Yapese people

The Yapese people are a Micronesian ethnic group native to the main island of Yap. Under different administrative rules, Yapese culture has been influenced by Spanish, Japanese, German, and American cultures. Aspects of traditional Yapese culture are still important in modern Yapese culture.

Before coming into contact with Europeans, the Yapese people were familiar with surrounding island groups. Yapese sailors traveled to Palau to quarry stones. Carolinian sailors visited Yap during times of crises. Spanish and German traders colonized Yap in 1885 and started converting the people to Christianity. The Japanese navy took control of Yap in 1914. After World War II, Yap became a part of the United States Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. In 1978, Yap became a district in the Federated States of Micronesia.

Today, traditional Yapese culture is taught in elementary and junior high schools in the course "Practical Art/Culture". A survey conducted in 2010 showed significant interest in preserving and handing down traditional Yapese culture.

Before World War II, Yap faced critical depopulation from contact with European diseases and cultural abortion. Antibiotics introduced after World War II caused a population explosion.

A 1994 census of Yap found that 48.1% of the people on Yap identified as Yapese. A 2000 census found that number changed to 49.1%. A 2010 survey reported that 5.7% of the population of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) were Yapese. A 2012 survey of Micronesians outside the FSM that there were 258 Yapese in the Northern Mariana Islands, 412 in Guam, 72 in Hawaii, and 865 in the contiguous United States.

Yapese infants have a dark purple blot at the base of their spine like the Mongoloid people of Asia. Their hair color is either dark brown or black, and their skin color is brown. Some Yapese have high nasal bridges while others have flat noses, everted lips, and flaring nostrils.

Yapese music has been influenced by Spanish, German, Japanese, and American culture. The introduction of missionaries and new musical styles have shifted Yapese musical styles. Yapese traditional dance (churu’) is very formal and ritualistic. A Yapese dance is performed in a group and accompanied by instruments and chanting. The dance movements and chanting generally tell a story. Dances are often performed on special occasions such as Yap Day or during ritual exchanges (guyuwol). Traditional Yapese clothing is often worn during dances.

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