Amazing Quest: Stories from Micronesia | Somewhere on Earth: Micronesia | Free Documentary

foreign [Music] [Music] Micronesia one of the least known regions of our planet inaccessible Islands scattered far and wide in the Pacific and forgotten by the rest of the world in Pompeii Augustine is the solitary Sentinel of a cursed City thousands of years old a tribal chief he counts his fortune not in gold ingots but in stone the island of Yap has an exchange system unlike any other on Earth Bruce an inveterate traveler has dedicated his life to the most isolated Islands thanks to him remote Villages are being connected with the rest of the world this area in the Pacific the remote areas on Earth I think that these areas here are the most undiscovered and the most little known the vast areas I think we know more about the moon than we do about this deep ocean waters off of Micronesia honey [Music] flecks of land scattered across a blue background Micronesia two thousand Little Worlds surrounded by the vast ocean and just as many distinct cultures each with its own language history and beliefs the one thing they have in common is the feeling that the Pacific Ocean is their only link with the rest of the universe foreign [Music] [Music] getting to know these lands with their oral culture means allowing oneself to be lulled by the tales of the elders as we fly over upon pay we skim the surface of the Island's mystery good job according to the legend 16 men and women landed on this island after long Meandering Voyage at Sea in a Great Canoe the 16 voyages prayed and prayed and the more they prayed the more it rained the tears falling from Heaven gave birth to the Island's Rivers waterfalls forests and animals that's the miracle of Pompeii its name Pompeii means Island born from prayer [Music] in the jungle behind a curtain of clouds lies the ruins of a city dating back almost 3 000 years we have to approach it with an open mind accepting its Enigma for we know almost nothing about this city testimony to a vanished civilization that of the settlers the dynasty reigning here at the time and if you look up here there was something over here built from before on this island on this island but the ocean washed it out that's one of the reasons I've been doing this since you know we're studying the erosion you know what I do protect and preserve for future generations and I can see erosion right there yeah right there on the erosion is uh because it's a closer to the breakers that's right yeah wow and there's a school of fish out here that I am oh wow [Laughter] [Music] wow look at that my goodness there she is always amazing Augustine is extremely moved as he flies over this strange City built on the water state conservator of the site and has dedicated his whole life to it he is above all the keeper of an enigma [Music] non-madul means the spaces between a reference to the canals that circulate among the hundred or so artificial islets these spaces give free reign to the imagination and dreams in my lifetime that's for sure yeah from the sky non-model is even more mysterious its architecture gives us an idea of how amazingly skillful the builders were you see the trees and the rocks and it's like they were placed there together a long time ago the man grows in the Rocks they make a Unity you know there's a composition there it's amazing the symmetry of all the buildings you know how was it possible you know for them the architect to build you know and their design there so you can see what the straight lines the canals everything down there you know I mean it's amazing I mean to me I'm thinking they must have had a plane a long time ago and somebody the engineer was up in the sky and then looking down and then directing everybody because everything is in place I mean it's just perfect from up here oh and beneath the surface of the ocean the mystery thickens [Music] certain Legends suggest that non-madul is the entryway to an even more magnificent City lying at the bottom of the sea Jimmy has been looking for proof of its existence for years he proceeds with caution and respect for the ancients the strangeness of the spot is not at all reassuring just the opposite [Music] it takes courage to explore the bowels of this Sunken City diving here means defying the deep-seated beliefs of the Islanders [Music] oh boy we don't know who constructed how the builders Managed IT and in particular how they transported the stones but the spirits are there that's for sure but one mustn't talk about them the spirits don't like that they could punish us in any case there's magic involved maybe that's the answer [Music] foreign [Music] what curses protected the city what could instill such fear in the local inhabitants that for centuries they refused to go near it that long vanish Dynasty still has a strong hold on the living like a clinging veiled shadow even today very few dare profane the sacred territory of non-madul they all fear the cruel Vengeance of the spirits [Music] [Music] I think it adds to the mystery of nanmadol in all this jungle you know it's covering your because before you know nobody was allowed here except if you came here to pay tribute to the Chiefs or the South Dolores so in a way this jungle is covering it's like a mystery it keeps its secrets to itself [Music] foreign [Music] and Jimmy are both obsessed by these secrets too many unanswered questions [Music] thousands of years ago we had people living here and you know walking in their footsteps now you know it's it gives me a sense of pride knowing that you know they were capable of this amazing architecture and also I mean not only the architecture but you can imagine how many years and how many people it took to build this amazing place but I think what it required then was you know a ruler who was really strong to commend all the people and you know the many years for them to build so I think at that time maybe Bombay was centralized it was unified under one ruler [Music] the stones are basalt carefully fit together in these amazing constructions that doggedly continue to resist the ravages of time [Music] foreign [Music] huge blocks lie scattered around the foot of the massive walls you can almost hear the hushed murmur of their tail gnawed by his desire to understand Jimmy tirelessly studies these columns that seem to be pointing in a Direction he's searching for some glimmer of Truth here where the undertow is eating away at the stone the basalt comes from the other side of Pompeii many kilometers away quarrying the Stone from the Mountainside carving it into columns transporting then fitting them together tons and tons of rock were moved with Stone Age tools contemplating this colossal work you catch yourself believing in magic well for for us locals it's really impressive to imagine how huge blocks of rocks like this can be built on top of each other especially we know before we don't have any Machinery to build this so locals believe that it was by Magic that that they were able to put these locks on top of each other you can imagine how huge this I mean this way probably tons you know tons my theory of it is that they use the nature the natural elements to build nantovas so I think when that when the type was high that's when they lifted the rocks that's my dear Augustine a solitary Sentinel watches over this site yet he is a powerless witness as it slowly disappears eroded by the ocean nine models days are numbered the walls over the years they've crumble down you know because of time you know and the ocean climate change and everything and that's what we're trying to protect you know we want to see how we can preserve this so people can come and enjoy it and see what it was like before walls still thrust up proudly towards the sky like a final challenge until the tale of the sodalers a nation of inspired Builders caught by some fatal surprise a barbarian Invasion an unknown plague the outside walls form an arrow pointing towards where and along the walls we found few of the rocks that falling down from the main walls that's where those pieces of rock that we found today we bring it for the example of maybe it's part of the rocks or it's called up from the main rocks the kind of rock Augustine and Jimmy often discuss their different theories like all the inhabitants of the island the mystery of non-madul is part of their life one of the pillarsis about 8 or 10 feet long and the other one is 15 or 16 feet long on the wall and what I hear from the locals they believe that maybe it's a gateway to the underwater cities there are many theories you know but like the Lost Continent but those are Western theories you know as far as we're concerned you know we have a city here called non-medal and there is possibly an underwater city that we don't know like you mentioned you know there's a lot of rocks underneath the water so pumpes Locos it's a gateway to some underwater city but maybe being part of the mystery nobody has founded nobody leaves non-madul without falling under the spell of the lost city symbol of an Empire that collapsed suddenly why only their City remains [Music] [Applause] [Music] a few square kilometers of land lost in the immensity of the ocean Yap lives forgotten by the rest of the world like everywhere else in Micronesia the extreme isolation has led the inhabitants to invent a system of values and exchange found nowhere else in the world [Music] gliding through the transparent Waters of the Lagoon we encounter the mythical manta rays Guardians of the facet of this Island's singular history [Music] foreign [Music] at the bottom of the ocean lies a veritable treasure this disc of stone with a hole in the center relates an extraordinary Tale the adventure of intrepid Navigators [Music] everyone on Yap knows this story for it has been handed down since the dawn of time from generation to generation like in the family of pazan pazan is the head man of the village of toru the one who transmits the lore of the ancestors nothing is like anywhere else and no matter [Music] pozang's family is highly respected on the island and today is a special day he wants to share the secrets of his ancestors with his son [Music] so for this ritual we'll have to go over to the other side of the island we'll be taking a path that long ago pazan's own father once showed him this Stone disc recognizable by its form is the first step on the path an's son has to learn its history for that is what makes it so valuable this comes from the high Chiefs of this Village and they they ask the people to to work on the stone path and so when the completion uh when the road was completed then the Chiefs came in and say thank you to people and this is one of the stone money they give to my family for that's exactly what they are these Stone discs are the equivalent of our gold ingots [Music] [Music] there are some 6 000 of them on Yap they're used by land to build a house to buy a boat they are also given to the fiancee by her Suitor as a dowry these stones are the basis of all major transactions even though the dollar is the currency for everyday purchases is one of the biggest that I have and that's one and the second one is uh because it it is it is gone into competition between the Chiefs so it has a story to tell bazan's Authority derives mainly from his ancestral lineage but it's also based on his Heritage his family owns 21 Stones an impressive number thanks to them his children will be able to assume a respectable position in this island Society see it's more like an insurance you feel safe that you have them you feel secure in in some sense that you have this storm money and you feel able to to participate in the in the traditional events competitions uh uh wherever dancing things like this because you you feel secure but you can participate in into those bigger bigger events that would happen in the app foreign on the scale of the vast Pacific Yap seems tucked away in a corner of the map a far-off world that lives completely closed in on itself foreign if I go somewhere I say I'm from Yap then people will say oh the land of stone money so it is a a very very obvious identity [Music] oh [Music] all right the enormous discs encapsulate the history of Yap they can weigh up to 15 Tons to move them the Islanders roll them but the lighter Stones can be carried by just two men together [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] come on the island is far from anywhere so they have to be resourceful with what they have at hand it's one of the Prime rules of life here the Outrigger canoes are necessary for survival these crafts date back to the dawn of History these great Navigators have been using these boats for centuries to escape their isolation no need for a Sextant or Compass the sailors of Yap read the Stars foreign it's very quiet and no engine no no fuel spent uh the materials and everything is from yeah [Music] foreign [Music] 's Village the stone discs as precious as they are line the path like a series of landmarks in the islander's memory [Music] these roads are nothing less than open air banks we have a very big one also let let's go over and see it's a very big Stone money this is the biggest one that we have ah in the beginning it came from Palau people from this Village went to Palau and participate in the in the carving and the and then bring it to this Village and now we have it here [Music] foreign [Music] no precious gems no pearls just these gigantic discs of aragonite quarried by raw Manpower from afar off Island Palau about 250 nautical miles from Yap it takes days and days at Sea to cover such a distance in order to create a system of exchange centuries ago the Yap Islanders set out in search of something that didn't exist on their Island they came back from Palau with these stones and since there was nothing like them on Yap they were precious a system of exchange was born the value comes from the the hardship of obtaining a stone money first of all you have to learn navigation and then obtain the knowledge of building a candle and then you build those candle and then you have people that trust the navigator that can participate on the sailing then sail to Palau which is very hard in those days is is done in with navigating with the Stars sometimes for hundreds of years they risked their lives sailing the Pacific these trips were veritable initiatory voyages pizzan also made this trip to honor the memory and courage of his ancestors and also very good people with big heart to go and do something that generations and generations until us this at this moment we're still very proud of what they've done long time ago those Navigators had to face many dangers storms high seas typhoons and there was always the danger of Simply disappearing into the infinite blue expanse The Navigators were equipped with no more than the wisdom of their ancestors handed down from generation to generation at times we lose everything even the crew and The Navigators everybody don't know what they're gone we lost them all these vessels seem ridiculously frail to undertake such an adventure which is the very Cornerstone of the Yap identity on board these canoes it's the cohesion of their society that is at stake [Music] foreign [Music] very small economy and abandoning the tradition and culture of Yap is uh it'll be a life [Music] uh you cannot survive the custom and the tradition provides provides those opportunities where I can associate with people I can get I can get fish I can get tarot I can take a rider like this so without those traditions and customs for me I won't make it [Music] I grew up here this is an island I like Island live um uh something that uh it's more than that I like and I love because it's something that I grew up with it's a part of me and I'm a part of it yeah an exceptional Island because they had nothing the inhabitants became Intrepid Navigators driven to strike out for New Horizons and to bring back their precious stone discs since that time things have remained unchanged or almost seen from the outside Yap still has nothing much to offer the islander's fortune is not counted in dollars it is priceless as valuable as the memories it embodies thus the people of Yap has forged their Destiny their identity [Music] the ocean might have condemned these Islanders to wander endlessly without roots the situation is just the opposite the Pacific is their last Rampart it allows this culture to flourish in total freedom [Music] [Applause] good morning Micronesia it's Saturday in the Western Pacific July 18th we're all getting ready for our big Liberation day party let me check to see if there's anything to write Mike bonjour kierana for the Cook Islands Kiora Bruce's voice casts a wide net all the way to the far-flung limits of Micronesia every day at 9 A.M sharp this radio buff broadcasts a bulletin intended for the most remote Islands okay if there's no medical emergencies or priority traffic I copy you yep let's take a look at your weather we understand you want to go out and look for some turtles today on West value Yap weather for today variable winds five to ten knots becoming Southwest afternoon here we're at the University of Guam a territory administrated by the United States Bruce is not just a voice he's also a link between all the islands a providential man a clever handyman who over the years has single-handedly set up a Communications Network covering one of the vast regions on Earth he's the one they call when there's an emergency these are about four or five days late hope everything worked out if there's anything you need you know where to find me over [Music] [Applause] [Music] when Bruce landed in Guam more than 20 years ago the outer Islands were completely isolated and this tireless traveler discovered a situation he couldn't have even imagined so this is my territory so I have to go in small boats and canoes to get to these to support the uh 90 or so outer islands all through this area that have dispensaries schools and no communication no power except for solar that we put in and of course no airstrip no links to the outer world except through me so we have power we have communication we have tools the network that Bruce set up has been growing little by little he regularly makes expeditions to install new transmitter receivers now he's heading out to the far off archipelagos [Music] you ready to rock and roll yes are you good to see you good to see you again got enough fuel yes all right all right all right let me just to prepare this one quick and then you can get off do you wanna bike or you're gonna sit in the front so meanwhile how's the weather well it's gonna be nice and clear there's not much turbulence or anything like that oh typhoon no typhoon yeah arigato [Music] foreign [Music] like another world when we go to the outer Islands that's right leaving Guam means leaving a world of buildings infrastructure comfort the ocean is the Last Frontier an insurmountable obstacle for many micronesians [Music] I think the Pacific this area in the Pacific the most remote areas on Earth I think that these areas here are the most undiscovered and the most little known the vast areas I think we know more about the moon than we do about this deep ocean waters off of Micronesia [Music] [Music] right now uh it's rainy season so the rains can come in anytime they cover the airstrip then the small plane cannot land or take off so then I have to take a canoe to another place and try to find another boat sometimes the boat is the only way to get back it might take you two or three more weeks than you planned [Music] [Music] foreign it's the kind of life that you have to learn to be very patient you have to be patient with the people have to be patient with nature it makes you be the other side of yourself when you live in the uh big Village or the small City where you get all wrapped up in your day-to-day and out here time has a lot different meat the time we have out here uh we don't we just do things when we can when the weather is good when the surf is not too big to bring the canoe in oh when the rains aren't too bad foreign [Music] thank you very much have a safe flight home I'll give you a call on the radio all right thank you rock woman I'm an old man foreign from here on Bruce has to count on himself he'll have no more communication with the outside until he arrives at his destination and he relishes every minute of this time cut off from the rest of the world each one of his Expeditions takes him to new territories Bruce is perhaps one of the last explorers here for example only one or two boats a year call in at these remote Islands to buy the copra Harvest [Music] oh I'm like Santa Claus when I come I bring them stuff and I help them fix it and I give them training yeah so over the years what I've done is I've learned I need to train the local people if I don't train the local people I am very old someday I will not be able to come back here and I need the young men and the young ladies of the village to know how to fix the antennas fix the solar systems and maintain the communication Network [Music] in these far-flung archipelagos the heat is suffocating the humidity oppressive with all his voyages Bruce has come to appreciate these sudden storms and showers everyone is glad to have them fresh water is precious for it nourishes the forests and means survival for man Bruce melts into the vegetation [Music] when you're working out here at you feel like you're really doing something not just pushing paper around or worried about the politics working about making money you we don't worry about making money because there is no money out here it's only fishing coconuts we trade for tarot everybody is very peaceful [Music] in this region of the Pacific one of the rainiest in the world the rainstorms are always just passing in Micronesia we say if you don't like the weather just wait one hour you will have different weather yes this is where you can really get in touch with your soul a little bit of rain pretty soon we'll be back and be in the ocean and I can wash off and I I'm very happy when I can cleanse my soul and help the people in the outer Islands and I don't have to go to the office every day [Music] [Music] somebody here [Music] up for you [Music] with the evening a blanket of Silence Falls there are no roads here no means of transportation no electricity no telephone no government even just the traditional Chiefs in each Village whose authorities handed down from generation to generation as one person I can feel at the end of the day that I've done quite a bit for them so I feel like I can really make a difference making a difference is very important to me I have a very short life I need to help as many people as I can life is changing fast for these outer Islanders so I want them to stay here and try to preserve some of the culture preserve some of this life there's no place like like this in on the whole earth no place where they still do Celestial navigation they watch the Stars they watch The Wind and The Rains so they move around on their canoes for many years with no instruments the only place on Earth where they still practice traditional seafaring traditional navigation Voyage after Voyage Bruce has had to face the Jungle the mountains but once in a while he gets easy Trails as well here the village is a two-day walk away Bruce is familiar with the route he has already been there to meet the villagers and talk about the possibility of setting up a transmitter receiver there The Villages were notified of his arrival by the captain of a boat stopping here with a load of material for the long-awaited antenna hey chief s umbrella yeah quite some times welcome to Unity oh thanks thanks I have your uh gifts thank you very much Mr best oh my God Conchita how are you I have gifts for you too oh it's like a chick thank you very much Mr best all right tell you what we're doing Mr best the custom in these Villages is to offer a token of welcome today Bruce has Beetle nuts wrapped in Pepper leaves from Pompeii the men of the village sprinkle them with powdered coral and chew them like tobacco house Papa Mao uh Papa Mao is uh it's okay but uh he's getting very old not getting around too much anymore with his diabetes that's correct because he's still teaching the children how to Celestial navigate uh he's trying uh to do that but otherwise his health is not too good yeah I know we're all getting old actually Mike and I are close to the same age so when I first came out to Micronesia he was a teacher over here across the Lagoon um he came to uh for a while he actually came to Guam to learn and now he has come back and took the knowledge he learned on Guam and he's helping his people in the outer Islands a lot of the Chiefs they're allowed to leave when they're young because they go out and they learn worldly things but they are expected to come back when they get older and that's when they lead so they're they're not leading in a vacuum they're leading with some knowledge about what's going on in the world [Music] all right [Music] [Music] there is no phone at all this is the only ways and means of communicating with the outside world through the single side band radio and we need the antenna and then Power by the solar system we don't have the power on the island it is really means life in this area it's a lot of things the generous son of the Pacific will help connect people the power we got the solar we've got the uh power cables everything's ready let's see if we can get a hold of Guam see if this baby cranks up got the right mode upper side Bend Guam Guam how do you copy over [Music] yes all right we have been waiting for many years to have some communication I mean Bruce is a very helpful person to to us okay we're going to be waiting for the next next play and finally get his news and weather in the morning now every morning so he knows what's going on in the rest of the world this is his window to the global village the village is now quietly turning over a new page of its history who knows perhaps someday there'll be a legend about Bruce the man who traveled over sea rivers and mountains to offer his help to the people of Micronesia [Music] here time and space give the measure of life this was the story of these Islanders living on the edge of immensity this was the story of these bits of land scattered here and there in the largest ocean on earth the Pacific [Music] foreign [Music]

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Id: a0fNNj-u65M

Length: 52min 6sec (3126 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 05 2023