Oral histories of the Northern Marianas published

The Commonwealth’s Division of Historic Preservation and the Council for the Humanities announced yesterday the publication of eight volumes containing 136 oral histories regarding the political history of the Northern Marianas since the conclusion of World War II.

The oral histories were taken by Howard P. Willens and Deanne C. Siemer over more than a decade—from 1993 to 2004. Together with previously classified government documents, the oral histories were used by these authors in their two books about the pursuit of a unique political status for the Northern Marianas that resulted in the Covenant.

The volumes are entitled, Oral Histories of the Northern Mariana Islands: Political Life and Developments (1945-1995).

The Council of the Humanities supported the taking of these interviews with an initial grant in 1993 and the Historic Preservation Office printed the volumes in 2004. Both organizations emphasized the importance of this work to their mission to preserve, develop, and promote educational projects that relate to the history of the Northern Mariana Islands.

The 136 oral histories include 82 taken in the Northern Marianas, four in Guam, and four in the Federated States of Micronesia. One person interviewed was in Belgium and another was in New Zealand. The other oral histories were taken in Washington D.C. (15) and in 16 different states.

The list of local interviewees includes most of the members of the Marianas Political Status Commission, which represented the Northern Marianas in the status negotiations that led to the Covenant (1972-1976), and the members of the First Constitutional Convention (1976-1977). It also includes all four governors of the Commonwealth and a long list of individuals who served as executives, legislators, or judges in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands or in the Commonwealth government. Many other Northern Marianas residents with very different backgrounds and experience in education, religious vocation, business, journalism, and the practice of law contributed their recollections.

“All of the interviewees gave graciously of their time and contributed significantly to this effort to capture the compelling story of the Northern Marianas people. The community owes them a great debt,” said a statement from the Humanities Council and Historic Preservation.

The focus of the oral histories was on the political development of the Northern Marianas in the period following World War II. However, the interviews produced a broad range of personal experiences and insights about the quality of life as lived by the interviewees during these challenging times—from their experiences during the invasion of 1944, their life under the Navy Administration, the development of political parties, the growth of the economy, and the ongoing debate about the most desirable future political status for the Northern Marianas.

The printed copies of the oral histories will be distributed to libraries and repositories in the Northern Marianas, Guam, Pohnpei, and Hawaii where they can be used by teachers, students, and the public. They will be provided to the Commonwealth Archives, CNMI Museum of History and Culture, the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library, Northern Marianas College Library, Rota Main Library, Tinian Main Library, Library of Congress, the National Park Service, Micronesia Area Research Center at the University of Guam, and the Pacific Collection at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Willens and Siemer are currently producing a digital version of the oral histories. All 136 histories will be contained on a single, and fully searchable, CD. The CD and an explanatory memorandum will be made available through the Council for the Humanities and the Historic Preservation Office to interested parties.

The two organizations are planning a presentation by the authors about this and other projects in late September. The tentative date is Sept. 28 at the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library. (PR)