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MPLA mulls registry for indigenous people
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Posted on Jan 24 2005
The Marianas Public Lands Authority is considering the establishment of a registry of indigenous CNMI people, similar to the one adopted by the Hawaiian Affairs Office.
MPLA chair Ana Demapan-Castro said yesterday that plans are underway to register all locals who have at least 25 percent of Chamorro or Carolinian blood.
“The registry will help us track people who are of Chamorro or Refaluwasch ancestry. It will help us determine how many indigenous people we have and how we can best serve them, particularly on issues related to homestead and public lands,” Demapan-Castro said. “It’s actually getting too late for this. But we’ve got to start sometime.”
Citing the project as one of her major goals for the fiscal year, Demapan-Castro said the board will discuss the plan in its February meeting. She expressed hope to have a registration group formed soon after.
Demapan-Castro said the registration process will be patterned after the native Hawaiian registry, which was created by law in July 2003.
Under the Hawaiian registry program, people of Hawaiian ancestry around the world are acknowledged through the issuance of picture ID cards. Persons with any percentage of Hawaiian blood are allowed to register.
Demapan-Castro said MPLA is also working to complete the computerization of its archiving system within the fiscal year.
The project involves the conversion of MPLA’s paper, photographic, and other physical materials into digital format. These materials include maps, titles, and board meeting records.
MPLA noted earlier that digital imaging allows identical reproduction quality from copy to copy. Other advantages are that digital images are easily linked to textual descriptions and catalog records, and can be manipulated easily as opposed to photographic means. Further, access to documents is greatly improved via standard Internet technologies and through other similar applications.
