Jamaican on Pagan DAY 3: Meet the Pioneers | A travel narrative by Walt F.J. Goodridge

PAGAN IS NOT UNINHABITED. There are people on Pagan!

According to Wikipedia:

“Pagan is a volcanic island in the Mariana Islands archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, belonging to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Formerly inhabited, the inhabitants were evacuated due to volcanic eruptions in 1981.”

True, but what the current conventional wisdom doesn’t tell you is that some people have moved back to the island! The resettlement has begun!

Pagan is not “uninhabited. There are people on Pagan.

There are people hunting, farming, making crafts, playing music, living and enjoying the life of their ancestors…There are people who have dreams of a life for their children and with plans to raise them close to the land and culture.

Pagan is not “uninhabited. There are people on Pagan.

I’ve been to the island. I’ve met those people….and now you will too:

Here is a brief interview I conducted with the 5 residents of Pagan explaining who they are and why they’ve chosen to start new lives on this remote island:

If youtube not available in your country, click here

Yes, there are people on Pagan. There are people hunting, farming, making crafts, playing music, living and enjoying the life of their ancestors, dreaming of a life for their children…and listening to Bob Marley on their ipods!

It’s always been a cool thing–as a Jamaican nomad–to arrive in Hawaii, Saipan, Pohnpei, Guam and pretty much the world over to discover that Reggae music–Jamaica’s signature gift to the world–is enjoyed by millions thousands of miles away from the little island on which it originated. So, while it wasn’t a surprise, it was still a pleasant reminder of that reality when I entered a home on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific, and was greeted by a huge painting of Bob Marley, Jamaica’s prime musical ambassador. Yes, it seems another Jamaican has beaten me here to Pagan!

Jun (left) shows off his spondylus shells while Tyron tunes his guitar

Here’s a video of the pioneers taking a musical interlude

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Tyron plays guitar, Jun (Daniel) provides backing vocals and JR (Herman) looks on while Bob Marley watches over a summer afternoon musical interlude on the island of Pagan.

Yes, there are people on Pagan.

EDUCATIONAL INTERLUDE:

Pagan = 18.53 square miles in size

Manhattan = 33.77 square miles in size

Saipan= 44.55 square miles in size

What’s it like to be the five people living on an island half the size of Manhattan? What do you do all day? Well, for one thing, you’ve got to eat.

In this video, Jun (Daniel) demonstrates an easy-to-follow, step-by-step method for getting and preparing coconuts on the island of Pagan!