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First cultural expo set today
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Posted on Oct 09 2017
In celebration of Commonwealth Cultural Day, the Indigenous Affairs Office, together with the Carolinian Affairs Office, will host today the first cultural expo, dubbed Indigenous Cultural Expo, at the Susupe Civic Center by the Guma Sakman (the former 4H building).
Roman Tudela, executive director of the Indigenous Affairs Office, said the cultural expo, to be hosted in the spirit of saving the indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian cultures, is a means of reviving what has been lost.
The expo will showcase a variety of demonstration but will focus on the cultural “tree of life,” which is the coconut tree.
According to Tudela, there are many uses of the coconut tree. The tree is medicinal and it was once used as a source of clothing for the ancient Chamorro. It can also be eaten raw or cooked and it can produce oil and has many other uses.
There will be different demonstrators for each use of the coconut tree, from its leaves to its fruits, Tudela said.
Demonstrators will showcase how to properly husk a coconut and how to properly grate one.
A special demonstrator will also showcase clothing made out of coconut.
The 500 Sails organization, which is trying to revive the sailing culture in the Marianas, will have a demonstration on the organization’s vision and programs. The group will also have Neni, one of the organization’s first canoes, out and will be offering navigation demonstrations and free rides.
Aside from cultural crafts, there will also be vendors that will be selling cultural Chamorro and Carolinian dishes for the community to purchase and try.
The expo will be from 9am to 3pm and the entire community is invited to take part in the festivities.
