The Saipan Leadership Memorial Kios-ku: In Recognition of Local Leadership

First in a three-part series[/I]

Over four (4) years ago to the day following the pioneering and bold initiative by the Saipan Municipal Council to memorialize Saipan local leaders, the first Saipan Leadership Memorial Kios-ku is set for an historic opening this year. In the heart of Chalan Kanoa is the Kios-ku in Saipan’s capital town, located directly across the United States Post Office and adjacent to Saipan’s first seat of local government [http/saipanmunicipalcouncil.blogspot.com].

Once considered a robust, vibrant and thriving community, what little that remains of Saipan’s capital town is a reputation for being Saipan’s first and oldest village. Chalan Kanoa also hails as a place rich in heritage assets albeit most, if not all, in varying stages of dilapidation caused by man and nature. Today, what historic vestige remains standing is the mayor’s machine shop, a place where the first Bank of America opened for business in the Marianas.

As well, the kios-ku is one of Saipan’s historically significant asset. The kios-ku symbolizes the political transformative change, following World War II of what Saipan was then as an integral part of the Marianas District during the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) period under the control of the United Nations (UN) Trusteeship Council. As a trustee, the UN engaged the United States to administer the islands on its behalf. The UN obligated the United States Government, as an administering authority, to foster the political, social, education, and economic advancement of the islands that would eventually lead the islands to local self-government. The Covenant agreement is the living document worked out between the Northern Marianas and the United States which established the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) in political union with the United States. The Covenant allowed the CNMI to implement provisions of the Covenant in the CNMI Constitution, ultimately the essence of a self-governing CNMI.

Significantly, the kios-ku has become a symbolic springboard for American-style democracy in the Northern Marianas. It was at this plaza ground that built a political groundswell, heralding the formation of the two-party system in the Marianas. The kios-ku plaza also served as a birthplace of the local territorial and popular political parties on Saipan. Party leaders typically held assemblies and fellowships at the kios-ku, where they uttered their hopes and dreams during political campaign sessions. Indeed, the plaza was a convenient place for local political neophytes and seasoned leaders to display their political skills at winning the hearts and minds of the local electorates.

As the springboard for the territorial party and the popular party on Saipan, not only did the two-party system evolved and thrived for many years. But, over the succeeding years, party leaders in both political camps felt the need to change the local party labels, and adopted the labels of their U.S. counterparts in the Republican and Democratic parties. Arguably, the decision to align and conform to the two major national party labels in the United States has probably little (if any) to do with the liberal and conservative philosophies espoused by the two national political parties in the United States. The issues and positions taken by the local political parties seem to be all but different. Party labels, in other words, are generally used to identify membership, a useful technique, perhaps, in swaying voters to positions taken on issues by the local parties, or by individuals running for a particular public office.

While the local party labels and the seat of local government have evolved and changed over the years, what remains unchanged was the political significance of the kios-ku. Until the commencement of the kios-ku project, the plaza has remained host to political functions, known for its role as a staging area for campaigns and motorcades every two-year (mid-term election) and four-year (gubernatorial election) campaign sessions and elections on Saipan.

For instance, a little over seven (7) years ago, the Covenant party had its roots spawned at the kios-ku. The little known budding party has eventually become rooted in the community and now a viable party by CNMI law, challenging the traditional two-party politics in the CNMI. The covenant party made political history on its own right seven (7) years ago, when the CNMI saw repeated triumph by the relative newcomer party in gubernatorial contest, the legislature, and local mayoral bets.

Unmistakably, the kios-ku heralds the instrumental role by local resident leaders in the political advancement and modernization of the Commonwealth. The kios-ku is a place where present and future generations of Saipan residents and visitors will visit and become familiar with the invaluable contributions of local leaders in the political and socio-economic evolution of the island. The kios-ku is where local residents and visitors will be able to identify, relate to and recognize local leadership. Indeed, the kios-ku is history itself, a place where history is captured as it unfolds, and a place where history will pass judgment upon local leaders.

It goes without saying that for many years since becoming a Commonwealth, local residents have been schooled of leaders and about leaders and heroes who are foreign conquerors, those who notably hailed from Spain, Germany, Japan and the U.S. naval administration, including representatives of the United Nations and the United States.

The kios-ku is a narrative, figuring the missing pages of history in our collective memory as islanders. The kios-ku symbolizes a transformative political change as the CNMI continually adjusts as a self-governing entity and recognizing her local leaders and leadership in public service.