SAES students learn cultural appreciation

The weeklong celebration of cultures at San Antonio Elementary School kicked off yesterday with the islands’ senior citizens sharing their skills in mwar and bead making and performances of traditional songs and dances to over 300 children on campus.

Ronnie Aguon, program coordinator, said the event’s prime objective is to “revive and survive” the indigenous languages and cultures among public school students.

“By doing so, we’re putting back the respect to local traditions,” he told Saipan Tribune.

Aguon, who is also a teacher of language heritage studies, admitted that only a few students use the Chamorro and Carolinian languages nowadays.

Under the school system’s curriculum, each grade level from first to eight grades must receive 45 minutes of daily instruction about the local dialects.

Aguon said this initiative must be complemented with more activities and programs in school that would encourage students to continue their lessons in the heritage studies curriculum.

Yesterday, 18 man’amko were seen providing sessions to each classrooms dealing with story telling, singing, dancing, weaving, bead making, and mwar making.

Representatives of the Historic Preservation Office were also seen teaching kids about local history and artifacts.

Aguon, elated at the enthusiasm shown by the students, said that more cultural programs should be held at the campus.

This week a cultural exchange with a Japanese school is also slated in San Antonio school.

“Since we’re celebrating culture appreciation week on campus, we decided this event to coincide with our cultural exchange with our Japanese counterparts,” he said, adding a special ceremony is being planned for the coming of foreign students.

According to sixth grader Vincent Paul Santos, cultural presentations and demonstrations on campus are among the “exciting” moments during cultural week celebration.

It is only through the event, he said, that students are able to meet and interact with “experts” on local traditions and languages.

The mwar-making, he added, highlights the important role the man’amko play in passing on the island’s tradition.

Mwars are used to welcome guests and dignitaries during island occasions.

For Jason Corilla, he believes the 45-minute session during heritage studies must also incorporate activities that would better enhance and encourage the students’ interest in knowing more about the local languages.

“I think we need more activities like this…because it’s fun and interesting,” he told Saipan Tribune.

Aguon disclosed that San Antonio is home to not just islanders and local students but various ethnicities like Chinese, Koreans, Bangladeshis, Filipinos, and FSM citizens.

Besides the man’amko and HPO staffers, individual parents were also seen providing sessions yesterday.