500 Sails offers traditional navigation classes to public

Master navigator Cecilio Raikiulipiy, top photo, master navigator Antonio Piailug, center, and master navigator Mario Benito, bottom photo, are shown during their classroom instruction.(MARJORIE ATALIG DARIA)

500 Sails has announced an open call for aspiring cultural practitioners who are interested in learning the art of Traditional Navigation.

Under the Cultural Maritime Training Center’s Traditional Navigation Track, master navigators Mario Benito, Antonio Piailug, and Cecilio Raikiulipiy will be sharing their sacred knowledge and stories. The track launched its first trial sessions in March with 11 enrolled students and will continue throughout the rest of the year.

Members of the community who would like to participate are invited to attend a meet-and-greet with Raikiulipiy, who has graciously opened up seats for new students, in addition to his own class. He will be conducting interviews for those who are serious about committing their time to learning the foundations of traditional navigation under his guidance. Currently, the classes are closed for Benito and Piailug.

Navigation is an ancient art form that involves memorizing the names of significant stars in the sky, understanding and predicting weather and swell patterns, knowing all phases of the moon and tides, and the physical and spiritual preparation it takes to go on an open-ocean voyage, to name a few of the topics covered. Saipan is fortunate to be the home of the three navigators who have the passion and drive to teach what they know to future generations.

Interested individuals can come to the 500 Sails Boatyard in the Lower Base/Tanapag Village at 5:30pm on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. Seating in the class is limited, and students will be selected based on the discretion of the navigator, as well as their ability to dedicate time out of their schedules to attend these sessions thereafter.

The Cultural Maritime Training Center is made possible by support from the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as part of an Administration for Native Americans’ Social & Economic Development Strategies grant.

500 Sails is a 501(c)3 and CNMI tax-exempt nonprofit organization dedicated to reviving, promoting, and preserving the maritime cultural traditions of the Mariana Islands through community engagement in canoe cultural values and activities. 500 Sails’ vision is a healthy thriving native community that has successfully integrated traditional cultural values into modern life.  Major supporting partners include the CNMI Office of Indigenous Affairs, IT&E, and Chamolinian Cultural Village Inc – Canoe Federation.

For more information on programs, call 670-323-7245 (SAIL), email info@500sails.org, or follow 500 Sails on Facebook and Instagram. (PR)