Among them is one of the CNMI’s “founding fathers,” Vicente Naputi Santos, 76, of San Vicente.
Santos, who served as president of the Marianas District Legislature, said this is the first time he’s attended the conference.
“I’ve heard about it and I’m very appreciative for those people who organized the conference. It’s not an easy task because people from Rota, Saipan and Guam are all together. I believe it is an important avenue to revive the idea of pursuing an entity for the Chamorro language and Chamorro culture,” he said.
Santos is participating in the education workshop of the seminar and admits he’s learned a lot from the group he is with.
“A lot of people are still speaking Chamorro and they can express themselves in Chamorro. I’m very happy I attended,” he said.
Also attending is Frances Sablan, 54, of Gualo Rai.
A retired educator and the current chairwoman of the election commission board, Sablan said she’s has been attending the annual conference from the very beginning. This year she recruited other participants from the CNMI. She is also the emcee of the conference.
“There’s so much passion out there for the language and the culture,” she said of the conference. “Every topic that we have talked about, whether it’s health or spirituality, whether it’s conflict resolution or inafa’maolek — we’re just so passionate about them and that’s what I see and feel in this conference,” she said.
