is that our leaders are dishonest and hungry for more money and more power. And that is wholly unconscionable. What’s legal isn’t always ethical and too many leaders, the world over, are demonstrating this with their utter disregard for their communities and the climate. Frankly, I'm embarrassed for these so-called leaders. For all their power and authority, they will never have the true power and solidarity needed to lead us into a safer future like grassroots movements. [20]

Sha Merirei identifies as queer and speaks frequently on the topics of LGBTQIA+ as it pertains to Pasifika [21] and her identity as a Micronesian (Palauan), "The narrative of shame that's placed on our sexualities is not from my foremothers, but from the colonial mindset that sought to oppress them." [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Micronesia</span> Subregion of Oceania

Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: Maritime Southeast Asia to the west, Polynesia to the east, and Melanesia to the south—as well as with the wider community of Austronesian peoples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palau</span> Country in the western Pacific

Palau, officially the Republic of Palau, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific. The republic consists of approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caroline Islands with parts of the Federated States of Micronesia. It has a total area of 466 square kilometers (180 sq mi), making it one of the smallest countries in the world. The most populous island is Koror, home to the country's most populous city of the same name. The capital Ngerulmud is located on the largest island of Babeldaob, in Melekeok State. Palau shares maritime boundaries with international waters to the north, the Federated States of Micronesia to the east, Indonesia to the south, and the Philippines to the northwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Palau</span> Historical account of the island country Palau

Palau was initially settled around 1000 BC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands</span> US-administered UN trust territory (1947–1994)

The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) was a United Nations trust territory in Micronesia administered by the United States from 1947 to 1994. The Imperial Japanese South Seas Mandate had been seized by the US during the Pacific War, as Japan had administered the territory since the League of Nations gave Japan mandate over the area from Imperial Germany after World War I. However, in the 1930s, Japan left the League of Nations, and then invaded additional lands. During World War II, military control of the islands was disputed, but by the end of the war the islands had come under control of the Allies. The Trust Territory of the Pacific was created to administer the islands as part of the United States, while still under the auspices of the United Nations. Most of the island groups in the territory became independent states, with some degree of ties kept with the United States: the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Palau are today independent states in a Compact of Free Association with the US, while the Northern Mariana Islands remain under US jurisdiction, as an unincorporated territory and commonwealth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Islander</span> Person from the Pacific Islands

Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Oceania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Remengesau Jr.</span> 7th and 9th President of Palau

Thomas Esang "Tommy" Remengesau Jr. is a Palauan politician; in 2013 he was elected the ninth president of Palau and was re-elected to that office in 2016. Previously he served as the seventh president of the island nation from 2001 to 2009. He served as a Senator in the Palau National Congress between his two administrations. In sum, Remengesau was elected Vice-President of Palau in 1992 and 1996, then president in 2000, 2004, 2012 and 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belau rekid</span> National anthem of Palau

"Belau rekid" is the national anthem of Palau. Officially adopted in 1981, the music was composed by Ymesei O. Ezekiel, to which the combined words of several authors were set.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compact of Free Association</span> US-Micronesia-Marshall Islands-Palau agreements

The Compacts of Free Association (COFA) are international agreements establishing and governing the relationships of free association between the United States and the three Pacific Island sovereign states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Republic of Palau. As a result, these countries are sometimes known as the Freely Associated States (FASs). All three agreements next expire in 2043.

The Micronesians or Micronesian peoples are various closely related ethnic groups native to Micronesia, a region of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. They are a part of the Austronesian ethnolinguistic group, which has an Urheimat in Taiwan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuniwo Nakamura</span> Palauan politician (1943–2020)

Kuniwo Nakamura was a Palauan politician who served as the President of Palau from 1993 to 2001. He had earlier served as Vice President of Palau from 1989 to 1993, under Ngiratkel Etpison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnson Toribiong</span> Palauan attorney and politician

Johnson Toribiong is a Palauan attorney and politician. Toribiong became the president of Palau, following his victory in the November 2008 election, and left office in 2013. Before 2020 elections, Toribiong has run for president four times - in 1992, 1996, 2008 and 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belau National Museum</span> National museum in Koror, Palau

The Belau National Museum (BNM), previously Palau Museum, is a museum in Koror, Palau. It is the oldest continuously run museum in Micronesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ngerulmud</span> Capital city of Palau

Ngerulmud is the seat of government of the Republic of Palau, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean. It replaced Koror City as a capital in 2006. The settlement is located in the state of Melekeok on Babeldaob, the country's largest island, located 20 kilometers northeast of Koror City and 2 km northwest of Melekeok City. It is the least-populous capital city of a sovereign nation in the world.

There is a small Japanese community in the Pacific Island country of Palau, which mainly consists of Japanese expatriates residing in Palau over a long-term basis. A few Japanese expatriates started to reside in Palau after it gained independence in 1994, and established long-term businesses in the country. Japanese settlement in Palau dates back to the early 19th century, although large scale Japanese migration to Palau did not occur until the 1920s, when Palau came under Japanese rule and administered as part of the South Seas Mandate. Japanese settlers took on leading administrative roles in the Japanese colonial government, and developed Palau's economy. After the Japanese surrender in 1945, virtually all of the Japanese population was repatriated back to Japan, although people of mixed Japanese-Palauan descent were allowed to remain behind. People of Japanese-Palauan descent constitute a large minority of Palau's population as a result of substantial intermarriage between the Japanese settlers and Palauans. They generally identify with, conforming to cultural norms and daily lives with the Palauans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Vitarelli</span> American educator in Micronesia

William Vincent "Vit" Vitarelli, also referred to as Rubak in Palau, was an American educator and architect. He worked for the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) from 1948 to 1970. He was stationed in various islands in Micronesia, including Palau and Ebeye, and participated in various educational and community development projects.

Ernestine Kawai Rengiil is a lawyer from Palau. She is the first woman lawyer in Palau and the first Palauan woman to serve as Attorney General. Rengiil has also represented her country in tennis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uduch Sengebau Senior</span> Palauan lawyer, judge, and politician

J. Uduch Sengebau Senior is a Palauan lawyer, judge, and politician who has served as the Vice President of Palau since 2021. She was previously a member of the Senate of Palau from 2013 until she took office as Vice President.

Katharine Kesolei was an anthropologist and Senator from Palau.

Palauan nationality law is regulated by the 1980 Constitution of Palau, as amended; the 1994 Palau Citizenship Act, and its revisions; and international agreements entered into by the Palauan government. These laws determine who is, or is eligible to be, a national of Palau. The legal means to acquire nationality, formal legal membership in a nation, differ from the domestic relationship of rights and obligations between a national and the nation, known as citizenship. Palauan nationality is typically obtained either on the principle of jus soli, i.e. by birth in Palau or under the rules of jus sanguinis, i.e. by birth abroad to parents with Palauan nationality. It can be granted to persons with an affiliation to the country through naturalization.

Siobhon Rumurang McManus is a Palauan-Chamorro teacher and peace activist based in Guam.

References

  1. ↑ "Meet the Coalition Staff". Digital Climate Coalition. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  2. ↑ Hawisher, Gail E.; Selfe, Cynthia L. (2000). Global Literacies and the World-Wide Web. Psychology Press. p. 106. ISBN   9780415189415.
  3. ↑ "Pacific Note Homepage". Pacific Note Homepage. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
  4. ↑ Variety, Marianas. "Ongelungel is Miss LGBTQ for December 2014". Marianas Variety. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
  5. ↑ "ARTISTS". Ongelungel Arts. Retrieved 2018-07-31.
  6. ↑ "#BeingMicronesian in Hawaii Means Lots Of Online Hate". Honolulu Civil Beat. 2018-09-19. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  7. ↑ "Online movement exposes discrimination faced by Micronesians". RNZ. 2018-10-16. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  8. ↑ "#BeingMicronesian: What is life like for immigrants to Hawaii?". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  9. ↑ "#BeingMicronesian: online hatred spurs positive fightback". the Guardian. 2018-10-06. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  10. ↑ "Micronesians feel hatred in Hawaii, decry police shooting". AP NEWS. 2021-05-09. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
  11. ↑ Hawaii Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (2019-08-13). "Micronesians in Hawaii: Migrant Group Faces Barriers to Equal Opportunity" (PDF). U.S Commission on Civil Rights.
  12. ↑ "Report: Battling Discrimination Against Micronesians Requires Policy Changes". Honolulu Civil Beat. 2019-10-15. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  13. ↑ Tapu, Ian Falefuafua; Fa‘agau, Terina Kamailelauli‘i (May 2022). "Anti-Pacific Islander Bigotry" (PDF). Moving Towards Anti-Bigotry. Boston University: 118–123pp.
  14. 1 2 Imperialism and a Hierarchy of Violence , retrieved 2022-03-20
  15. 1 2 "9 Activists and Educators to Follow for a Revolutionary View of Climate Justice". them. 2021-11-04. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  16. ↑ "Grassroots Global Justice Alliance on Twitter". Twitter. 2021-11-10. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  17. ↑ "Grassroots Global Justice Alliance on Twitter". Twitter. 2021-11-10. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  18. ↑ "Grassroots Global Justice Alliance on Twitter". Twitter. 2021-11-08. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  19. ↑ "MADRE on Twitter". Twitter. 2021-11-10. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  20. ↑ "Biden Administration to Restart Oil, Gas Leasing on Public Lands". Center for Biological Diversity. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
  21. ↑ "Rainbow Town Hall Speakers – Hawaii LGBT Legacy Foundation" . Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  22. ↑ "Kalisito Biaukula survived 'Pacific conversion therapy' — now they are challenging a 'narrative of shame'". ABC News. 2022-05-30. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
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