Latte removed from the Marianas by an amateur archaeologist and sent to Hawaii 100 years ago have returned to Guam and will be on display at Skinner Plaza beginning today.
During an informational hearing at the Legislature Tuesday, Department of CHamoru Affairs President Melvin Won Pat-Borja said the latte came from Urunao and Ypao on Guam and from Rota in the Northern Marianas.
The Rota latte will be shipped the CNMI, but the Guam latte will be placed on temporary display behind the Guam Museum.
Their return will be marked with a ceremony at 3 p.m. Friday.
“When they get installed, we, of course, will cordon off the park for safety reasons, but once the heavy equipment clears, we'll allow for the public to come and have informal ceremony until Friday,” Won Pat-Borja said.
The latte are part of a collection of 10,000 artifacts taken from the Marianas in the 1920s by amateur archaeologist Hans Hornbostel, who was a collector for Honolulu’s Bishop Museum.
The Department of CHamoru Affairs is working with the Bishop Museum on the ethical return of the artifacts.
During today’s installation, traffic access will be limited on the road between the Guam Museum and the Guam Congress Building, and Skinner Plaza will be partially closed.
