ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the development of the Solomon Scouts and Coastwatchers monument and accompanying interpretative display in Honiara in 2011, and the interpretation of World War II history at the redeveloped Solomon Islands National Museum, opened in 2012. It places these recent developments in a historical context, tracing the shift in World War II commemoration in Solomon Islands from an emphasis on foreign combatants, to a more recent recognition of the contribution of Solomon Islanders. The Solomon Scouts and Coastwatchers monument and its accompanying educational activities mark a discernible shift in the nature of World War II commemoration and interpretation in Solomons, from a foreign focus prior to the Tensions (1998-2003), to local genesis and ownership following that period.
