A/HRC/61/49/Add.2 50. The Special Rapporteur was also made aware of the challenges of transmitting seafaring navigation and canoe-building knowledge. Inscribed in 2021 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, the preservation of those living knowledge and skills remains fragile. The inscription process gave the practices more visibility and provided opportunities for exchanges and collaborations between the Micronesian states, as well as with neighbouring island countries. Navigation schools exist in Chuuk and Yap, and there is a more institutionalized training programme at the Micronesian Area Research Centre in Guam. The two-day celebration of building and sailing traditional canoes, held annually by the Yap Traditional Navigation Society, and the island festival celebrating the role of the canoe in linking the various island peoples, held every four years, are commendable efforts to keep the tradition accessible and part of the present. 51. Many of the actions that could strengthen the right to enjoy heritage in the Federated States of Micronesia do not require much funding. By adopting a participatory, bottom-up approach and encouraging people to contribute to the inventory, mapping and documenting of cultural resources (through stories, songs and practices and their meanings), the authorities could greatly facilitate the exercise of cultural rights related to heritage and develop valuable knowledge networks. 52. It is inevitable that practices evolve over time. The use of Sakau, for example, is said to have evolved from being part of ceremonies for special occasions to a commercial practice, readily available for all to consume regularly. On the coast, initiatives increasingly combine traditional approaches to fishing with modern aquaculture technologies. Cultural rights protect the right of each person to be part of the decisions about how cultural practices evolve, so that they may continue to carry identity, values and meanings even if they change. Culture is dynamic, not static. To take part meaningfully in such evolution, people need to access knowledge about the practices and their significance, but also about the potential negative effects of those practices. Where new information and understanding show that traditional practices are harmful to health, nature or the rights of certain persons, they need to be re-evaluated by the group itself, adapted or discontinued. D. Education system 53. The education system still has a strong colonial legacy. Its structure, pedagogical approaches and content have long concentrated on United States history and culture, to the detriment of the diversity of local and regional knowledge. 5 That system succeeded in achieving a high youth literacy rate (approximately 98.8%), but it has also separated children from their cultural environment. Education can play a big role in decolonizing habits and help centre the Federated States of Micronesia in education. 54. The national Government must ensure that education systems respect and celebrate the country’s cultural resources. First, Indigenous languages should be integrated into all levels of education, alongside English.6 It is essential that children are taught in their mother tongues. The Special Rapporteur noted that local languages had been added across all states, but specific budget allocations for them are often limited and rely on external grants. By secondary school (grades 9–12), English still dominates because it is used for national exams and college preparation. Second, the contents of education are crucial. The Special Rapporteur was told repeatedly about the lack of teaching on the history, geography and political institutions of the country and the region and the absence of information on Micronesian figures in the curriculum, including those who fought for independence. More educators need to be trained in local history, technologies and methodologies and adapted materials need to be developed. 5 6 GE.26-01464 A 1945 directive from the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Ocean Area stated explicitly the intent to “inculcate respect for and loyalty to the United States by teaching the history, customs, and beliefs of the United States and its people.” Until the independence in 1980, “Indigenous tongues” were considered inadequate to operate in the modern world; thus, English remained the primary language of instruction. The Government has since recognized the cultural significance of the country’s Indigenous languages. 11