{"id":413010,"date":"2024-09-11T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-11T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=413010"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"Weekly-Chamorro-Carolinian-Cultural-Roadmap-unveiled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/Weekly-Chamorro-Carolinian-Cultural-Roadmap-unveiled\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Chamorro-Carolinian Cultural Roadmap unveiled"},"content":{"rendered":"

The CNMI\u2019s identity, pride, and indigenous way of life is something to be shared not once a year but constantly, and to better do this, especially during Chamorro and Carolinian Heritage Month, a cultural learning experience will now be held be held every week at the NMI Museum of History and Culture and the Carolinian Utt in Garapan.<\/p>\n

Beginning last Friday, the Chamorro-Carolinian Cultural Roadmap will be a stop for community members, students, and tourists alike to learn about the cultures of the indigenous peoples of the CNMI.<\/p>\n

It will showcase live demonstrations of the rich cultural aspects of growing up in the Marianas\u2014from coconut weaving and oil making, mwar compositions, and Lighat\u00fatt\u00far beading, to traditional Chamorro and Carolinian dances, ancient storytelling, playing the ukelele, and even fishing techniques like talaya and lure casting.<\/p>\n

Indigenous Affairs Office resident executive Luella Marciano said they are looking forward to including two more experiences such as fish processing and amut or local medicine composition.<\/p>\n

She shared that the program demonstrations begin at 9:15am and wrap up just before 12pm. During that time, students will go through and participate in stations at the NMI Museum such as mwar making, ancient storytelling, local chanting, coconut oil making, Carolinian dancing, and sinahi artists. They will then later go to the Carolinian Utt to learn Chamorro dances, basic ukelele playing, banana art, Lighat\u00fatt\u00far beading, and fishing lures and talaya casting. She credited NMI Museum executive director Leonard \u201cLeni\u201d Leon for the initial idea.<\/p>\n

Leon shared with Saipan Tribune<\/em> the inception of the Chamorro-Carolinian Cultural Roadmap Cultural Roadmap.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, there are three components to this program. One is for the Public School System\u2019s Chamorro-Carolinian Language Heritage and Arts Program. It\u2019s also for public and then the third part is for tourists. It\u2019s to provide some space for everybody to come together, but mainly for PSS students from different schools to come together in a cultural space during regular school hours. It\u2019s a little more exciting and an incentive for being a CCLHS student.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the goal was to provide opportunities for CCLHS students to visit Chamorro and Carolinian cultural sites and learn about the cultures as well as to participate in cultural activities. Alongside the students, the program was also made for the benefit of tourists and community members who want to learn more about the indigenous cultures of the CNMI.<\/p>\n

Leon also explained that although the NMI Museum proposed the idea, bringing the Chamorro-Carolinian Cultural Roadmap to life was a joint effort between PSS and the Chamorro-Carolinian Heritage Month Committee. The committee consists of the Office of Indigenous Affairs, Carolinian Affairs Office, Commonwealth Council for Arts & Culture, Marianas Visitors Authority, Northern Marianas Humanities Council, Women\u2019s Affairs Office, Saipan Mayor\u2019s Office, Northern Islands Mayor\u2019s Office, and the NMI Museum of History and Culture.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really everybody\u2019s inputs that really shaped the program to what it is now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Leon added that another goal of the program\u2014the reason why both cultures are mingled and showcased at each site\u2014was to display that both indigenous groups can be in the same space without butting heads.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s one of the goals. It is to showcase that a space can be created for them to unite, but then also, as a CCLHS program, to show everyone that the Chamorros and the Carolinians cultures can unite and be in the same space without clashing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marciano echoed the same sentiment while mentioning the cultural diversity of the CNMI.<\/p>\n

\u201cCulture is very important. It is our identity. Much like a fingerprint. So, for us we need to celebrate it not only in September, but every day. That\u2019s the message\u2014let\u2019s celebrate. If you\u2019re a Chamorro, Carolinian, Palauan, whatever ethnic background you may have, anybody that came here to make the CNMI their home and celebrate your culture. It is you. So, our message to the public is to stand up and celebrate, showcase who you are and bring in your culture so that we can understand you better. In doing that we can live harmoniously. The CNMI has such diverse islands full of cultures. Here on Saipan alone, we have a lot of diverse cultures. So, every day it needs to be celebrated. Each one of us is like a fingerprint of our own. In order for us to respect and understand each other, let\u2019s promote and showcase so that we can understand, this is how we can understand each other and live harmoniously.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attendees of the Chamorro-Carolinian Cultural Roadmap expressed their gratitude for the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you! A big thank you to them,\u201d said Chamorro dance demonstrator April Repeki. \u201cBecause if it wasn\u2019t for them, we wouldn\u2019t be able to expose or showcase the art of the Marianas and then to have it also passed down. They don\u2019t have to be Chamorro, Carolinian, but at least they understand where it comes from and that it\u2019s going to continue to be passed down to the next artist, a person who has that interest to do what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also shared the importance of perpetuating culture.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s what identifies us as Chamorro and Carolinian people of the CNMI, right? Through art, through weaving, and through dance, through music, through the Lighat\u00fatt\u00far making. It\u2019s so important that we need to continue to expose our culture so that the youth, not only our Chamorro, Carolinian children, but whoever lives on the islands know about our culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leanna Borja, a CCLHS teacher at Koblerville Elementary School, also shared her gratitude for the launch of the Chamorro-Carolinian Cultural Roadmap.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a beautiful thing to watch, having this collaboration with the schools. It\u2019s giving the kids or students something to look forward to, and they\u2019ll be able to learn something about our culture and the resources we have on island. Hopefully it\u2019s something that they can pick up and share with their families, their friends, and through it hopefully we can promote and perpetuate it even more. To those who made this happen Si Yu\u2019use Ma\u2019\u00e5se<\/em> and please continue doing it. We need to push and encourage our kids every chance we get.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

NMI Museum of History and Culture executive director Leonard \u201cLeni\u201d Leon speaks to students just before start of the first Chamorro and Carolinian Cultural Roadmap last Thursday at the NMI Museum in Garapan.<\/p>\n

-CHRYSTAL MARINO
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