Group wants to showcase traditional blacksmithing, carving in CNMI

The Guam Council of Arts and Humanities Agency wants to revive traditional blacksmithing and carving among CNMI youth and adults with masters Francisco C. Lizama and Greg T. Pangelinan expressing great interest in teaching them locally.

Giant clamshells in the photo are fossilized shells found underground in Naval Air Station during a construction project in Guam. The clamshells, unique in size, are estimated to be 40 million years old according to a Guam geologist. From left, CAHA master carver Greg Pangelinan, John Lizama, Bill Torres, Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council chair Antonia Tudela, and CAHA master blacksmith Frank Lizama. (Contributed Photo)

Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council chair Antonia Tudela said she is collaborating with the Northern Marianas Technical Institute in introducing local blacksmithing at the school.

From June 12 to 14, Tudela met with the CAHA masters at the Guam Micronesia Island Fair held at Ipao Beach Park. The two masters also met with NMTI education director Vic Cepeda on Saipan and discussed plans to extend the program to Saipan.

“It would help let the young generation interested in local blacksmithing who want to learn how to use traditional Chamorro and Carolinian tools. It is a great opportunity to keep our culture alive and they can learn something from it,” Tudela said.

NMTI chief executive officer Agnes McPhetres earlier said she had been talking with Tudela regarding the local blacksmithing program.

“To preserve our culture it is necessary for blacksmithing and we have been in discussion for NMTI to host the class. It is a great opportunity and collaboration between the council and us and it would help our young and old who want to learn blacksmithing,” McPhetres said.

For Tudela’s part, she wants to push for the revival of traditional blacksmithing and carving as cultural artifacts of indigenous islanders. Tudela will seek local funding in support of this local effort.

Lizama is a retired Guam Fire chief and U.S. Army Reserve, while Pangelinan retired from the Guam Environmental Protection Agency. Both have pursued their passion in the arts and crafts, representing Guam in the Festival of the Pacific Arts in Palau in 2004, American Samoa in 2008, and the Solomon Islands in 2012. Both also took part in similar events in New Caledonia and Australia.

The masters also participated in the Guam Micronesia Island Festival in Guam and the CNMI’s Flame Tree Festival. Lizama has practiced blacksmithing for over 25 years and Pangelinan began learning the traditional arts at the early age of 13, when he took a drawing class at Barrigada Junior High.

During Wednesday’s council meeting in Chalan Kanoa, Tudela also disclosed a collaborative engagement with the Association of Elected Officials in Guam and private business ventures there and in the CNMI in sponsoring with Northern Islands Mayor Jerome K. Aldan the first Konferencian Dinana Islas Marianas in Pagan in 2016.