(Press Release) — The Northern Marianas Humanities Council has awarded Leila Staffler a grant to help fund her upcoming video “Exploring Latte in the Marianas: Alamagan.” This is the second in a series of videos Staffler will be creating to showcase the beauty of the Marianas Islands chain and document important cultural artifacts.
“Exploring Latte in the Marianas: Alamagan” will focus on the latte villages and medicinal plants found on Alamagan Island. It will also feature interviews with Alamagan residents and practicing yo’amti. Staffler and her team will be traveling to Alamagan this summer as part of the project.
The team participating on the expedition to Alamagan includes medicinal healers Donald Mendiola and Rosa Salalila, cameraman Leni Leon, and project director Leila Staffler. Mayor Vicente Santos and his family members who reside on Alamagan will be supporting this project as hosts and guides. In preparation for this film, Staffler consulted with cultural leaders Manny Borja, Ignacia Demapan, John Castro, and the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs.
“This project is important to the NMI community because it documents for posterity two topics that are part of what make us unique as a people — one of our most known cultural icons, the latte stone, [and] our cultural practice of natural healing,” says project director Leila Staffler. “Many people don’t realize that there are latte stones on all of our islands. By filming this site [in Alamagan], it reminds our people and our visitors that we once inhabited all of the Mariana Islands. Our culture and our history extend beyond our reef, and into Gåni. This film intends to emphasize the importance of protecting our lands because they are the foundations of our culture. They hold the secrets to the past that we have not yet uncovered. We have so much to learn about our history, we just need to invest in uncovering the stories left behind.”
“Our yo’amti community are aging and there are not as many youths who are continuing this important cultural art,” she adds. “This film hopes to share the wonders of natural healing through stories and demonstrating simple ways we can incorporate it into our daily life. Ultimately, I hope to inspire our youth to pursue reviving this cultural practice.”
The first video of Staffler’s series, “Exploring Latte in the Marianas: Pågan,” is available to view on YouTube.
This project is made possible in part by funding from the Northern Marianas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the council or NEH.
The council supports high quality public humanities programming for the people of the Marianas in accordance with the Council’s Gi Hiyong i Mamati — Mwirilóól Woosch Strategic Master Plan.
For more information about the Humanities Council’s Community Grants Program, contact the Council at 235-4785; [email protected]; or visit www.nmhcouncil.org
