Glimpses into Pacific Lives: Some Outstanding Women (Revised).

176 Pages·2011·2.29 MB·English

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 280 923 UD 025 428
AUTHOR Simon-McWilliams, Ethel, Comp.; Green, Karen Reed,
Ed.
TITLE Glimpses into Pacific Lives: Some Outstanding Women
(Revised).
INSTITUTION Northwest Regional Educational Lab., Portland,
Oreg.
SPONS AGENCY Department of Education, Washington, DC.
PUB DATE Feb 87
GRANT 008401776; 008401784
NOTE 175p.; For previous edition, see ED 270 542.
PUB TYPE Reports General (140) -- Historical Materials (060)
EDRS PRICE MF01/PC07 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS *Achievement; *Community Leaders; Elementary
Secondary Education; *Females; Foreign Countries;
*Minority Groups; Role Models
IDENTIFIERS American Samoa; Federated States of Micronesia; Guam;
Hawaii; Marshall Islanth:; Northern Mariana Island5;
*Pacific Islands; Palau (Belau)
ABSTRACT
This booklet provides brief biographies of women who
have made outstanding contributions to the social and economic
development of these Pacific islands: American Samoa, the Republic of
Belau, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Hawaii, the Marshall
islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The 66 women profiled
include educators, health care providers, political leaders and
government officials, lawyers, scientists, and social workers.
(KH)
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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
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GLIMPSES INTO PACIFIC LIVES: SOME OUTSTANDING WOMEN
Compiled by
Ethel Simon-McWilliams
Program Director
Centers for National Origin & Sex Equity - Pacific
Edited by
Karen Reed Green
Second Edition
February 1987
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
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Portland, Oregon 97204
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ocQT MN AVAILABLE
GLIMPSES INTO PACIFIC LIVES: SOME OUTSTANDING WOMEN
Compiled by
Ethel Simon-McWilliams
Program Director
Centers for National Origin & Sex Equity - Pacific
Edited by
Karen Reed Green
Second Edition
February 1987
This information booklet has been compiled by the Northwest Regional
Educational Laboratory, a private, nonprofit corporation. The work was
performed pursuant.to U.S. Department of Education grants #008401776/
008401784. The contents of this booklet do not necessarily reflect the
views or policies of that agency or of NWREL.
This booklet may be duplicated in whole or in part by classroom teachers
in the Pacific Islands only for noncommercial purposes, providing that
the author, NWREL, and DOE are credited.
PREFACE
The peoples of the Pacific region have been involved in a process of rapid'
development and change in recent years. They have taken on the demanding
yet exciting tasks of forging their governments, planning for social and
economic development, and shaping the future of their children. Many
dedicated men and women have played key roles in this developmental
process. This booklet is about the lives of some of the women who have
made outstanding contributions in the Pacific region.
In her work with the jurisdictions in the Pacific, Dr. Ethel Simon-McWilliams
found that educational materials about the contributions of Pacific women,
particularly within their own jurisdictions, were virtually nonexistent-
To fill this void, she conferred with key people in each area to ask them
to identify some of the women who have been instrumental in the
development of their society. This booklet is the result of her efforts.
This is the second edition of Glimpses into Pacific Lives: Some
Outstanding. Women. The first edition, which appeared in March, 1986,
presented the biographies of women selected in 1985.for their
contributions to their communities. The response to the first booklet has
been overwhelming, not only in the Pacific jurisdictions themselves, but
'throughout the U.S. mainland as well. Based on that interest and the
apparent need for information about the many roles played by women in the
development of Cas Pacific, this booklet has been revised and expanded to
include a greater number of the many women who are working to strengthen
their communities in the Pacific region. The selection proce-ses are
detailed below.
In American Samoa, in both 1985 and 1986, a team assisted Mere Betham, the
former Director of Education for American Samoa, in preparing the
biographies of outstanding Samoan women. Momoe Malietoa von Reiche
compiled the biography of Aggie Grey.
On Guam, under the direction of Dr, Ione Wolf, a special committee
conducted a rigorous selection process to name the top two Outstanding
Women of Guam for 1985. Committee members included: Romana C. Mendiola,
Curriculum Writer and Committee Chairperson; Bill Paulino, Acting
Administrator, Chamorro Division; Ann Rivera, Acting Director, Bilingual/
Bicultural Program; Rose Castro, Program Coordinator: Fe Barrett, Program
Coordinator; Rita Okada, Program Coordinator; and Ann Garcia, Curriculum
Writer. The selction of Outstanding Women of Guam for 1986 was again
conducted by committee under Dr. Wolf's direction. The 1986 committee
members were Florent V. Northway, Consultant, Depattment of Education;
Lourdes S. N. Boyd, Principal, Simon Sanchez High School; Rosa C. Quitano,
Principal, C, L. Taitano Elementary School; and Lenore C. Cabot,
Principal, Wettengel Elementary School.
4
For Hawaii, Dr. Donnis Thompson, former Hawaii State Superintendent of
Education and now a professor at the University of Hawaii/Manoa,
coordinated the selection process in 1985. Margaret Goding researched
the backgrounds of the influential women selected, and Alice Buck and
Donnis Thompson wrote the biographical sketches. In 1986, Dr. Thompson
again directed the selection process and assisted with editing the
biographies. Special appreciation is extended to the following
institutions and individuals for their written and oral testimonies which
made possible the inclusion of these exceptional women in the second
edition: Mayor Carpenter's Office and the Commission on the Status of
Women, on the island of Hawaii; Beverly Manner, Alu Like, the museum, and
the YWCA, on the island of Kauai; and Janet Dapitan, Jill Engledow and
Lillian Murakami, on the island of Maui. The photograph of Inez MacPhee
Ashdown was taken by Jill Engledow.
The descriptions of the lives and contributions of women from the
Republic of Belau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of
the Marshall Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands were compiled by several individuals. For the first edition,
Agnes McPhetres coordinated the efforts of Marie Maddison, Jeban Riklon
and others in preparing the selections. For the second edition,
Elizabeth Rechebei coordinated the submissions from Romana Anastacio for
the Republic of Belau, Julie R. Yoruw for Yap State, SeNellie Singeo for
Pohnpei State, Hilda Heine-Jetnil for the Marshall Islands, and Connie
Kaufer for the Northern Marianas.
The contributions of all of these individuals in making this booklet
possible are gratefully acknowledged. Clearly this is but a sample of
the many women who are working to build stronger communities in the
Pacific.
Glimpses into Pacific Lives: Some Outstanding Women will be used by the
Centers for National Origin & Sex Equity staff as they provide assistance
to the various jurisdictions in the Pacific region. This booklet is an
attempt to document and celebrate the spirit and dedication of Pacific
women. It is hoped that the glimpses of the lives of the women presented
here will serve to inspire future generations 'co cr,ntinue to strive to
improve their own lives and to work for the well-being of their societies.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
AMERICAN SAMOA
Mere Tuiasosopo Betham, Educator 3
Aggie Grey, Hotelier 7
Pepe Haleck, Pioneer Nurse 10
Arieta Enesi Mulitauaopele, Champion of Public Health 14
Mary J. Pritchard, Artist 18
Salamasina, Queen of Samoa 21
Sa'eu L. Scanlan, College President 24
Aiono Dr. Fanaafi Le Tagaloa, Authority on Samoan Language 27
and Culture
REPUBLIC OF BELAU (PALAU) 31
Romana F. Anastacio, Educator 33
Katharine Kesolei, Administrator and Anthropologist 36
Lillian Nakamura, Aging Services Programs Executive Director 38
Ulai T. Otobed, Physician 40
Sandra Sumang Pierantozzi, Senate Chief of Staff and 42
Businesswoman
Grace Y. Sam, Community Organizer, Legislator and Trial 44
Assistant
FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA 47
KOSRAE STATE 49
Rose Mackwelung, Educator and Economic and Political 51
Advisor
Adelyn Noda, Educator and Young Deaconess 52
Elnora J. Siba, Educator, Housemother and Cook 54
POHNPEI STATE 55
Kimiko E3anzo, EducaZor 57
Marihne Henry, Educator 59
Enerika Peterson, Bank of Hawaii Manager 62
Kesia R. Pretrick, Health Services Nurse Supervisor 64
Nancy Salomon, Head Start Director 67
Emiko Santos, Educator 69
SeNellie P. Singeo, Community Action Agency 71
Executive Director
Suhle Thomas Walter, State Housing Authority 73
Executive Director
Maria Yamada, Educator 76
iii
79
TRUK STATE
81
Hiroko Mori, State Senator
C3
Umiko Mori, Nurse and Political Campaigner
85
Shinobu Mailo Poll, Nurse
87
YAP STATE
89
Anna Falgog, Nurse
93
GUAM
95
Delfina T. Aguigui, Educator and Administrator
98
Cecilia C. Bamba, Businesswoman
101
Delfina Mojica Basa, Advocate for tne Handicapped
102
Madeleine Z. Bordallo, First Lady and Civic Leader
104
Carmen Romualdez de la Cruz, Musician and Civic Leader
106
Judy Flores, Artist
108
Clotilde Castro Gould, Educator
110
Gloria Borja Nelson, Educator and Civic Leader
112
Rita Guevara Sablan, Businesswoman
Fosa Teresita Perez Salas, Educator and Civic Leader 113
115
HAWAII
117
Lucile Abreu, Police Officer
121
Inez MacPhee Ashdown, Historian
123
Deborah Kapule, Community Leader
125
Beatrice Krauss, Botanist, Teacher, Historian
128
Thelma Lindsey, Educator and Civic Leader
132
Helen Lyman, Civic Leader
Ah Quon McElrath, Social Worker and Labor Organizer 134
137
Patsy Takemoto Mink, Stateswoman
140
Mary Kawena Puku'i, Historian, Linguist, Translator,
Teacher, Composer, and Authority on Hawaiian Culture
143
Patricia K. Putman, Attorney
146
Velma McWayne Santos, Teacher and Politician
149
Donnis Hazel Thompson, Women's Athletic Director and
State Superintendent of Education
153
REPUBLIC OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS
155
Carmen Bigler, Secretary, Interior and Outer Islands
Affairs
Rufina Jack, Administrative Officer 158
159
Evelyn Konou, Senator
161
Justina Langidrik, Health Educator
162
Mary Lanwi, Handicraft Developer
iv
REPUBLIC OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS (continued)
Tanella Lokeijak, Women's Interest Officer 164
Marie Maddison, Secretary, Health Services 165
Amenta Matthew, Cabinet Clerk 168
Irene Paul, Educator 169
COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS 171
Rita Hocog Inos, School Principal 173
Consolacion ("Connie") Tenorio Kaufer, Educator 175
Felicidad Taman Ogumoro, Social Services Administrator 178
and Businesswoman
Maria ("Malua") Taisacan Peter, Postal Clerk 181
Elizabeth Diaz Rechebei, Educator 183
8
AMER I CAN S AMOA
9
MERE TUIASOSOPO BETHAM
EDUCATOR
asNI
Born on April 3, 1932, to High Talking Chief Mariota T. Tuiasosopo and
his devoted wife Venise Pulefaasisina, both of American Samoa, Mere had
an interesting childhood and unique early educational experience growing
up under the United States Naval Administration of the American Samoa
Islands. She started her formal education in her village religious
minister's parish, where the children at ages 2 and 3 were taught the
Samoan alphabet, reading and writing. Her public school education began
for her at an illegal age in the first grade, according to the laws in
those days, and she recalls with amusing detail how her teachers would
hurriedly slip her into the tapioca field next to the school to hide
until the school inspectors from the central office were gone.
When Mere completed her elementary education, a very selective public
high school -the only high school on the islands then -came into being
and she enrolled there to continue her education. (There are now five
public high schools with compulsory universal education from ages 6
through 18.) There were only 16 in her class; being a small class in
size and the first to graduate, the students were expected to set good
examples of high academic pL aciency and be models of good behavior and
conduct for other students to emulate.
Mere's class was like a family, each one looking after the other's
interests, protective of each other. This feeling of togetherness (like
a family) continued when Mere and a number of her fellow graduates left
to attend colleges in the mainland United States. They started a
round-robin letter to stay in touch with each other.
They left to study in the States with a mission well implanted in them by
the leading chiefs of American Samoa, including her father: Upon
completion of their college studies they must return home to serve their
people. Mere feels now that it was highly presumptuous of their chiefs
to expect that of them since the Samoa government did not give them any
financial support for their college education. The propoganda of
"service to our people," however, was so well rehearsed during their
island schooling that for Mere, at least, it was the only reason, she
believed without a doubt, that she was being sent so far away from home
to a land foreign to her to get a college education.
3
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