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‘New office for indigenous not political’
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Posted on Aug 29 2008
Responding to community concerns, Martin Sakisat of the CNMI Descent for Self-Government and Indigenous rights, said the organization’s recently opened office is intended to serve as a headquarters for its social welfare projects, not for political purposes.
“The reason for the existence of this office is not for going out in a radical way to perform radical demonstrations or radical protests,” Sakisat said. “Rather, it is to open doors for our indigenous people.”
The small office, sharing the same building as the Department of Labor, opened earlier this month and Sakisat said it has sparked some concerns from the community that it will be a staging ground for political efforts. The organization has recently gotten status as a nonprofit group, however, barring it from political work, Sakisat said.
“It’s not a political office,” he said. “The articles of corporation prohibit this office, by being itself chartered as a nonprofit, from endorsing any candidate or being connected with any politicians.”
Instead, he added, the office is intended to help indigenous people find jobs and for other social welfare work.
