NEH Chairman Jon Parrish Peede Visits Guam

By Humanities Guåhan

Humanities Guåhan (HG) was pleased to host National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Chairman Jon Parrish Peede in Guam this November!

This was the first visit to Guam by an NEH Chairman. We were proud to show Chairman Peede the work that we do and introduce him to our beautiful island community.

HG Executive Director Kimberlee Kihleng and Chairman Peede met with Governor Lou Leon Guerrero, Lieutenant Governor Josh Tenorio, as well as with Senator Kelly G. Marsh Taitano, Stephanie Lorenzo, who represented Speaker Tina Muña Barnes, HG Board Member ElfrieKoshiba and HG Board Member Bill Pesch on November 13, 2019 to discuss the important role of the public humanities in the Guam community.

Visiting the University of Guam, Chairman Peede and Director Kihleng met with UOG President Thomas Krise and Humanities Guåhan Board Members Dr. Troy McVey, Dr. Debra Cabrera, and Dr. Melissa Taitano. 

At Guam Community College, Chairman Peede spoke GCC Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs  aySomera and two of Humanities Guåhan’s longtime partners in interdisciplinary humanities programming, Chef Paul Kerner and Professor Joni Kerr.

We were excited to host Chairman Peede at Humanities Guåhan for a special community conversation: Speaking to Water and Creating Community: Civic Reflection with Pacific Islanders in Guam, where we spoke about issues of identity, storytelling, and intercultural exchange.

University of Guam President Emeritus Robert Underwood, former delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives and founding board member of Humanities Guåhan, showed Chairman Peede the significant WWII site of Asan in the War in the Pacific National Historical Park, after a tour of the Guam Museum with Monica Guzman of Galaide Group and Ann Marie Arceo, president of the Department of Chamorro Affairs. 

We ended Chairman Peede’s visit to Guam with a special reception at the Government House, which featured a chant by Master of Chamorro Chant Leonard Iriarte, a special presentation by Joshua Hauge, Maria Sol Dueñas Marques, and ZiahAflague—students from Humanities Guåhan’s award-winning program Taking Root: Growing Youth Empowerment for Island Sustainability, and remarks from Governor Leon Guerrero, Chairman Peede, Board Member ElfrieKoshiba and Director Kihleng.

“Chairman Peede’s recent visit marks an important moment for Guam and our organization,” Director Kihleng said, “and is also a wonderful recognition of the NEH’s commitment to the public humanities in our island community.”