Marianas Wartime Oral Histories Portal—Public-Facing Digital Archive of Island Memory

This article explores the creation of the Marianas Wartime Oral Histories Portal, a public-facing digital archive of island memory that presents first-hand accounts of World War II in the Mariana Islands. It highlights the creative use of public programs to gain feedback from community members on the most appropriate mechanism for accessing oral history interviews. It also details the culturally sensitive transcription and editing techniques employed by lead project partner Guampedia. The oral history portal and supporting programming were undertaken as part of a National Park Service Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellowship project. The article offers an overview of the scope of the fellowship, as well as insights into successfully blending place-based learning with public-facing digital work.