U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service logo National Wildlife Refuge System Logo Celebrating a Century of Conservation
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Guam
National Wildlife Refuge

Near Dededo, HI   
E-mail: Joseph_Schwagerl@fws.gov
Phone Number: 671-355-5096
Visit the Refuge's Web Site:
http://www.fws.gov/guam
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  History
Continued . . .

A large Chamorro settlement thrived at Litekyan (means a place which stirs or a stirring place, a literal description of the waters off the Ritidian cut); more than 600 years before the Spanish arrived in 1521. From 1668 –1690, the Chamorro population on Guam declined from 38,000 to approximately 3,200 due to introduced diseases and the Spanish-Chamorro Wars. Recent archaeological digs/studies give validation to claims by present-day Chamorus that the Refuge holds a deeper meaning and connection, other than that special feeling of serenity one gets when visiting Litekyan; Guam’s most accessible natural place. The finding of an ancient fishing camp dating back 3300 years provides a personal sense of place, heritage and being.

 
 
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