Florence Peter, fourth from right, teaches “mwar” (floral head lei) making on Sept. 28, 2023, at the Marianas Experience at T Galleria in Saipan.
Visitors receive flowers woven from coconut fronds by Nicole Tyquiengco, left, on Sept. 28, 2023, at the Marianas Experience at T Galleria in Saipan.
Brian Rueben decorates a visitor with banana stalk painting on Sept. 28, 2023, at the Marianas Experience at T Galleria in Saipan.
THE Marianas Experience at T Galleria in Garapan, Saipan has been delighting visitors and residents since July 2023 with free interactive activities highlighting indigenous culture and Marianas history.
For the artists and craftspeople featured, it has also been a source of pride and an opportunity to further perpetuate the Carolinian and Chamorro knowledge passed down to them through the generations.
Florence Peter, 37, guides visitors in learning to make Carolinian “mwar” (floral head leis), carefully weaving a pattern of bright, tropical flowers, a skill she learned from her grandmother Amada Olopai Kaipat. The “mwar” is a symbol of respect, affection, and celebration. She hopes the younger generation of islanders will learn the skills she shares with visitors at the Marianas Experience.
“I feel good (about teaching), because if the tourists can learn from me, then our own people can also learn,” said Peter. “To keep the culture, we need to teach the little ones growing up, too.”
She also performs with the dance group Petlas Marianas.
“It’s the excitement of showing what we’re performing or telling a story in our song. I feel good when we do it — happy!” she said.
Nicole Tyquiengco, 28, weaves young coconut fronds to make decorative items, such as fish, headbands, and flowers, her favorite. She also performs with a Chamorro dance group that shares stories about the “galaidi” (canoe) and important value of respect.
“It makes me feel happy that I can share my culture and what I do with other people,” she said.
Brian Rueben, 45, learned the art of printing with banana stalks from the late artist Doug Rankin when Chamolinian Cultural Village Inc. or CCVI was first opened decades ago. Rankin was the first to introduce the painting technique in Saipan. Today Rueben deftly adorns the hands and arms of visitors to The Marianas Experience with small prints of plumeria, hibiscus, turtles, and other images.
“I still carry (Uncle Doug’s) artwork,” said Rueben, going on to describe in his native Carolinian the reactions of visitors. “They get excited. They ask if cooking banana is the same as eating banana. Really! I invite all visitors to come and experience our culture.”
The educational and entertaining experience welcomes the public on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 1 to 7 p.m. Cultural activities are held from 1 to 4 p.m., including coconut frond weaving, “mwar”- making, and banana printing art. Live performances of traditional and modern indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian music and dance are held from 4 to 7 p.m. opened on July 18, 2023.
Gordon Marciano is managing director of local tour company Pacific Development Inc. and chairman of CCVI, the organization that oversees the cultural practitioners. A long-standing cultural practitioner and coordinator, Marciano sees the Marianas Experience as a rite of passage for the next generation of practitioners engaging with visitors.
“This time around, I’m passing the torch to this generation of practitioners that have been with us,” said Marciano. “They’ve gained so much over the years, and I think it’s time for us to start giving them their role in coordinating events.”
The Marianas Experience is organized and led by DFS Saipan and is located within the T Galleria luxury retail complex in the main tourist district of downtown Garapan.
The Marianas Experience also includes artifacts on display from the Northern Mariana Islands Museum of History & Culture, features on cultural leaders and traditions presented by the Northern Marianas Humanities Council, a display of traditional Chamorro and Carolinian sailing canoes, and more. The event is funded by the Marianas Visitors Authority.
Attendees will also find locally made items for purchase at the Made in the Marianas Corner, including handmade jewelry by Bonita Basula, apparel by Fotten Gaga, handmade greeting cards by Saipan Snaps, and handcrafted chocolates by Kensington Hotel Saipan.
The Marianas Experience is also supported by the Commonwealth Council for Arts & Culture, and 500 Sails.
