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Indigenous land and sea
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Posted on Jul 29 2008
Our forefathers lived on these islands since time begun over four thousand years ago. Although conquerors came and ruled these isles without their consent, it’s equally clear that foreigners were after their own interests, from exotic spice to the use of religion to conquer the Marianas Archipelago. The combined ugly arrogance and obvious lack of respect for the indigenous people still ring loud today.
Never have I heard that they have given up the rights to ownership of these isles to any of the four conquerors. It is for this reason that Article XII exists under the Covenant Agreement and CNMI Constitution. Though our forefathers succumbed to submissive behavior, even with having to drown in the sea of humility, never once did they surrender ownership of our land and sea.
History has established that Chamorros are a seafaring people who traversed the open waters over five hundred miles out to fish for bigger catch. Our ancestors did so in their simple canoe in order to provide for their community. They employed traditional navigation to get to and from fishing grounds. Otherwise, they fished in the lagoon during inclement weather.
This historic fact, though riddled with arrogance and foreign domination, remains a traditional testament that hasn’t changed through the years. The notion of the “we few” attempting to tell us what to do with our land and sea, peddling their much maligned plan to turn some part of the Northern Islands into a monument, must cease once and for all.
It’s not surprising if this insidious design is the key to the back door for proponents of the monument to someday silently claim all that is found on land and sea to their benefit. What about the rights of the indigenous people to any harvest of minerals subsequently found within the planned monument? Mind you, we know what we want with what’s ours so for once in your lifetime let the indigenous people dispose of what’s theirs. Eh, you guys think you smart, but we are no dummy, braddah!
[B]Candy B. Taman[/B] [I]Former MemberHouse of Representatives[/I]
