From May 24 to 26, the Guam Preservation Trust with support from the U.S. Department of Interior Office of Insular Affairs, along with its various partners, will be holding the 2nd Pacific Preservation Summit, with this year’s theme being “Technology Empowering Cultural Heritage.” 

"We want to be able to acknowledge and pass the knowledge of our technologies in the Pacific Islands," Chief Program Officer of the Guam Preservation Trust Joe Quinata said. "Technology such as seafaring traditions, technology such as how our heritage and what we value and how that is passed forward to the next generation, whether it be basket-weaving or whether it be a certain type of construction method to preserve our historical sites. Those technologies are very important, especially with historic preservation."

Quinata says that one goal of the summit is to provide the Pacific communities with the educational tools and opportunities that are available on Guam. Lots of activities are planned including visits to the Guam Museum, the Historic Lujan House, the Guam Congress Building and many more.

"The first-day event will be featuring all the many presenters that have the knowledge, whether it be some really cool technology that will be presented regarding archeology or architecture, but we also have really fascinating thoughts about how heritage should be passed to the next generation," Quinata said. "So your first day will be mainly workshops and sessions."

Delegates from Palau and the CNMI will be taking part in the Summit as well to share their rich history and culture and during the second day of the Summit, participants get to visit the Valley of the Latte.

"At the Valley of the Latte they’re going to present the types of technology, whether it be canoe building, whether it be farming, whether it be basket weaving and all these other fascinating technologies that we have in our culture," Quinata said. 

And during the third and final day, participants will be taken down to the canoe house at the Paseo de Susana where seafarers will be to demonstrate and give hands-on lessons on Guam’s seafaring traditions. During all three days, different keynote speakers will be present to share their knowledge and experiences involving the island’s ancient traditions.

According to Quinata, more than 200 people have registered to be part of the Summit. For residents interested in checking out the Pacific Preservation Summit, it will be aired on the island’s local channels at a later date.