Six individuals were named to the prestigious 2009 Governor's Humanities Awards for their outstanding contributions in the promotion of literacy and cultural preservation.
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and NMI Council for the Humanities board chair Charles Reyes Jr. conferred the recognition Friday on Dr. Elizabeth Rechebei and Dr. Sandra Chung, Manuel Borja and Jose Roppul, Harol Easton, and the late Dr. Rita H. Inos.
Every year, the NMI Council for the Humanities seeks the community's participation in the selection of outstanding awardees for various categories.
For preserving traditional cultural practices, Drs. Rechebei and Chung were commended for securing a three-year grant to study and strengthen the Chamorro language and for leading the efforts to revise and expand the existing Chamorro-English dictionary. The two also organized a conference attended by language experts who reviewed the Chamorro orthography and offered revisions to make it easier to use.
The council said that Rechebei's and Chung's work is critical to the perpetuation of the Chamorro language, which undergirds all indigenous cultural practices in the CNMI.
In the research and publications category, Borja and Roppul were recognized for their collaboration to research and write a 725-page book on traditional healing on the islands. Their work was based on oral interviews conducted on three islands, during which they brought to light certain aspects of this traditional knowledge that are considered proprietary. The publication presents traditional Chamorro and Carolinian healers and presents useful information about more than 100 medicinal plants.
Marianas High School speech and drama teacher Harold H. Easton was hailed as the outstanding humanities teacher of the year. Easton instills in his students an appreciation and understanding of both classical and modern theater and has effectively used language to communicate ideas and emotions. He also directs and produces local theatrical productions that include Shakespeare, classical musical, literary masterpieces and tales of local culture.
Fitial conferred the Lifetime Achievement in the Humanities Award on the late Dr. Rita H. Inos, who passed away in August this year.
Inos was an educator, administrator, and cultural activist. During her tenure as the Public School System's education commissioner, she made major improvements to public education, including bringing PSS in line with national education standards and securing funding for the construction of six new schools. She was also credited for playing a key role in two successful conferences in the Chamorro language and culture and supervised the working group in revising the existing Chamorro-English dictionary.
The award was received on her behalf by her husband, Cristobal Inos, and daughter Blossom.
Also recognized during a special ceremony Friday night at Aqua Resort Club were the council's donors and partners in its many activities and programs. Former board members and staffers were also lauded for their contributions to the mission of the council: Dr. Debra Cabrera, Herman T. Guerrero, Gregorio Kilili Sablan, and the late Antonio Deleon Guerrero.
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