Yap Island Photo Journal

SOURCE: Andy Parx (andyparx@yahoo.com) covered this article here.
SUBHEAD: Just four decades ago Yap Island was much like Hawaii in the 18th century.

 By Damon Tucker on 13 December 2009 in Damon Tucker Blog -
(http://damontucker.com/2009/12/13/1966-yap-and-the-outter-islands-a-photo-journal)



Image above: A typical Yap house in 1966 is part of Damon Tucker's photo journal.  

[Editor's Note: Yap Island is about 15 miles long, 800 miles north of Papua New Guinea and 800 miles east of the Philppines. Please visit links for a delightful, educational, photo essay.]


In 1961, my mother, Su Rowe Tucker, moved to Pahala, on the Big Island where her father and mother (My Grandparents) Dr. P.E. (Ted) Rowe and Elizabeth (Betty) Rowe were the Physician/Surgeon for the private Pahala Hospital run by C. Brewer Corp.

In 1965, Dr. Rowe (my grandfather) was hired for two years by the US Federal Government to run the Yap Hospital from 1965 to 1967. In 1966, my mom and my two uncles, Bob and Mike Rowe, went to visit them in Yap. The posts evoke mixed feelings showing an indigenous culture and a Michener-like juxtaposition with the fish-out-of-water westerners. It’s a simple lifestyle that a short 40-plus years ago was apparently reminiscent of Hawai`i in the late 18th and early 19th century and it’s hard not to feel both wistful and angry that neither exists anymore today.

To see more:
Part I: Introduction
Part II: Who
Part III: Moms Tale of Arrival
Part IV: A Yapese Party
Part V: The Homes and Structures of Yap
Part VI: Quotes from the Diary (Part A)
Part VII: Quotest from the Diary (Part B)

See also:
Island Breath: Hawaii before the crowds 10/12/07

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