Honolulu, Hawaii – On August 9, 2025, Lieutenant Governor Josh Tenorio led a small Guam Delegation at a special ceremony hosted by the Bishop Museum in Honolulu to celebrate the beginning of the ethical return of ancient CHamoru latte stones and other significant archeological treasures taken from Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands in the 1900s. Hawaii Governor Josh Green, a delegation from the Northern Mariana Islands, and other island dignitaries attended the ceremony.
In his remarks, Lt. Governor Tenorio spoke on the significance of the collaboration between the governments of Guam, the CNMI, and Bishop Museum. He recalled the historical injustices that took place in the 1900s and noted how the injustices were enabled by Guam’s political status and the inequities of federal policies that have not protected Territories.
“The return of these artifacts is in the midst of an era of cultural preservation and revitalization on the island of Guam. Our people are embarking on a journey towards both a reclamation and appreciation of our unique cultural heritage and language. I am proud to stand before you today as we commemorate this history and take a profound step toward reconciliation. This moment is not only the culmination of a multi-year, inter-institutional collaboration, but a victory in the decades-long pursuit by CHamorus who raised their voices as early as the 1930s, calling for the reclamation of pieces tied to their ancestry,” he said.
The Lt. Governor was resolute in his commitment to education and access, commenting on the tremendous opportunities to share resources, expertise, and to develop the capacity of our working professionals. He added, “As we prepare to send these sacred artifacts back home to the Marianas, I am deeply moved by how meaningful this moment is for the CHamoru people. These pieces are more than objects, they are a physical manifestation of the connection we hold to our ancestral lands and culture. I want to recognize Dr. Michael Lujan Bevacqua of the Guam Museum and Nicole Delisle Duenas of the Guam Cultural Repository, who worked closely with Healoha Johnston and Sarah Kuaiwa at the Bishop Museum, who led a team of Bishop Museum professionals that ensured the completion of proper documentation of the collection and digitization for increased access and continued preservation.”
Also participating in the return of the Latte Stones to the Mariana Islands is the United States Navy. Lt. Governor Tenorio added, “These efforts were matched by cooperation led by the U.S. Navy, which has agreed to transport the latte stones back to Guam and the Marianas Islands. Governor Leon Guerrero and I want to personally recognize Rear Admiral Greg Huffman, who was instrumental in prioritizing this mission. We have all built relationships to correct this historical injustice.”
Melvin Won Pat-Borja, President of the Department of CHamoru Affairs, commented on the importance of inter-agency collaboration. According to Won Pat-Borja, “The agreement to return these items is monumental and not one of us can take credit for it alone. We are standing on the shoulders of many CHamorus who came before us and started these conversations. The Department of CHamoru Affairs has the legal obligation and jurisdiction, but this work cannot be possible without the support of Governor Leon Guerrero, the Guam State Historic Preservation Office, the Guam Museum, and the Guam Cultural Repository.”
The Department of CHamoru Affairs and the Bishop Museum have initiated a formal Memorandum of Understanding establishing a long-term working partnership. In addition to ensuring that these cultural treasures are returned to Guam, the partnership lays the groundwork for long-term growth and development of the Guam Museum with the prestigious Bishop Museum. This includes a focus on upskilling and training professional staff in Guam through Bishop Museum’s Te Rangi Hiroa Curators and Caretakers Fellowship program, an initiative funded by the Mellon Foundation.
Won Pat-Borja added, “These collaborations are foundational as we strive toward institutional accreditation. I want to recognize Lt. Governor Tenorio for securing the formal commitment for the partnership by the Bishop Museum through his engagement with former Bishop Museum CEO Deejay Miller during FestPac and with the Bishop Museum Board of Trustees last December to finalize these plans. The real victory is in their vision for the future of our institution’s maturation and growth in Guam.”
At the gathering, museum professionals, government officials, and members of the CHamoru diaspora in Hawai’i paid their respects and recalled the decades in effort to return indigenous artifacts to their places of origin. Guests gathered in the Courtyard Lawn at the Bishop Museum, next to three sets of latte stones (haligi and tåsa), which have been on display since FestPac 2024.
The latte stones, which will be the first items returned to Guam and the CNMI, represent the commitment by Bishop Museum to take immediate and meaningful action to resolve this historical injustice. The partnership between the Bishop Museum and the Government of Guam (via the Department of CHamoru Affairs) is the product of a long legacy of engagement and requests for return of these items, often referred to as the Hornbostel Collection.
In the 1920s, Hans Hornbostel collected thousands of cultural artifacts from Guam and the CNMI, including human skeletal remains. These items were then shipped by the U.S. Military to Hawai’i, where they were donated to the Bishop Museum. The entire collection is significant and totals over 10,000 recorded items (roughly 1/8 of Bishop Museum’s Ethnological collection). There is a long and well-documented history of engagement by the CHamoru people asking for the repatriation of these items, particularly the human remains, which were eventually returned in 2000.
Since that return, institutional interest waned and efforts lessened; however, the work was reinvigorated in 2022 as part of Bishop Museum’s present-day consideration of ethical museum practices. Guam, the CNMI, and Bishop Museum have been actively working on a formal partnership and recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to the official return of the cultural artifacts.
The ceremony organized by the Bishop Museum on August 9 was attended by Lieutenant Governor Josh Tenorio, Department of CHamoru Affairs President Melvin Won Pat-Borja, and Nicole Delisle Duenas of the Guam Cultural Repository. The CNMI was represented by Henry Hofschneider, Chief of Staff to the Governor of CNMI, Senator Celina Babauta, along with CNMI Museum Director, Leonard Leon, and CNMI SHPO staff. Also in attendance was newly installed Bishop Museum CEO Kristofer Helgen and key museum officials and staff.
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