Lauren Pollard

Uncovering foreign grounds, stone carvings and statues in modern Micronesia, Associate Professor of Anthropology Felicia Beardsley is bringing to life oral history in today’s world. Concentrating on the islands of the South Pacific, she focuses on the history of the people’s settlements, traditions and values established by the lands’ earliest occupants. Beardsley shared her current research with faculty and students in the President’s Dining Room last month.

Dustin Smith
Staff Writer

Students and professors gathered last week in the Presidents Dining hall to hear of the exciting career of one of the University of La Verne’s own – Felicia Beardsley, associate professor of anthropology – as a modern day archeologist.

Beardsley's presentation, titled “Statues, Stone Carvings and Ground-Truthing: Oral History in Micronesia,” detailed her recent findings in eastern Micronesia, specifically the island Kosrae in the South Pacific.

Beardsley’s job in the eastern pacific is “ground-truthing” or simply, collecting the oral histories.

Recently Beardsley has concentrated her time on the island of Kosrae, also called the Island of the Sleeping Lady, collecting and writing the history of the island.

The traditions and cultures of the Kosrae have been lost to the affects of missionaries creating translation and tribal barriers.

One of many exciting findings Beardsley and her crew encountered were carved stones.

Beardsley said she understood that there was no “artistic endeavors” in the Kosrae and eagerly presented her findings to her colleagues.

The recent findings begin at the center of the island in the village of Sinlaka.

The team had to survey the area and map the rivers, which had not been formally surveyed using a Brunton Compass.

Beardsley went to the high chief of the village with a list of stories, which she wanted to work on, and the high chief decided which ones to find.

Her work for the last couple years has involved finding the physical truths of the story of Finol Tokosra.

Tokosra was a tyrant, who ruled ruthlessly, who was killed by the townspeople, avenging a women’s death.

In 2003, Beardsley and her team found a path leading to the area of the tyrant’s demise and in 2004 the team narrowed its search area to one square kilometer.

In 2006, Beardsley and her team found what they believe to be the final resting place of the tyrant, discovering a pit grave, ceremonial war clubs and carved stones.

Radiocarbon dating places this before 600 A.D.

During Beardsley’s visits she endured trails where she had to use a machete to cut down vegetation.

She also had to keep secrets of the villages and areas, knowledge only given to the well-respected visitors.

Her work involves understanding and respecting a wide variety of customs and cultures.

This was an exciting adventure for Beardsley and her team because the people on the island of Kosrae all know the legend of the tyrant Tokosra, making the research equally important for her and the native people.

These findings excited students at ULV who now share Beardsley’s interest.

“You don’t ever hear of oral history,” said Julianne Harfield, a liberal arts major. “It’s cool to see how passionate she was.”

“It’s neat that she could find stories from the smallest details,” said Alicia Norris, a mathematics major.

Beardsley is always on the lookout for new finds.

On her days off in the field she went scuba diving and searched for canoe landings, which on one occasion led her to more discoveries.

Dustin Smith can be reached at dsmith9@ulv.edu.