Marianas History Conference 2025
The 7th Marianas History Conference
One Archipelago, Many Stories: Weaving Stories of Land & Lineage
Presented by the University of Guam and Humanities Guåhan in partnership with Guampedia, Guam Preservation Trust, the Northern Marianas Humanities Council, the Department of Chamorro Affairs, and the Guam Museum.
Dates: August 29–31, 2025
Location: Unibetsedåt Guåhan (University of Guam), Mangilao Guam
The Seventh Marianas History Conference (MHC) returns to the goals of telling the history and cultivating the connections between the peoples of the Mariana Islands. This conference takes as its point of departure weaving. Generations of Mariana weavers have bound together separate fibers to make useful and beautiful objects: from baskets to ocean-faring vessels. The processes and objects contain and express values central to the peoples of the Marianas. In this spirit, the 7th MHC will provide a space to weave stories, tell our histories, bind ourselves together, and connect to our pasts to remake “One Archipelago.”
This conference is also supported through grant funding made available by the Guam Economic Development Authority’s Series 7 Qualifying Certificate Community Contribution Program and the Guam Medical Regional Center.
Quick Actions
Buy Full Conference Tickets for $40 → GuamTime
Students → Email mhc@triton.uog.edu for your access code, then redeem on GuamTime
Shortened Conference Schedule (PDF) → Schedule Here
Full Conference Program (PDF) → Program Here
Register: Pre-Conference Workshops (Attendees Only) → Register Here
RSVP: Free Public Events (Open to All) → RSVP Here
Watch the Livestreams
The 7th Marianas History Conference will be livestreamed from August 29–31, 2025 (ChST). Join us online to experience featured plenaries and select panels exploring this year’s theme: One Archipelago, Many Stories: Weaving Stories of Land & Lineage.
👉 Click here to watch all livestreams on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/MHCstream
📅 Livestream Schedule (ChST)
Friday, Aug 29
6:30–7:30 PM — Featured Plenary (Dr. Galvin Deleon Guerrero)
Saturday, Aug 30
9:00–9:50 AM — Featured Plenary (Jillette T. Leon-Guerrero)
10:00–11:20 AM — Panel 1c: New Directions in Mariana Islands Archaeology
1:10–2:30 PM — Panel 2a: Origins, Language, and Place
2:40–4:00 PM — Panel 3a: Material Culture and Memory
Sunday, Aug 31
9:00–9:50 AM — Featured Plenary (Manuel “Manny” Flores Borja)
10:00–11:20 AM — Panel 4b: Weaving a Public History
1:00–2:20 PM — Panel 5a: Ancient Marianas
1:00–2:20 PM — Panel 6a: Navigation & Re-emerging Patterns
4:00–5:20 PM — Panel 7a: Woven Together
🎥 Streaming supported by Breaking Wave Theatre Company
About the Marianas History Conference
In 2011 a group of like-minded people from the Mariana Islands decided it was high time to have a Marianas History Conference, one that focused on the history and experiences of the people of all the Mariana Islands. The initial group of organizers, led by Scott Russell of the Northern Marianas and Rosanna Barcinas of Guam, came up with the theme, “One Archipelago, Many Stories,” which highlighted the deep and rich history of the Mariana Islands as well as bridged the political division of the archipelago –– a division that exists today.
At-a-Glance Schedule
Friday, Aug 29 — Opening Ceremony 6:00–8:30 PM (Guam Museum)
Saturday, Aug 30 — Sessions 8:30 AM–8:30 PM (University of Guam)
Sunday, Aug 31 — Sessions 8:30 AM–5:30 PM (University of Guam)
Call for e-Publishing: 7th Marianas History Conference
Share your work beyond the conference. Presenters are invited to submit materials for e-publishing.
Deadline: December 15, 2025
Submit to: pereda.nathalie@gmail.com
What to include:
Abstract with Presentation Paper (Word, Pages, or PDF)
Short Biography
Portrait Photo (TIFF)
Presentation Slides (PowerPoint or Keynote)
Thank you for contributing to the growing record of Marianas history and scholarship.
Plenary & Featured Speakers
Dr. Galvin Deleon Guerrero
Jillette T. Leon-Guerrero
Manuel Flores Borja
Free Public Programs (Open to All) — RSVP Required Here
Free; RSVP required for planning and accessibility. Seating is first-come, first-served and subject to venue capacity. Public events are recommended PG-13; attendees under 18 should be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Afternoon Film Screening — Sat, Aug 30 • 4:40–6:00 PM
Kuentusi I Tano’ (Speaking to Land) — Hosted by Humanities Guåhan
Venue: UOG HSS Room 302
Kuentusi i Tano’ centers Indigenous Pacific Islander voices and deep cultural ties to land. This screening features “One Day Our Bodies Will Truly Be Free” (Arielle Taitano Lowe) and “In the Company of Butterflies” (Tina Taitano DeLisle).
Evening Theatrical Performance — Sat, Aug 30 • 7:00–8:15 PM
We Will Not Go Silent — Presented by Breaking Wave Theatre Company
Venue: UOG Fine Arts Theatre
An award-winning devised theatre piece interweaving ancestral knowledge, contemporary voices, and climate justice through Guåhan’s history—an invitation to remembrance, connection, and resistance.
Afternoon Theatrical Staged Reading — Sun, Aug 31 • 4:00–4:45 PM
Murder at To’to — Presented by the UOG Theatre Program
Venue: UOG Fine Arts Theatre
Adapted for the stage by Troy McVey from Carlos Madrid’s (2023) article, “A Murder in To’to: Local Responses Against Convict Violence in Guam,” bringing archival research and community memory to life.
Accessibility, Code of Conduct & Media
Accessibility: We strive to make MHC welcoming and accessible. For accommodations, please email mhc@triton.uog.edu.
Code of Conduct: MHC fosters a respectful, inclusive environment; harassment, hate speech, and disruptions are not permitted.
Media & Photography: You may opt out of close-up photo/video at check-in. We’ll provide an opt-out sticker and make reasonable efforts to honor it; incidental appearance in wide crowd shots may occur.
About the Marianas History Conference
In 2011 a group of like-minded people from the Mariana Islands decided it was high time to have a Marianas History Conference, one that focused on the history and experiences of the people of all the Mariana Islands. The initial group of organizers, led by Scott Russell of the Northern Marianas and Rosanna Barcinas of Guam, came up with the theme, “One Archipelago, Many Stories,” which highlighted the deep and rich history of the Mariana Islands as well as bridged the political division of the archipelago – a division that exists today.
Support the Humanities in the Marianas
Both Humanities Guåhan and the Northern Marianas Humanities Council have recently lost their core funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). As you complete your registration, you will have the option to make an additional donation. Your contribution will be evenly split between the two councils and will directly support this important conference and our shared mission to promote the humanities in the Marianas.
All donations made to Humanities Guåhan and the Northern Marianas Humanities Council will be generously matched 1:1 by the Federation of State Humanities Councils, with support from the Mellon Foundation, up to $50,000—doubling the impact of your gift. Thank you for supporting history, culture, and the humanities in our islands
Contact
Email: mhc@triton.uog.edu