Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and NMI Humanities Council Chairwoman Dr. Debra T. Cabrera presented the Lifetime Achievement in the Humanities Award to Camacho at the Pacific Islands Club on Thursday.
The other awardees were genealogist and Board of Education Vice Chairman Herman T. Guerrero, archaeologist Herman C. Tudela, historian Carlos Madrid, and educator Stephen B. Smith.
Camacho was ordained a priest in 1961 and consecrated the first bishop of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa in 1985.
He was recognized for outstanding contributions he made during his nearly half-century of service.
During the awarding, Fitial highlighted Camacho’s contributions as a teacher in some of the top academic institutions in the region. The governor also recognized Camacho for the longstanding efforts he exerted to preserve the Chamorro language.
Guerrero, popularly known as “Jun Pan,” received the Preservation of CNMI History Award for developing a comprehensive genealogy database for the Mariana islands which currently includes 112,200 individuals, 113 generations, and 11,000 surnames.
Tudela, a staff member of the CNMI Division of Historic Preservation, received the Preservation of Traditional Cultural Practices Award in recognition of his efforts to perpetuate traditional Chamorro fishing and conservation practices.
Madrid received the Research and Publication in the Humanities Award for a project that resulted in the publication of a book documenting the events surrounding the deportation of hundreds of Spanish political prisoners to the Marianas in the 1870s.
Smith, a longtime teacher and administrator of the Public School System, was given the Outstanding Humanities Teacher Award for establishing a number of humanities-based programs including the popular forensic competitions in which hundreds of commonwealth students participate each year.
The Humanities Council also recognized a variety of key supporters including financial donors, humanities partners, and former board and staff members including former Public Health Deputy Secretary Lynnette F. Tenorio, attorney Robert T. Torres, Rep. Rosemond B. Santos and Variety co-publisher Paz C. Younis.
Also recognized were student winners in the recently held “My Photo, My Culture” competition, an event sponsored by the Council using funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The Governor’s Humanities Awards ceremony was co-sponsored by the Office of the Governor and the NMI Council for the Humanities.
This annual event recognizes individuals, organizations and businesses for their outstanding contributions to the humanities.
