The project titled A Preservation Plan for the Protection of WWII-Related Caves on Saipan, CNMI (2012-2013) was developed as a result of local and international concern for the protection of archaeological cave sites on Saipan. The project was designed to assess local interest in protecting sites on private property, increase awareness and advocacy for their protection, and create a preservation plan for protection of these sites by both the community and regulatory agencies. As such, it took a community archaeology approach to working with descendant communities on conflict heritage sites. We undertook the following activities: held public meetings, conducted consultation with land owners and stakeholders, conducted archaeological survey of selected sites, developed and implemented radio and television public service announcements and created a preservation plan by, for, and with the community. The preservation plan is meant to engage and empower the local community and government to protect their heritage sites. The results of community consultation indicate that there is strong local support for protecting WWII-related cave sites on both private and public lands. The local descendant community has many memories of using caves for shelter and protection throughout their history from ancient times to WWII.
The project was funded with the help of the NPS’s American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP). The project follows previous ABPP grants supporting the identification, recording, and protection of heritage from the WWII battle for Saipan. For more information about the project read the preservation plan and this article on Japanese defenses. To view the public service announcements check out this link and you can read about making them on a blog here.