Cinta’s mother told her to expect rain within the next couple of days. With the Flame Tree Celebration scheduled on that weekend, it was not a welcome news. But she knew her mother was telling the truth.<\/p>\n
The early pour on Saturday only confirmed that her mother hasn’t lost her touch, while her daughter is running against time to learn her skills.<\/p>\n
“When the old wise man in our community (on Pangan) died, I felt lost,” she said.<\/p>\n
She rushed to the Carolinian Utt last Friday to honor the voyage and visit of Makali’i. As a member of the Refalawasch community on Saipan, it was like honoring her forebears who also navigated the Pacific and taught her mother to discern the signs of nature.<\/p>\n
Embracing the verve and tradition of the Makali’i is home to her and to some of the indigenous people who are hanging on to their cultural identity.<\/p>\n
The voyage from Hawaii to Saipan is a yearly visit of who they are and where they came from. It is a present day sojourn in search of the past.<\/p>\n
Like the master navigator of Makali’i, her ancestors relied on the stars and the sky for direction and action. In Lieweila, the documentary film she co-produced, she said after the reeves and the oceans were created, they were out there challenging the tides.<\/p>\n
But studying and mastering the forces of nature were no match to coming face to face with invaders and modernity.<\/p>\n
When she came back from college, “I barely recognized my home.”<\/p>\n
As she sat among those who gathered at the Carolinian Utt, wanting to hear stories from the voyage like in older times, she felt a mixed emotion.<\/p>\n
She felt proud of her beginnings after the Makali’i delegation arrived on Saipan and paid homage to the great navigators of Micronesia.<\/p>\n
But she also felt sadness. While the traditional gathering at the Utt after a journey was being celebrated, people outside were oblivious and paid no attention.<\/p>\n
For years, the skill on navigation was humbled by the rhetorics of governance. The next generation was no longer interested in challenging the seas. Canoes were considered out of style.<\/p>\n
“In time we needed spam and government job in order to survive,” as she continued her story.<\/p>\n
The affluence of the 80’s made people take fishing as a hobby. Others hired non-resident fishermen to fish for the money.<\/p>\n
While the master navigator was seated together with CNMI officials, he appeared like a lost chieftain. Refusing to exchange the traditional clothing to modern day wardrobe, he stood out in his true cultural color and identity.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Cinta was having soda and is well on her way to becoming a full-fledged lawyer.<\/p>\n
“I can play the VCR and drink coke but not forgetting who am I,” as her story goes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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