By Andrew Roberto
andrew@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
A PROCLAMATION signing at the governor’s office on Thursday marked October as CNMI Humanities Month. The Northern Marianas Humanities Council organized the ceremony.
According to the council’s website, the organization’s mission is to “navigate and explore the human experiences of the indigenous and diverse peoples of the Commonwealth by enriching their lives through research, dialogue, programs, and publications.”
The council provides grants funding projects across humanities disciplines, including history, language, jurisprudence, and sociology, among others. It also organizes programs, such as the My Marianas Writing Contest, the Minagahet-Ellet media survey project, and the Cultural Icons project.
This year’s Humanities Month theme is “Shared Stories, One Future.”
In his remarks, Humanities Board Vice Chair Robert Harrell said there is a “renaissance” in interest in Chamorro and Carolinian cultures, similar to Hawaii’s revival of indigenous traditions and language in the 1980s.
“When most people from outside think of the Marianas, they focus on its involvement in World War II,” he said. “But the CNMI has so much more history, and it can be shared by the people here. We need to be our own researchers.”
Speaking to the Marianas High School POLKSAI Guma Chamorro Club, the day’s featured performers, Harrell encouraged students to seek out family stories.
“Listen to the manamko’, read old letters, look at pictures, and take the time to learn about your family’s past — not on your cell phones or tablets, but with your hands and heart. Learn about the farms, the talaya nets, the traditions. Those stories need to be shared and captured. That’s how we build one future — through the youth and the next generations. You need to know these stories so you can pass them on.”
After Gov. David M. Apatang signed the proclamation, the POLKSAI Guma Chamorro Club performed a rendition of JJ Concepcion’s Marianas Way.
Upcoming activities organized by the Humanities Council include the CNMI Chamorro and Carolinian Language Workshop on Oct. 16–17 and the Chamorro and Carolinian Language and Heritage Cultural Festival on Oct. 25. The 2025 Governor’s Humanities Awards, which honor outstanding achievements in research, education, historical preservation, and cultural practices, will conclude Humanities Month with a formal ceremony at the end of October.
