The congressman, who graced the UOG commencement exercise as the guest speaker, said that while obtaining a business or social work degree was something to take pride in, it didn’t mean as much without understanding and embracing one’s cultural identity.
Faleomavaega told graduates that it was time to stop letting outsiders define their culture and instead define their culture and tradition for themselves as well as for the rest of the world.
He told graduates not to brush off ancient practices and traditions. Although people no longer need to travel by canoe for example, Faleomavaega told graduates they can learn from the ancient navigation method.
Faleomavaega said the graduates’ future endeavors would be much like the journey their ancestors took each time they traveled on the open sea.
While they may face challenges along the way, Faleomavaega said holding on to one’s cultural identity and heritage would help them find their way.
UOG President Robert Underwood also touched on tradition as he presented the university’s first honorary master of Micronesian traditional knowledge degree to Yapese navigator Manny Ikea Sikau.
Underwood said Sikau, a seventh generation navigator, is the definition of tradition.
First learning the art of navigation in 1966 from his father, Sikau spent the last 30 years sharing his knowledge and understanding of traditional navigation with the Pacific.
Of the university’s 270 graduates, 206 received their baccalaureate degrees and 64 received their master’s degrees.
Joleen Cepeda was named class valedictorian.
