HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Typhoon Mawar may have knocked down Chief Kepuha, but efforts to raise the iconic statue are in the works and the Department of CHamoru Affairs is calling out for help.
All that remains at the roundabout in Hagåtña are the feet of Chief Kepuha, as the statue was removed by the Department of Parks and Recreation, the agency that has custodial oversight of the statue and the park. The statue is in the possession of Parks and Rec for safekeeping.
“We are the custodians of the park and, of course, it was a danger to the public if they were to visit there and obviously it didn’t look good like that. So we are keeping him for safekeeping, waiting for the Department of CHamoru Affairs to see what they would like to do,” Jack Hattig III, Parks and Rec deputy director, told The Guam Daily Post.
CHamoru Affairs President Melvin Won Pat-Borja told the Post that Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio asked the agency to step in and assist.
“Basically, the situation is that the most recent statue is badly damaged. … It’s a fiberglass statue. It had like a rebar skeleton but the statue was hollow so when the wind pressure hit it, it basically snapped at the legs and it’s completely irreparable,” Won Pat-Borja said.
Prior to the storm, the statue showed signs of significant wear and tear. Won Pat-Borja said there were conversations about having it repaired or replaced before Mawar hit.
Original statue
The statue isn’t the original. The fiberglass replacement was erected during the Calvo-Tenorio administration.
“There’s a conversation going about. (Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio) is basically interested in trying to see if we can restore the original statue. The original statue was made out of like a metal skeleton but it has like a really heavy, thick plaster. But the statue was really damaged. It’s at the Department of Parks and (Recreation) now, and so I had a meeting with Joint Region Marianas, because JRM (is) interested in partnering with us in seeing if they have metal workers able to restore it,” he said.
According to Won Pat-Borja, CHamoru Affairs is looking for a nonprofit to partner with to get the statue restored and back in its location. If repair isn’t possible, the agency is hoping it can be replicated.
“Obviously, whatever the case is, it needs to withstand future storms,” Won Pat-Borja said. “That’s really the big consideration — is if we restore this statue, will its structural integrity hold up?”
CHamoru Affairs is looking to see if there are any preservation grants available that can help fund the restoration or rebuilding of the statue.
“That’s the reason why the lieutenant governor asked (CHamoru Affairs) to get involved. This is really more of a (Parks and Rec) charge but because there is historical significance and cultural significance for it, it’s kind of an area we are hoping to have a positive impact,” he said.
The broken feet are all that remains of the Chief Kepuha statue, as seen Sunday, July 2, 2023, in Hagåtña.