Guam National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan

Management Plan/ Recommendations
Guam NWR encompasses a fairly undeveloped region of Guam and retains many features related to early
human use of the island and the initial contact between Chamorro and Spanish cultures. Protecting this
legacy and developing a plan to investigate and interpret the cultural heritage represented at the Ritidian
Unit is one of the goals of this study.
Data Gaps
There are several areas in our research where what we know is overshadowed by what we do not know.
Therefore, we are recommending that management goals are directed toward filling the gaps in the information.
For instance, archaeological studies beginning in the 1920s found substantial remains of the latte-period and
a Spanish Mission at Ritidian. In the 1930s and 1940s much of northern Guam was used for Copra production.
Of the 80 farms reported in the 1940 census it is unknown if any were located at Ritidian. Potential
evidence of copra production at Ritidian could include remnant stands of coconut palms and artifacts
relating to Japanese workers. Further research is warranted to fill this void in our knowledge of land use
on the Ritidian Unit.
Activities at Ritidian during World War II have not been documented, although a Japanese rifle was found
(Kurashina et al. 1990:99) Survey of the cliff face and caves may reveal evidence of use during this period.
After World War II, the beach area was cleared and several U.S. Navy buildings were constructed, many
of which are still in use. Unfortunately, the area cleared by the Navy may be the area where the Spanish
Mission was located. We will need to excavate through the disturbed surface to determine the exact
location of the mission. The records and collections of the Hornbostel study are stored at the Bishop Museum
in Honolulu and reviewing the original maps and field notes might also shed more light on the location
of the mission.
The location of the Spanish Mission is also important to establish because it is not included in the boundaries
drawn for the Ritidian archaeological site (66-08-0012). The National Register nomination form
includes it in the discussion of the importance of the site, but lacks the crucial bit of information about its
location. At this juncture we do not know where the mission was located and therefore cannot determine
it’s integrity, nor can we protect this important resource or manage if effectively. The Spanish Mission is
emblematic of all of the features at the Ritidian and Pajon Point sites where records and descriptions of
features suggest the importance of the site and capture the public’s imagination, but are so poorly documented
that we do not have the tools to protect or share the information effectively. Management of the site
is nearly impossible under these circumstances.
Revising the National Register nomination forms for both Ritidian and Pajon Point sites is obviously
needed. The boundaries for both sites appear to be randomly drawn with no justification or discussion of
the features that they encompass. Both nominations were rejected by the National Park Service because of
the unsubstantiated boundary. One of the primary goals of the research and fieldwork recommended
below is to determine the size, boundary, and constituents of the Ritidian and Pajon Point sites. The information
potential is good, but our actual knowledge is very poor.
And, while our knowledge of the cultural resources at the Ritidian site is meager, our knowledge of the
Pajon Point site is even more scant. The Pajon Point side of the refuge has been closed to the public and
was closed to most military since the 1950s. Therefore, no survey since the 1920s has been completed and
the information about the integrity of features has not been updated. While we know even less about Pajon
Point, we are not recommending survey and testing procedures until the Ritidian site has been completed.
23 Guam NWR - Cultural Resources Overview and Management Plan - 2006