By Bryan Manabat
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Variety News Staff
THE original documents that established the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands went on public display Tuesday as part of the Commonwealth Jubilee, a three-day celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the Covenant.
The exhibit, held from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the cultural lounge of the Crowne Plaza, featured the original Joint Resolution of the U.S. Congress approving the Covenant (U.S. Public Law 94-241), signed by President Gerald Ford on March 24, 1976. Also on display were photographs from the signing ceremony and images that document the Marianas Political Status Commission’s negotiations leading to the Covenant agreement.
“This is the original Covenant document housed at NMC’s library, and it’s now here as an exhibit for public viewing,” said Ray Muna, CNMI archivist at Northern Marianas College. “We’re commemorating the 50th anniversary of the signing of the CNMI Covenant.”
Muna said the exhibit was designed to give residents a rare opportunity to see the foundational documents that shaped the modern Commonwealth.
“The exhibit is really for the public to view the Covenant and the history behind it,” he said. “You have people who don’t know anything about the Covenant, and I provide a brief education on what it is and why it’s critical. Then you have those who are aware of the document but maybe don’t know its significance. And then you have another group who were present before the signing and understand exactly what it meant. For them, looking at these pictures and the Covenant is like going down memory lane — a flashback to life in the 1970s.”
The Covenant, negotiated over 27 months and approved through a multilayered process involving the NMI, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the U.S. Congress and the United Nations, established the Commonwealth’s political union with the United States. It also granted U.S. citizenship to the indigenous people of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Muna said visitors often ask why the document matters.
“It’s the most important document in CNMI history,” he said. “I can even argue that it carries a weight similar to the Declaration of Independence. This is our version of it. And maybe the most important reason is that it’s the greatest negotiation tool we have with the United States. It’s a very powerful document that can benefit the citizens of the CNMI — and right now, more than ever, we need to flex that muscle.”
The original Covenant and related materials were displayed in a temperature-controlled glass case.
“The documents are sensitive,” Muna said. “You have to wear gloves, and they must be kept in a carefully controlled, cold environment.”
After the Commonwealth Jubilee, the documents will be displayed next to the NMI Museum for continued public viewing before eventually returning to the custody of the NMC Archives.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
